Please join us from 11:00 am through 1:30 pm on Wednesday, January 1 for FCM’s annual New Year Ceremony, Beginning Anew. The program will be offered on Zoom for everyone and in-person at the Tampa Center for FCM members (and immediate family members).

Members attending in person will share in an appetizer potluck under the pergola and a special sangha activity in the garden following the ceremony.

In the Buddhist tradition, the passing of an old year and the beginning of a new one is celebrated in a sacred manner. We take stock of the past year, our life and relationships, our activities and endeavors, and make a sincere inventory of the actions of our body, speech and mind. Then, symbolically freeing ourselves from the baggage of the past year, we start the New Year with renewed focus, motivation and inspiration.

The ceremony will guide practitioners through a review of the past year and then allow time to write down and let go of the past (including regrets) in a symbolic way; aspirations and intentions for the new year are then envisioned, written down, and strengthened by the ceremonial process.  

• Zoom Attendees  Please see the special Ceremony page at floridamindfulness.org/ba to support your online participation. It includes Zoom links, program, words to be chanted, suggestions for supporting your virtual participation. No need to register if you are planning to Zoom.

• Members – Please register for this event 
  When you register, please include the names of any family members living in your household who will be attending as your guests. After you have registered, please go to the potluck "Signup Genius" to let us know what finger food you will bring. That link is at the bottom of this description. You can always go back and sign up later, after you have registered for the event here.

SIGN UP GENIUS: Beginning Anew Appetizer Potluck

After you have completed registering, please go to Sign Up Genius to indicate what finger food you will bring to the potluck at this link:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805094BAAAD2AA5FD0-53085836-beginning

For more information about the ceremony, please contact Libby at edunn@impactllc.net. For information about the potluck, contact Julie at Jamcewen3@yahoo.com

This year, Southwest Florida residents have a special opportunity to take part in the Beginning Anew Ceremony. The program will be held at our new space at Unity of Naples and zoomed from Tampa so that we can practice virtually as one sangha, members and non-members alike!

In the Buddhist tradition, the passing of an old year and the beginning of a new one is celebrated in a sacred manner. We take stock of the past year, our life and relationships, our activities and endeavors, and make a sincere inventory of the actions of our body, speech and mind. Then, symbolically freeing ourselves from the baggage of the past year, we start the New Year with renewed focus, motivation and inspiration.

The ceremony will guide practitioners through a review of the past year and then allow time to write down and let go of the past (including regrets). Aspirations and intentions for the new year are then envisioned, written down, and strengthened by the ceremonial process.

After the ceremony, there will be a light potluck of finger foods and beverages for all to gather together and celebrate.

There will be a $10.00 fee to cover rent for the use of the facility.

For more information about the ceremony, please contact Brandy at brandymkidd@gmail.com.  For information about the potluck and signing up for Selfless Service, contact Sheila at sajludwig@gmail.com

Cancelled this month due to the holidays.

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

with Bill MacMillen and Misti Oxford-Pickeral

(Now open for registration for both FCM members and non-members.)

Many of us embark on a spiritual path seeking to live a meaningful and purposeful life--a life of authenticity, integrity and goodness. Aspiration, intention and vows are key elements that empower us on our path.

Our aspirations refer to the highest and deepest heart-felt wishes we have for our lives, our relationships and the world--our shining north stars, so to speak. Making vows and setting intentions are tangible ways we can channel the energy of our aspirations and infuse them with determination and commitment. These three elements--aspiration, intention and vows--provide direction in our lives, keep us on the path when we are challenged or confused, and help us make wise choices that are congruent with our inner values.

In this workshop, led by Bill MacMillen and Misti Oxford-Pickeral we will look deeply into our lives to examine, uncover and clarify each of these elements, and learn how to use them in our daily practice. 

Examining our aspirations, intentions and vows is not a one-time endeavor. We invite everyone to join us for this annual community workshop so that these elements are present for us each of us every day of the year. 

This workshop is free, offered to anyone who wishes to attend. It will be held via Zoom. Please join us!    

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.

Misti Oxford-Pickeral has been a member of the Florida Community of Mindfulness (FCM) since 2016. She participates regularly in intensives, workshops, and retreats. She is active with FCM's kitchen team and with Sangha Care. Misti is a student of Fred Eppsteiner and took refuge and the Five Mindfulness Trainings in March of 2019 and was ordained into the Order of Interbeing (OI) at Blue Cliff Monastery in April 2023. Misti currently serves on FCM's Board of Directors. She lives in Gainesville, FL with her husband.

with Bill MacMillen and John McHarris

In our modern world, we have countless ways to stay busy, informed, entertained, and otherwise distracted from the moment we wake up until we go to bed at night. We can easily spend our entire day completely disconnected from our actual experience and unaware of what thoughts and mind-states we are cultivating throughout our busy days. If we do have a moment to stop, we may find that we feel uneasy, agitated, bored, anxious, stressed, in despair, or otherwise uncomfortable in our bodies and our minds. 

