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.

Cancelled this month due to a retreat.

At FCM we celebrate the full moon each month with an evening devoted to meditations that help us develop and cultivate the mind of kindness, friendship and compassion towards all beings. During the guided meditation, we will practice embracing ourselves and others with thoughts of unconditional kindness, compassion, and support, and then to extend those feelings with well wishes for peace, happiness and an end to suffering for everyone in the world.

It has long been part of Buddhist tradition to honor and celebrate the arrival of the full moon. Legend has it that Shakyamuni Buddha was born under a full moon, arrived at his enlightenment under a full moon, and passed into paranirvana under a full moon. In Zen the full moon reminds us of our Buddha nature or our essential wholeness and completeness.

Our Full Moon Loving Kindness and Compassion evening will be from 7:30 – 8:45 pm. The evening will include guided loving kindness and compassion meditations, a short talk, and recitation of the Metta (Lovingkindness) Sutra and/or other music and altruistic readings. 

We encourage everyone in the Tampa Bay vicinity to experience the richness of practicing together, in-person in our Meditation Hall. There is no need to register ahead of time. Please familiarize yourself with our FCM Health Protocols and plan to arrive by 7:15 pm.

If joining us online, the link to Zoom is below. The event is suitable for both beginners and experienced meditators. There is no formal advance registration; simply join us online on the Sangha Line shortly before 7:30 pm. 

Zoom Links for FCM Sangha Line
Video Link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3296243465?pwd=bUo1aFVQblhhbUFpZmZTci9EK0daZz09

Dial-In # 1-646-558-8656
Meeting ID# 329 624 3465

FCM's Days of Mindfulness are offered both In-Person at the Tampa Practice Center and Online. Whether you are a new or experienced meditator, our Days of Mindfulness are an opportunity to support and deepen the practice of mindfulness and meditation, and nourish the seeds of well being, inner peace and openness in our lives.

 

The day will be a chance for all of us to put down the busyness of our lives and to relax, refresh, and renew with the healing energy of mindfulness. The day is an opportunity to experiment with letting go of our stories and dramas about our lives and the world. Instead we will practice simply be present to, and nourished by, our actual experience in the present moment. 

We encourage everyone in the Tampa Bay vicinity to experience the richness of practicing together, in-person in our Meditation Hall. Please familiarize yourself with our FCM Health Protocols and plan to arrive by 8:30 am.

If joining us online, the link to Zoom information will be provided once you register. We provide guidance to help you make the experience at home as close as possible to an experience in the Meditation Hall.

When you register indicate your choice of participation In-Person or Online.  While there is no fee for participation, the traditional practice of Dana (generosity) is appreciated. Please register to receive important information about your In-Person or Online Zoom attendance.  

If you have any questions please contact Rita Cathey at ritaanna727@gmail.com

With Bill Mac Millen and Denise "DiDi" Dorsey

Date: August 23
Registration Deadline: August 21
Suitability
Anyone wishing to better understand and more skillfully work with anger. This workshop is open to both members and non-members and is offered in person and online.

Description

Today, perhaps more than ever, our minds may often dwell with dissatisfaction and even anger over the state of the world. We may even feel justified with these feelings. However, the afflictive emotion of anger – including the range of emotions from low level irritation, frustration, resentment and jealousy to full blown rage – is one of the most destructive forces we face as human beings. This is true of anger experienced in our personal lives as well as societal anger that wreaks so much havoc upon people everywhere.

We have each acquired our own personal anger patterns due to our conditioning in life; we certainly don’t consciously choose to be irritable, resentful or angry. Thus, we can be gentle and understanding of ourselves as we are today, while at the same time knowing that with mindfulness we can create new conditions that will help to uproot anger and bring more joy into our lives.

Buddhist psychology offers much wisdom for working skillfully to transform anger through the practices of mindfulness and the cultivation of understanding and patience. The workshop will include instruction, reflections and practice opportunities through interactive exercises.

Mind Your Anger Class Objectives

Course Instructors

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 assists in leading a number of FCM offerings to both members and guests.

Denise "DiDi" Dorsey has been a member of the Florida Community of Mindfulness (FCM) since 2020. Her impetus to join was to become part of a community that meditated together and followed a path of loving kindness and service. DiDi's community work includes being part of the Flower Team, the Kitchen Team, and the AV Team. 
Fees

This workshop is presented by the Florida Community of Mindfulness at our Practice Center, 6501 N. Nebraska Ave in Tampa. The fee for this workshop is $75. A reduced rate of $40 is available for individuals needing financial support.

