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    • 30 Sep 2023
    • 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
    • In-Person and Online
    Registration is closed

    with Chris Lee Nguyen and Max McHarris


    According to the Pew Research center, 31% of adults in the U.S. report being online "almost constantly." Research shows that spending too much time on our devices can have negative effects on our social and emotional well-being, as well as our productivity and focus. Taking a "Digital Detox" to set down electronic devices or certain media for a period of time has been proposed by many as a way to restore balance to our busy lives and overstimulated minds.


    "Finding Balance in a Digital World" is a five-hour workshop where participants will explore their relationship with technology and learn ways to transform this relationship into one that supports mental and emotional well-being. It is intended for people with all levels of mindfulness practice who are interested in learning the benefits of setting down their devices and changing their relationship with technology. This workshop will include basic instructions for mindfulness meditation, guided reflections, and discussion and exploration of ways to use technology in our daily lives in a more balanced way


    Learning Objectives: 

    • Learn about the benefits of digital detox 

    • Learn how to consciously reflect on the effects of digital stimulation on our lives

    • Identify common motivations for over reliance on electronic devices

    • Practice disconnecting and returning to the present moment to touch the nourishing and healing elements in us and around us

    • Have a plan of action for utilizing electronic devices intentionally to support well-being in our daily lives

        The workshop leaders will use their training in Buddhism, mindfulness, meditation, counseling, plus their own personal journeys with relationships to create an environment for workshop participants to learn practical and easily applicable means to facilitate the workshop’s goals. Presentations, mindfulness practice, and guided experiential meditations will all be utilized during the workshop.

        This workshop will be offered both in-person and on Zoom (In-person participation is encouraged where possible). Registration will close September 28.


        The suggested fee for this workshop is $50.


        Workshop Leaders

        Christopher Lee-Nguyen has been practicing with the Florida Community of Mindfulness since 2014.  In 2015, he helped start and facilitate Wake Up Southwest Florida, which is part of an active global community of young mindfulness practitioners, inspired by the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh. He is a member of the Order of Interbeing and completed FCM’s three year Dharma Transmission Program. Chris lives in Fort Myers, where he helps with the Naples sangha and was previously a board member of Hearts' Path to Mindful Living. He received his BA in communication from Florida Gulf Coast University, holds the rank of Sho-dan in the Shito-Ryu Karate-Do, and currently works as a software quality assurance engineer, loving husband, and father of his children, Bodhi & Kita. 


        Max McHarris began his mindfulness practice while attending college at New York University in 2017. In 2019 he became a formal student of Dharma Teacher Fred Eppsteiner after realizing he needed to deepen his practice if he really wanted to transform his suffering and be of benefit to others. In 2022 he completed a nine month residency program at the Florida Community of Mindfulness and now works as a teacher for Hillsborough County Public Schools. He has assisted in facilitating mindfulness programs for teens and unhomed youth and currently helps to facilitate FCM's family program as well as WakeUp Tampa Bay, a mindfulness and meditation group for those in their 20's and 30's. Max has grown up with technology as an integral part of his life and hopes to share practices that have helped him heal and transform his relationship with digital devices.

        • 09 Oct 2023
        • Online (FCM Members)
        Register


        October 9 - December 18, 2023


        We are starting our winter session for the Dharma Buddies Program, October 9 – December 18. FCM members have found this program a great way to help us set and remember daily aspirations and intentions with support from a buddy whom you connect with briefly each day.

         

        An aspiration is a heartfelt wish of how we want to live our lives. It is our north star, the underlying force that guides us to do what we do. An aspiration brings clarity and that helps us make decisions that bring us a happier life. We want to look deeply into our hearts to find our aspiration. An example of an aspiration is to be more mindful and aware in my daily life.


        Daily intentions water our aspiration. It helps to visualize how your specific intention will materialize in your life each day. You want to decide where, when and how you will practice your intention. An intention to water a mindfulness aspiration might be -- During my staff meeting today, I will be patient when others interrupt. I will respond with a calm understanding voice. Intentions will change daily based on what is happening in your life.


