With Betsy Arizu and Misti Oxford-Pickeral

Dates
August 7 - 10
Registration Deadline:  July 9
Suitability

This retreat is especially designed for the summer session of the year-long Deconstructing the Myth of Self Intensive that began in March. However, it is also open and appropriate to any FCM members that have taken this Intensive in previous years or have participated in a previous FCM Deconstructing the Myth of Self Retreat.

Description

In Buddhism, the knots of self is a metaphor that describes the layers of memories, thoughts, feelings and behavioral patterns that created our sense of self as being solid, permanent and fixed. These knots of self, “tied” during our early years, are reinforced over the course of our adult lives. They hold the stories, dramas, and misperceptions we may have about ourselves and the world, as well as our immature life strategies to make self feel real, safe and in control.

These knots of self hold our mistaken identities -- I’m an anxious person or an angry person; I am flawed or not worthy; or I am unlovable or an imposter. These limiting beliefs, afflictive emotions and patterns of reactivity cause us suffering in life, limit our potential, and keep us from fully realizing who we really are.

Untangling the Knots of Self is a 3-Day Summer retreat and its objectives are to:

Retreat is an opportunity to step away from our daily lives and enter a nurturing and silent oasis of mindfulness, meditation, and transformative teachings and practices. Silence affords us the opportunity to deepen our meditative experience while absorbing the experiential meaning of the teachings and practices presented.

This retreat will be led by Betsy Arizu and Misti Oxford-Pickeral who have been working this year with Fred Eppsteiner, the creator of the year-long Intensive, Deconstructing the Myth of Self. The retreat will include mindfulness practices, guided meditation, self-reflection, journal exercises, and inner dialogue with parts of ourself to nurture greater understanding, insight, and healing. The retreat is for those currently in the Deconstructing the Myth of Self Intensive, have participated in a past FCM Deconstructing the Myth of Self Intensives or Retreat, or are experienced Dharma meditators/practitioners with some experience within this area of study and practice. If you have any questions about the retreat or whether it is right for you contact Betsy Arizu at betsyarizu@gmail.com.

Retreat Leaders

Betsy Arizu is an FCM Dharma Instructor. She co-led the Deconstructing the Myth of Self Intensive and Untangling the Knots of Self Retreat with Ken Lenington in 2021. She has been a member of the Florida Community of Mindfulness and a student of Fred Eppsteiner since 2011, participated in the three-year Dharma Transmission Program, and was ordained as a member of the Order of Interbeing in 2015. Her background is in counseling, mindfulness in education, art and organization development. She currently resides in Raleigh, NC, leading Open Circle Mindfulness in Raleigh and various programs for Florida Community of Mindfulness.

Misti Oxford-Pickeral was introduced to Buddhism in her 20s through the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, Pema Chodron, and the Dali Lama. She became a member of FCM in 2016. Having experienced profound changes in her life through Buddhist teachings and practices, Misti is grateful to serve the FCM community and support others' practices. She is active with FCM's kitchen team and with the Community Care Team, and she participates as a new member mentor. She is excited to apply her experience with and passion for teaching to the Dharma. Misti currently serves on FCM's Board of Directors. She lives in Gainesville, FL with her husband.

Fees

The fee for in-person participation is $270 for overnighters and $210 for commuters.

Retreat Logistics

This retreat is in-person only (either staying overnight or as a commuter) participation at FCM’s Tampa Center. The retreat will begin with orientation at 5:00 pm on Thursday, August 7 and ends Sunday, August 10 at 12:00 pm. Participation is open to FCM members only.

If you are not familiar with our campus, you may enjoy this short video tour.

Please note: 

• The deadline for registration for this retreat is July 9. 
• We will send a retreat acceptance letter by July 14 with additional information to help you prepare for retreat.
• The full fee will then be due by July 18, otherwise the spot will be given to another applicant.
• Please click here to read FCM's Retreat Cancellation Policy.

Retreat Scholarships are available; please click here to see FCM’s Retreat Scholarship Policy and for an Application, which needs to be submitted prior to the registration deadline for this retreat.