Fortunately, as so many people throughout the world are discovering, there is another way. Through what the beloved Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh called, “The Miracle of Mindfulness,” we can learn how to be at ease in the present moment. We can learn to use our minds in a way that nourishes our well-being and helps us to feel whole again. Through cultivating mindfulness of the body, breath, and mind, we can learn to develop peace within ourselves and to enjoy the simple experience of being alive.  

In this two-day Introductory Retreat, participants will learn mindfulness and meditation practices that calm and nourish the body and mind. There will be both formal instruction as well as “off-the-cushion” practice in areas such as walking, eating, mindful movements and work meditation. There will be periods of Q&A and deep sharing within a setting that is mostly silent, offering participants the opportunity to retreat from digital devices and other distractions that so often clutter our minds and cover the natural spaciousness that lies beneath the “noise.”

This will be a silent retreat. The silence affords us the opportunity to deepen our meditative experience while absorbing the experiential meaning of the teachings and practices presented.

Who is the retreat for?

This retreat will be beneficial for both newcomers to meditation and more experienced mindfulness practitioners with an interest in living with more ease in the present moment. 

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 Friday, January 10 and ends after lunch on Sunday at 4:00 pm, January 12. Participation is open to both FCM members and non-members.

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

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

Please note: 

• The deadline for application for this retreat will be December 20. 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 December 23 as to whether or not they have been accepted into the retreat. 
• For those accepted, the fee will then be due by December 27, 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 will go towards supporting the retreat teachers.

The retreat registrar will be sending additional information to accepted registrants once registration is closed. 

Retreat Leaders

Bill Mac Millen has been a Dharma practitioner with the Florida Community of Mindfulness and a student of FCM's teacher Fred Eppsteiner since 2013; in 2018 he completed the three year Dharma Transmission training taught by Fred. Bill was ordained as a member of the Order of Interbeing at Thich Nhat Hahn’s Magnolia Grove monastery in 2019. Aspiring to be of service to the community, he is on the Leadership Council overseeing the area of Center Care and also teaches and facilitates various classes and Intensive study programs offered by FCM.

John McHarris is a Dharma Instructor with the Florida Community of Mindfulness. He has been a student of FCM's teacher Fred Eppsteiner since 2011. John completed FCM's three year Dharma Transmission Group program, and is an ordained member of the Order of Interbeing. He has Co-led various FCM offerings such as the Introduction to Mindfulness and Meditation class, FCM Intensives, and Days of Mindfulness. John is the current Chair of FCM's Board of Directors. Although based in Naples, he's also a part-time Tampa resident; in conjunction with FCM's Residency program.

Questions?
For more information, please contact Bill at bmacm21@gmail.com.

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

with Fred Eppsteiner

Many individuals suffer from unresolved trauma, often based on experiences that occurred much earlier in their life. In spite of years of effort, these unhealed wounds continue to trigger them into emotional reactivity, and thus disturbing their desire for stability and equanimity in daily life. Whether in a person’s emotions, behaviors, relationships or even beliefs, the effects of past trauma continue to sabotage their hopes for a good life.

Rather than treating the long-lasting effects of past trauma as an individual issue to be resolved by involving oneself in various types of therapeutic practices or processes, Buddhism offers a different perspective. This perspective is not only beneficial for those seeking relief from the effects of past trauma, but helps ensure that one can respond to new ‘extra-ordinary’ events with understanding and compassion.

Join Fred Eppsteiner for this one-day workshop where he will guide participants through an exploration of how the Buddhist framework can offer new possibilities for understanding true resiliency and resolving past trauma.

This class will begin on Saturday, January 18 from 9:00 am to 4:00 p.m. Classes will be held in-person and online. The cost is $80 in-person and $60 online. If you have questions, please contact us at info@floridamindfulness.org.

Registration closes January 10 for In-Person and January 15 for Online.

Class Instructor:

Fred Eppsteiner 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.

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

Members and non-members are invited to join the FCM community in selfless service and work meditation Saturday, February 1 by participating in this Saturday's workday!

We will begin the day together meeting under the pergola located between the Education Building and Great Cloud in preparation for our mindful work, with an orientation by work day leaders. There will be both indoor and outdoor tasks in need of our joyful attention. Please wear old clothes, sturdy closed-toe shoes and bring work gloves if you have them. Snacks and water will be provided.

We encourage everyone to experience the richness of practicing together, in-person on our campus. Our safety protocols are based on CDC recommendations. Please familiarize yourself with our FCM Health Protocols.

With metta,

Bill

with Roshis Chozen and Hogen Bays

Cultivating a truly quiet mind is a main prerequisite or Dharma gate for transformative or awakening insight experiences. In giving instructions for meditation, the Japanese Zen master Dogen wrote: “Think about non-thinking. How to think about non-thinking? Non-thinking.”

What is one to make of this injunction? How can one understand and practice with these instructions? In this four-day silent retreat, drawing upon their many decades of Zen practice and teaching, Roshis Chozen and Hogen Bays will share practical and effective methods for quieting our busy minds in order to cultivate a mind of calm alertness, both on and off the cushion.