        More examples of aspirations and intentions are on the Dharma Buddies Resource page on our website. You will be given access to this webpage on October 9 at the start of our session. 

         

        Dharma Buddy Commitments:

        • Please make a commitment to yourself and to your buddy to connect daily for the duration of this Dharma Buddy session, October 9 – December 18, 2023.   
        • Schedule an initial meeting with your new buddy to get to know them. This first visit may be longer than subsequent contacts, and could be in-person, on Zoom, or by phone (Facetime if possible). Share your aspirations with each other. 
        • Daily method of contact should be agreed upon at your first meeting such as a short text or email. When responding to your buddy you might just send an emoji thumps up or a short comment of encouragement in addition to your intention for the day. You want to keep your responses short to keep the process flowing. 
        • Set up a schedule which will work for both of you. What time of day will you typically send your intention? Many buddies do this first thing in the morning.
        • Respond daily to your buddy. Responses may come late in the day or even the next day when unavoidable situations come into your lives.
        • Reflect each evening before sleeping how your intentions watered your aspiration that day. This helps to keep you more honest and accountable with yourself.

        You may also request a specific buddy but if you are in an intensive, select someone in your intensive. When asking for a specific buddy, both buddies should send an email to evelynhaseman@gmail.com.


        If you register for the Mindful Living Path Intensive (MLP): Awakening the Heart: The Path of the Four Immeasurables, you will automatically be paired with a buddy in this intensive. Please note that you do not need to register for the Dharma Buddies program if you are registered for the MLP Awakening the Heart intensive.    


        Please note that participation in the Dharma Buddies Program is open to only members of FCM.  There is no fee for this opportunity to “buddy up”.  Registration ends on Sunday, October 1st.


        If you have any questions, contact Evie Haseman evelynhaseman@gmail.com


        • 01 Nov 2023
        • 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
        • In-Person
        Register

        with Jacqulyn Schuett and Bill Mac Millen


        Do you live in your thoughts about the past or worries about the future? Do your emotions often cause stress and confusion? Do you get carried away by dramas.


        Introduction to Mindfulness and Meditation is a four-week course designed to support the practice of mindfulness, helping us develop the skills and attention to be fully present to our lives in the present moment, and to touch each moment deeply. It is intended for those new to mindfulness and meditation, as well as for those who want to review the basics and establish a more consistent daily mindfulness and meditation practice. The course includes basic instruction as well as an exploration of practical ways to bring mindfulness into daily activities.


        Learning Objectives:

        • Systematically explore mindfulness of breathing, the body and physical sensations through sitting and walking meditation and the body scan practice.
        • Establish and maintain a daily meditation practice.
        • Practice mindful meditation to explore the emotions, thoughts, and overall awareness.
        • Apply mindfulness to difficult emotions and thoughts to avoid getting caught up in dramas.
        • Cultivate daily meditation and mindfulness practices so that mindfulness becomes an integral part of your daily life.

        This four-week course will begin on Wednesday, November 1, 8, 15 & 22 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Classes will be held in-person. The cost is $75 for all four sessions. If you have questions, please contact us at info@floridamindfulness.org.


        Class Instructors:

        Jacqulyn Schuett stepped on the Path of Dharma in 1999 when she visited Plum Village for her first retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh. The sign at the entrance, ‘You Have Arrived,’ foreshadowed the sense of home she felt in the intimate environment of this small retreat. Her study with Fred Eppsteiner, through retreats and Intensive studies, began shortly thereafter. In 2015 she was ordained into the Order of Interbeing (OI) and provides support for various activities at the Tampa Center. Jacqulyn also serves as a mentor and leader of introductory classes


        Bill Mac Millen has been a practitioner with the Florida Community of Mindfulness and a student of FCM's teacher Fred Eppsteiner since 2013. Aspiring to be of service to the community, he is on the Leadership Council overseeing the area of Center Care, a member of Thich Nhat Hahn's Order of Interbeing (OI), and participated in FCM's first Dharma Transmission Program.

      Florida Community of Mindfulness, Tampa Center
      6501 N. Nebraska Avenue
      Tampa, FL 33604

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      Naples Sangha

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