New to retreating with FCM? Please visit our FAQs page.

The teachings are offered in the Buddhist tradition of Dana, wherein the teachers freely give of themselves to the students out of gratitude for what they’ve received from their teachers and a desire to be of service. The student’s response is also based on Dana, i.e. generosity that naturally flows from a sense of appreciation of the value of Dharma and gratitude to the living lineage. All retreat dana for this retreat will go towards supporting future programs at the FCM center. 

Questions?
Please contact Rita at ritaanna727@gmail.com for any logistical questions.

With Guo Gu

Dates:  September 25 - 28
Registration Deadline: August 22
Suitability
This retreat is suitable for both  new and experienced practitioners. Participation is open to all (both FCM members and non-members).

Please note that registration does not confirm acceptance into the retreat. Shortly after the registration deadline (Aug 22), we will review applications and make final decisions as to acceptance. Notifications will be made by Aug 27.  

Description

“The  Supreme Way is not difficult,

if only you do not pick and choose.”

So begins Faith in Mind 信心銘 (xinxin ming), a seminal poem in the Chan tradition traditionally attributed to the Third Patriarch, Sengcan. This succinct and evocative text presents a complete view of the Chan path—one that points beyond dualities, conceptual frameworks, and goal-oriented striving.

In this four-day residential retreat, Chan teacher Guo Gu will offer teachings grounded in both textual study and intensive sitting meditation. The retreat will provide a structured space to reflect on the key principles embedded in the poem and explore their relevance in one’s own embodied practice. Guo Gu’s commentary will not emphasize historical or philosophical interpretation but will highlight the poem’s pragmatic orientation toward the realization of non-discriminating mind. 

The verses of Faith in Mind address the fundamental obstacles in practice: attachment to views, clinging to states of stillness, and the subtle operations of preference and aversion. Through periods of seated meditation, Dharma talks, and integrated reflection, participants will investigate what it means to rest in the immediacy of mind itself, free from grasping or rejection. Suitable for both new and experienced practitioners, this retreat offers an opportunity to encounter Faith in Mind not as doctrine, but as living instruction in the path of buddhadharma.

Retreat Leader

Guo Gu (Dr. Jimmy Yu) is the founder of the Tallahassee Chan Center, the founder of the socially engaged intra-denominational Buddhist organization, Dharma Relief, and a professor of Buddhism and East Asian religions at Florida State University. He studied under the late Master Sheng Yen for over 30 years, nine of which as his attendant monk and most senior and closest disciple. He is the author of The Essence of Chan (2012), Passing Through the Gateless Barrier (2016), and Silent Illumination(2021).
Fees

The fee for in-person participation is $270 for overnighters and $210 for commuters. Your full payment is required no later than September 12 to secure your spot, should you be admitted into the retreat. A full refund will be granted for those not admitted into the retreat. 

Retreat Scholarships are available; please click here to see FCM’s Retreat Scholarship Policy and for an Application, which needs to be submitted prior to the registration deadline for this retreat.

Retreat Logistics

The retreat will offer both in-person participation at FCM ’s Tampa Center and online participation. THIS REGISTRATION PAGE IS FOR IN-PERSON (Overnighter and Commuter) PARTICIPATION ONLY. Please visit the Online Retreat page if you wish to attend online.

The retreat will begin with orientation at 5:00 pm on Thursday, September 25 and ends after lunch on Sunday at 1:00 pm, September 28. Participation is open to all (both FCM members and non-members).

Please note:

• The deadline for application for this retreat is August 22. Please understand that this application DOES NOT guarantee you a spot in the retreat; all acceptances are subject to approval. 
• We will notify all applicants by August 27 as to whether or not they have been accepted into the retreat. The retreat registrar will be sending additional information to accepted registrants once registration is closed. 
• For those accepted, the fee will be due by September 5, otherwise the spot will be given to another applicant.
• Please click here to read FCM's Retreat Cancellation Policy.
• New to retreating with FCM? Please visit our FAQs page. If you are not familiar with our campus, you may enjoy this short video tour.