Please bring your own vegetarian lunch. Water and tea will be provided.

Contacts for More Information
If you have any questions about this class, please e-mail us at info@floridamindfulness.org or call 813-237-0746.

All are invited to join in community and selfless service this Saturday, August 30, as we come together to continue to cultivate a place of peace and beauty for the benefit of all beings!

We will meet at 8 a.m. under the pergola located behind the Meditation Hall to begin the day; if you cannot be there at 8 a.m. or need to leave before we end for the day at 11 please do not let that keep you from attending – any amount of service is appreciated!

Likewise, if summer heat is an issue there will be work available inside, you are welcome to choose what is best for you! 

Please wear work clothes and closed toe shoes and bring work gloves if you have them. Snacks and water will be provided.

In addition, Fred will be offering interviews, a wonderful opportunity to take advantage of! 

We look forward to being with you and getting to know one another in an informal and friendly setting! 

Please familiarize yourself with our FCM Health Protocols.

Many thanks,

The Center Care Team

Please note: FCM Members can access the Death Cafe web page and the Zoom links by clicking here.

With Fred Eppsteiner and Angie Parrish

Date: September 6

Registration Deadline: September 4
Suitability
Anyone wishing to better understand and more skillfully work with anger. This workshop is open to both members and non-members and is offered in person and online.

Description

In our modern age, creating and maintaining harmonious, caring, emotionally mature, and loving relationships seems to be a chronic challenge for many. Whether these relationships are of the intimate variety or familial or societal, establishing rewarding and meaningful relationships seems to be a challenge that demands never ending ‘work’. For many persons following a spiritual path, their relationships with family members, co-workers, and others are often viewed as an obstacle or diversion from the "real spiritual work” they are undertaking.

This four hour workshop will present an opposing view. Rather than an obstacle to spiritual growth, relationships will be shown to be a remarkably relevant path to developing all the positive emotions and mind states that spiritual and meditative practice promise. Actually, relationships are perhaps one of the most direct and experiential means to developing a truly wholesome and selfless life.

The objectives for this workshop are for participants to have the opportunity to:

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.

Course Instructors

Our Teacher Fred Eppsteiner will be using his training as a family therapist, plus his experience as a meditation and Dharma teacher, to create a challenging and opening environment for workshop participants to learn practical and easily applicable means to facilitate the workshop’s goals. Theoretical and psychological presentations, mindfulness practice, and guided experiential meditations will all be utilized during the workshop.

Fred has been a student of the psychology of Buddhist meditation for over 40 years, and was a psychotherapist for more than 30 years. He has trained extensively in the Buddhist meditative traditions the U.S. and Asia. He received permission to teach from Thich Nhat Hanh in 1994 and is the editor of two books: The Path of Compassion and Interbeing.

Angie Parrish has been a student of Buddhism and mindfulness for over 20 years. After a 1999 retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh, she became a student of Fred Eppsteiner's and a member of the Florida Community of Mindfulness. Angie brought the fruits of her experience in mindfulness and meditation into her professional career as an employee benefits consultant for a wide variety of organizations, including many employee training programs.

Angie is a Dharma Leader with FCM, having been given permission by FCM’s teacher Fred Eppsteiner to share the Buddha’s teachings with the sangha. She is also a Qualified Teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and is a frequent teacher of mindful living classes. 

Fees

This workshop is presented by the Florida Community of Mindfulness at our Practice Center, 6501 N. Nebraska Ave in Tampa. The fee for this workshop is $40. A reduced rate of $20 is available for individuals needing financial support.

Contacts for More Information
If you have any questions about this class, please e-mail us at info@floridamindfulness.org or call 813-237-0746.

At FCM we celebrate the full moon each month with an evening devoted to meditations that help us develop and cultivate the mind of kindness, friendship and compassion towards all beings. During the guided meditation, we will practice embracing ourselves and others with thoughts of unconditional kindness, compassion, and support, and then to extend those feelings with well wishes for peace, happiness and an end to suffering for everyone in the world.

It has long been part of Buddhist tradition to honor and celebrate the arrival of the full moon. Legend has it that Shakyamuni Buddha was born under a full moon, arrived at his enlightenment under a full moon, and passed into paranirvana under a full moon. In Zen the full moon reminds us of our Buddha nature or our essential wholeness and completeness.