A silent Zen meditation retreat can be rigorous and, at times, challenging for some, and is not recommended for beginners. In order to attend in person, it is recommended that you have first attended one of our silent weekend or longer retreats or a four-to-seven day silent retreat at another Buddhist Center.

Registration will close on December 31.

Retreat Logistics

This retreat is in-person only participation at FCM ’s Tampa Center. The retreat will begin with orientation at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, February 5 and ends after lunch on Sunday, February 9. Participation is open to both FCM members and non-members.

The fee for in-person participation is $360 for overnighters and $280 for commuters, with a $50 deposit required to apply. 

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

Please note: 

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.

The Bay’s teachings will be 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. As their teachings are offered freely, the student ’s response should also be 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 dana collected at the end of retreat will go towards supporting the retreat teachers.

The retreat registrar will be sending additional information to accepted registrants once registration is closed.

Retreat Leaders

Roshi Chozen Bays has been the teacher for Zen Community of Oregon since 1985. In 2002 she helped to found Great Vow Zen Monastery and is co-abbot. In 2011 she also helped found Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple in Portland, Oregon. She has written books on mindfulness and mindful eating, and written articles published in Buddhadharma and Shambhala Sun.

Roshi Hogen Bays began practicing Zen in 1968 with Philip Kapleau, Roshi doing residential training at Zen Center of Rochester and eventually at Zen Center of Los Angeles with Taizan Maezumi Roshi. He continued his Zen studies with Shodo Harada Roshi in Japan and on Whidbey Island from 1990 – 2015. He ’s a psychologist and Naturopathic Doctor (ND). He is co-abbot of Great Vow Zen Monastery.

Questions?
For more information, please contact Angie at parrish26@gmail.com.

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

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

Members and non-members are invited to join the FCM community in selfless service and work meditation Saturday, March 1 by participating in this Saturday's workday!

We will begin the day together meeting under the pergola located between the Education Building and Great Cloud in preparation for our mindful work, with an orientation by work day leaders. There will be both indoor and outdoor tasks in need of our joyful attention. Please wear old clothes, sturdy closed-toe shoes and bring work gloves if you have them. Snacks and water will be provided.

We encourage everyone to experience the richness of practicing together, in-person on our campus. Our safety protocols are based on CDC recommendations. Please familiarize yourself with our FCM Health Protocols.

With metta,

Bill

with Angie Parrish and David Braasch

The Brahmaviharas, also known as the Four Immeasurables, are four natural, beautiful qualities of heart that - when touched more deeply - open us to experiencing our interconnection with all of life: ourselves, others, and the world around us. These qualities, which include loving kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity, are naturally present in our minds but are often covered over by fear and other emotions that cause us to wall off our hearts. 

Our weekend retreat will focus on practices that will help us to rediscover these beautiful qualities, weaving together teachings on loving kindness with qigong, aligning body, breath, and movement with a loving and open heart. Using guided practices to bring mindfulness of body, heart and mind to both movement and stillness, we will explore how to meet life with equanimity, open-heartedness and compassion, and to work skillfully with obstacles that get in our way.

This will be a silent retreat. The silence affords us the opportunity to deepen our meditative experience while absorbing the experiential meaning of the teachings and practices presented.

Who is the retreat for?

This retreat will be beneficial for both newcomers to meditation and more experienced mindfulness practitioners with an interest in living with more ease in the present moment. 

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 Friday, March 7 and ends after lunch on Sunday at 4:00 pm, March 9. Participation is open to both FCM members and non-members.

The fee for in-person participation is $180 for overnighters and $140 for commuters.

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

Please note: 

• The deadline for application for this retreat will be February 6. 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 February 10 as to whether or not they have been accepted into the retreat. 
• For those accepted, the fee will then be due by February 14, 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 will go towards supporting the retreat teachers.

The retreat registrar will be sending additional information to accepted registrants once registration is closed. 

Retreat Leaders

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 Instructor 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 classes and retreats at FCM.

David Braasch has been a student of mindfulness and meditation at the Florida Community of Mindfulness since 2015, where he has taught Introduction to Mindfulness and Meditation, Buddhism: The Basics, and Mindfulness for Educators. He has been a student of Tai Chi, Aikido, and is a certified Qigong teacher under Holden Qigong of Santa Cruz, CA.

Questions?

For more information, please contact Angie at parrish26@gmail.com

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

Members and non-members are invited to join the FCM community in selfless service and work meditation Saturday, March 29 by participating in this Saturday's workday!

We will begin the day together meeting under the pergola located between the Education Building and Great Cloud in preparation for our mindful work, with an orientation by work day leaders. There will be both indoor and outdoor tasks in need of our joyful attention. Please wear old clothes, sturdy closed-toe shoes and bring work gloves if you have them. Snacks and water will be provided.

We encourage everyone to experience the richness of practicing together, in-person on our campus. Our safety protocols are based on CDC recommendations. Please familiarize yourself with our FCM Health Protocols.

With metta,

Bill

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.

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

with Fred Eppsteiner (Save the date)

Description

Save the date for this opportunity to study and experience the wisdom of the Buddha's Dharma.

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.