The teachings are offered in the Buddhist tradition of Dana, wherein the teachers freely give of themselves to the students out of gratitude for what they’ve received from their teachers and a desire to be of service. The student’s response is also based on Dana, i.e. generosity that naturally flows from a sense of appreciation of the value of Dharma and gratitude to the living lineage. All retreat dana will go towards supporting the retreat teachers.

Questions?
Please contact Rita at ritaanna727@gmail.com for any logistical questions.

With Guo Gu

Dates:  September 25 - 28
Registration Deadline: September 19
Suitability
This retreat is suitable for both new and experienced practitioners. Participation is open to all (both FCM members and non-members).

Description

“The  Supreme Way is not difficult,

if only you do not pick and choose.”

So begins Faith in Mind 信心銘 (xinxin ming), a seminal poem in the Chan tradition traditionally attributed to the Third Patriarch, Sengcan. This succinct and evocative text presents a complete view of the Chan path—one that points beyond dualities, conceptual frameworks, and goal-oriented striving.

In this four-day retreat, Chan teacher Guo Gu will offer teachings grounded in both textual study and intensive sitting meditation. The retreat will provide a structured space to reflect on the key principles embedded in the poem and explore their relevance in one’s own embodied practice. Guo Gu’s commentary will not emphasize historical or philosophical interpretation but will highlight the poem’s pragmatic orientation toward the realization of non-discriminating mind. 

The verses of Faith in Mind address the fundamental obstacles in practice: attachment to views, clinging to states of stillness, and the subtle operations of preference and aversion. Through periods of seated meditation, Dharma talks, and integrated reflection, participants will investigate what it means to rest in the immediacy of mind itself, free from grasping or rejection. Suitable for both new and experienced practitioners, this retreat offers an opportunity to encounter Faith in Mind not as doctrine, but as living instruction in the path of buddhadharma.

Retreat Leader

Guo Gu (Dr. Jimmy Yu) is the founder of the Tallahassee Chan Center, the founder of the socially engaged intra-denominational Buddhist organization, Dharma Relief, and a professor of Buddhism and East Asian religions at Florida State University. He studied under the late Master Sheng Yen for over 30 years, nine of which as his attendant monk and most senior and closest disciple. He is the author of The Essence of Chan (2012), Passing Through the Gateless Barrier (2016), and Silent Illumination(2021).
Fees

The fee for online participation is $105. Please make your full payment no later than September 19.

Retreat Scholarships are available; please click here to see FCM’s Retreat Scholarship Policy and for an Application, which needs to be submitted prior to the registration deadline for this retreat.

Retreat Logistics

The retreat will offer both in-person participation at FCM ’s Tampa Center and online participation. THIS REGISTRATION PAGE IS FOR ONLINE PARTICIPATION ONLY. Please visit the In-Person Retreat page if you wish to attend in person.

The retreat will begin with the opening session at 7:00 pm on Thursday, September 25. The retreat will end with at noon on Sunday, September 28. Participation is open to all (both FCM members and non-members).

Please note: 

• The deadline for registration for this retreat is September 19. 
• Please click here to read FCM's Retreat Cancellation Policy.
• The retreat registrar will be sending additional information to accepted registrants once registration is closed. 
  
• New to retreating with FCM? Please visit our FAQs page. If you are not familiar with our campus, you may enjoy this short video tour.

The teachings are offered in the Buddhist tradition of Dana, wherein the teacher freely gives of themselves to the students out of gratitude for what they’ve received from their teachers and a desire to be of service. The student’s response is also based on Dana, i.e. generosity that naturally flows from a sense of appreciation of the value of Dharma and gratitude to the living lineage. All retreat dana will go towards supporting the retreat teacher.

Questions?
Please contact Rita at ritaanna727@gmail.com for any logistical questions.

with Fred Eppsteiner (Save the date)

Description

Join Fred for this four day exploration of how to become free from this "self" that seems to hold so much sway over our lives.

This retreat is appropriate for practitioners who have a regular meditation practice and have cultivated a stable mind through participation in FCM's Mindful Living Path programs or equivalent courses.