Our Full Moon Loving Kindness and Compassion evening will be from 7:30 – 8:45 pm. The evening will include guided loving kindness and compassion meditations, a short talk, and recitation of the Metta (Lovingkindness) Sutra and/or other music and altruistic readings. 

We encourage everyone in the Tampa Bay vicinity to experience the richness of practicing together, in-person in our Meditation Hall. There is no need to register ahead of time. Please familiarize yourself with our FCM Health Protocols and plan to arrive by 7:15 pm.

If joining us online, the link to Zoom is below. The event is suitable for both beginners and experienced meditators. There is no formal advance registration; simply join us online on the Sangha Line shortly before 7:30 pm. 

Zoom Links for FCM Sangha Line
Video Link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3296243465?pwd=bUo1aFVQblhhbUFpZmZTci9EK0daZz09

Dial-In # 1-646-558-8656
Meeting ID# 329 624 3465

FCM's Days of Mindfulness are offered both In-Person at the Tampa Practice Center and Online. Whether you are a new or experienced meditator, our Days of Mindfulness are an opportunity to support and deepen the practice of mindfulness and meditation, and nourish the seeds of well being, inner peace and openness in our lives.

 

The day will be a chance for all of us to put down the busyness of our lives and to relax, refresh, and renew with the healing energy of mindfulness. The day is an opportunity to experiment with letting go of our stories and dramas about our lives and the world. Instead we will practice simply be present to, and nourished by, our actual experience in the present moment. 

We encourage everyone in the Tampa Bay vicinity to experience the richness of practicing together, in-person in our Meditation Hall. Please familiarize yourself with our FCM Health Protocols and plan to arrive by 8:30 am.

If joining us online, the link to Zoom information will be provided once you register. We provide guidance to help you make the experience at home as close as possible to an experience in the Meditation Hall.

When you register indicate your choice of participation In-Person or Online.  While there is no fee for participation, the traditional practice of Dana (generosity) is appreciated. Please register to receive important information about your In-Person or Online Zoom attendance.  

If you have any questions please contact Rita Cathey at ritaanna727@gmail.com

All are invited to join in community and selfless service this Saturday, September 20, as we come together to continue to cultivate a place of peace and beauty for the benefit of all beings!

We will meet at 8 a.m. under the pergola located behind the Meditation Hall to begin the day; if you cannot be there at 8 a.m. or need to leave before we end for the day at 11 please do not let that keep you from attending – any amount of service is appreciated!

Likewise, if summer heat is an issue there will be work available inside, you are welcome to choose what is best for you! 

Please wear work clothes and closed toe shoes and bring work gloves if you have them. Snacks and water will be provided.

In addition, Fred will be offering interviews, a wonderful opportunity to take advantage of! 

We look forward to being with you and getting to know one another in an informal and friendly setting! 

Please familiarize yourself with our FCM Health Protocols.

Many thanks,

The Center Care Team

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.

Please note: FCM Members can access the Death Cafe web page and the Zoom links by clicking here.

Save the date. This 10-week Intensive will begin October 6 and end December 15. 

At FCM we celebrate the full moon each month with an evening devoted to meditations that help us develop and cultivate the mind of kindness, friendship and compassion towards all beings. During the guided meditation, we will practice embracing ourselves and others with thoughts of unconditional kindness, compassion, and support, and then to extend those feelings with well wishes for peace, happiness and an end to suffering for everyone in the world.

It has long been part of Buddhist tradition to honor and celebrate the arrival of the full moon. Legend has it that Shakyamuni Buddha was born under a full moon, arrived at his enlightenment under a full moon, and passed into paranirvana under a full moon. In Zen the full moon reminds us of our Buddha nature or our essential wholeness and completeness.

Our Full Moon Loving Kindness and Compassion evening will be from 7:30 – 8:45 pm. The evening will include guided loving kindness and compassion meditations, a short talk, and recitation of the Metta (Lovingkindness) Sutra and/or other music and altruistic readings. 

We encourage everyone in the Tampa Bay vicinity to experience the richness of practicing together, in-person in our Meditation Hall. There is no need to register ahead of time. Please familiarize yourself with our FCM Health Protocols and plan to arrive by 7:15 pm.

If joining us online, the link to Zoom is below. The event is suitable for both beginners and experienced meditators. There is no formal advance registration; simply join us online on the Sangha Line shortly before 7:30 pm. 

