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    • 22 Nov 2025
    • 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
    • In-Person & Online
    Register

    With Marilyn Warlick, Diana Fish and Alex Lerner


    Date: November 22

    Registration Deadline: November 20
    Suitability
    This workshop is open to both members and non-members and is offered in person and online, no Buddhist experience needed. It’s especially meaningful if you wish to support a loved one who is aging, ill, or simply want to prepare together for life’s most certain transition. .

    Description

    Is there someone close to you, a parent, partner, or dear friend, whose eventual death you quietly worry about? Or perhaps you sense it’s time to prepare together, to talk more openly about what matters most when death comes.


    Embracing the Great Transition is a daylong workshop offering space to explore how preparing for death can become one of the greatest gifts we give ourselves and those we love, the gift of presence, peace, and mutual understanding.


    Throughout the day, Alex, Diana, and Marilyn will guide reflections, mindfulness practices, and conversations to help us open to impermanence, approach difficult topics with compassion, and begin creating written guidance for ourselves and our loved ones. These practical and heartfelt tools can ease fear and confusion when the time of dying comes.


    We’re also grateful that our teacher Fred Eppsteiner will join us to offer a special teaching on Buddhist wisdom about death and dying, wisdom that helps us meet loss not with fear, but with awareness and love.


    Come spend a day in reflection and connection, discovering how embracing death with honesty and love can help us live, and relate, with deeper peace, clarity, and compassion.

    Course Instructors

    Marilyn Warlick is a retired LCSW having  worked  in various areas of service within the VA Health Care System; Homelessness, Substance Abuse, and Clinical Coordinator for Programs for Returning Veterans from their combat tours of duty, also End of Life Care. Her involvement with Florida Community of Mindfulness (FCM) began in 2000, in 2009, she completed a pilgrimage with her FCM teacher and  members to India.  In 2010 she received ordination in the Order of Interbeing. She had been a mentor and a facilitator for Death  Cafes and assists in various FCM Programs including Buddhist Wisdom for Death and Dying. 


    Reverend Diana Fish, BCC, is an interfaith palliative care chaplain at BayCare’s Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater, FL. Diana joined FCM upon moving to Florida and was ordained into the Order of Interbeing in 2019. In 2018 she was ordained as a Buddhist Chaplain by Roshi Joan Halifax, Abbott of Upaya Zen Center and author of Being with Dying. After completing Clinical Pastoral Education at Tampa General Hospital in 2019 she was hired as a Staff Chaplain. She received board certification by the Association of Professional Chaplains in 2021.

    Alex Lerner  has been practicing with Florida Community of Mindfulness since 2005 and became OI ordained in 2015. He is a mentor for other practitioners at FCM and is frequently holding workshops with a special interest in Neuroscience and the Dharma. He teaches meditation and mindfulness in the FCM Prison Dharma Program. For his career in clinical medicine, he was focused on healing the body. After his retirement from medicine, he developed an interest in understanding the mind.

    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.

    • 17 Jan 2026
    • 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM
    • In-Person
    Register

    with Bill MacMillen


    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 two-week course will begin on Saturday, January 17 and 24 from 8:30 to 12:30 p.m. Classes will be held in-person. The cost is $75 for both sessions. If you have questions, please contact us at info@floridamindfulness.org.


    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.



    • 30 Jan 2026
    • 6501 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa, FL 33604


    Save the Date!


    • 08 Mar 2026
    • 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
    • In-Person
    Register

    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 Sunday, March 8, 15, 22 & 29 from 1:00 to 3:00 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.

    • 06 May 2026
    • 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
    • In-Person
    Register

    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, May 6, 13, 20, & 27 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.

    • 06 Sep 2026
    • 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
    • In-Person
    Register

    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 Sunday, September 6, 13, 20 & 27 from 1:00 to 3:00 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.

    • 28 Oct 2026
    • 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
    • In-Person
    Register

    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, October 28 and November 4, 11 & 18 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.

    • 31 Dec 2099
    • 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
    • Online
    Register


    Dates

    This is a Self-Paced Course for FCM Members - Enroll Anytime and Complete on Your Schedule
    Suitability
    Individuals at any stage of practice, from beginner to more experienced, who wish to establish a strong foundation of "Right View"  for practicing on the Buddhist path 

    Description

    The Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind Toward Dharma - Precious Human Life, Impermanence, Defects of Samsara, and Cause and Effect - are an essential foundational teaching in Buddhist practice. Without a deep understanding and integration of these teachings, we will not build the strong foundation needed to support our continued development on the spiritual path.

    In this five-module course, our study and contemplation of the Four Thoughts will guide us in turning away from the distractions of samsara—the endless cycle of suffering—and toward the path of genuine liberation. When understood deeply and practiced sincerely, these reflections have the power to illuminate the mind with wisdom, dissolving the delusions and misunderstandings that give rise to suffering.


    This 5-part, self-guided, pre-recorded audio course will help you to::

    • Gain both an intellectual understanding of the Four Thoughts and a heartfelt recognition of the nature of existence.
    • Learn how to reflect on these contemplations and bring them into our life experiences.
    • Awaken a sense of clarity and urgency about why we practice the Dharma.
    • Be inspired to turn our minds toward the Dharma so that we can focus on what truly matters and begin to align our lives with wisdom and compassion.

    The course includes recorded talks by Fred, readings, guided meditations, reflection questions, and suggested practice opportunities. A participant Discussion Forum is also provided for sharing insights with the course mentors and other participants in the course.


    This course is open to members of the Florida Community of Mindfulness. It is a Self-Paced course, conducted entirely online, with access to a Course Mentor. Total expected time to complete the course is estimated at 10-15 hours, but participants complete the course on their own schedule.
    Course Instructors
    Fred Eppsteiner has been a student of the psychology of Buddhist meditation for over 50 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. He is the founding teacher of the Florida Community of Mindfulness.
    Fees

    This course if offered on a donation-basis. Participants select an amount, if any, that they would like to offer to support future programs at FCM.

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

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

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