Zoom Links for FCM Sangha Line
Video Link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3296243465?pwd=bUo1aFVQblhhbUFpZmZTci9EK0daZz09

Dial-In # 1-646-558-8656
Meeting ID# 329 624 3465

FCM's Days of Mindfulness are offered both In-Person at the Tampa Practice Center and Online. Whether you are a new or experienced meditator, our Days of Mindfulness are an opportunity to support and deepen the practice of mindfulness and meditation, and nourish the seeds of well being, inner peace and openness in our lives.

 

The day will be a chance for all of us to put down the busyness of our lives and to relax, refresh, and renew with the healing energy of mindfulness. The day is an opportunity to experiment with letting go of our stories and dramas about our lives and the world. Instead we will practice simply be present to, and nourished by, our actual experience in the present moment. 

We encourage everyone in the Tampa Bay vicinity to experience the richness of practicing together, in-person in our Meditation Hall. Please familiarize yourself with our FCM Health Protocols and plan to arrive by 8:30 am.

If joining us online, the link to Zoom information will be provided once you register. We provide guidance to help you make the experience at home as close as possible to an experience in the Meditation Hall.

When you register indicate your choice of participation In-Person or Online.  While there is no fee for participation, the traditional practice of Dana (generosity) is appreciated. Please register to receive important information about your In-Person or Online Zoom attendance.  

If you have any questions please contact Rita Cathey at ritaanna727@gmail.com

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.

At FCM we celebrate the full moon each month with an evening devoted to meditations that help us develop and cultivate the mind of kindness, friendship and compassion towards all beings. During the guided meditation, we will practice embracing ourselves and others with thoughts of unconditional kindness, compassion, and support, and then to extend those feelings with well wishes for peace, happiness and an end to suffering for everyone in the world.

It has long been part of Buddhist tradition to honor and celebrate the arrival of the full moon. Legend has it that Shakyamuni Buddha was born under a full moon, arrived at his enlightenment under a full moon, and passed into paranirvana under a full moon. In Zen the full moon reminds us of our Buddha nature or our essential wholeness and completeness.

Our Full Moon Loving Kindness and Compassion evening will be from 7:30 – 8:45 pm. The evening will include guided loving kindness and compassion meditations, a short talk, and recitation of the Metta (Lovingkindness) Sutra and/or other music and altruistic readings. 

We encourage everyone in the Tampa Bay vicinity to experience the richness of practicing together, in-person in our Meditation Hall. There is no need to register ahead of time. Please familiarize yourself with our FCM Health Protocols and plan to arrive by 7:15 pm.

If joining us online, the link to Zoom is below. The event is suitable for both beginners and experienced meditators. There is no formal advance registration; simply join us online on the Sangha Line shortly before 7:30 pm. 

Zoom Links for FCM Sangha Line
Video Link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3296243465?pwd=bUo1aFVQblhhbUFpZmZTci9EK0daZz09

Dial-In # 1-646-558-8656
Meeting ID# 329 624 3465

FCM's Days of Mindfulness are offered both In-Person at the Tampa Practice Center and Online. Whether you are a new or experienced meditator, our Days of Mindfulness are an opportunity to support and deepen the practice of mindfulness and meditation, and nourish the seeds of well being, inner peace and openness in our lives.

 

The day will be a chance for all of us to put down the busyness of our lives and to relax, refresh, and renew with the healing energy of mindfulness. The day is an opportunity to experiment with letting go of our stories and dramas about our lives and the world. Instead we will practice simply be present to, and nourished by, our actual experience in the present moment. The theme of this Day of Mindfulness with Fred will be Emotional Healing and Transformation.

We encourage everyone in the Tampa Bay vicinity to experience the richness of practicing together, in-person in our Meditation Hall. Please familiarize yourself with our FCM Health Protocols and plan to arrive by 8:30 am. Please bring your own vegetarian lunch. Water and tea will be provided.

If joining us online, the link to Zoom information will be provided once you register. We provide guidance to help you make the experience at home as close as possible to an experience in the Meditation Hall.

When you register indicate your choice of participation In-Person or Online.  While there is no fee for participation, the traditional practice of Dana (generosity) is appreciated. Please register to receive important information about your In-Person or Online Zoom attendance.  

If you have any questions please contact Rita Cathey at ritaanna727@gmail.com.