Registration for Full Series of Three Retreats | Entering the Path to Wellbeing: Practicing and Living the Foundations of Mindfulness

FCM is offering a series of three non-residential weekend retreats on the Entering the Path to Wellbeing: Practicing and Living the Foundations of Mindfulness. The Foundations of Mindfulness teachings will draw upon both the Satipatthana Sutta, the Buddha’s teachings on a clear and direct path to emotional wellbeing, and the Buddha’s teachings on living in the world with love and kindness. These teachings are a roadmap for modern practitioners to fully develop the power of mindfulness and awaken the mind’s potential for happiness.

The retreats are open to both FCM members and non-members and are appropriate for those who are newer to meditation and to the teachings and practice of Buddhism. The retreats will also be beneficial for experienced practitioners who wish to renew their understanding and practice of these fundamental teachings. Each retreat will consist of a Friday evening session (7 to 9 pm) and an all day Saturday session (9 am to 4 pm), ending before dinnertime. While it is not required to attend all three retreats, it will be most beneficial to attend the entire retreat series and a discounted registration cost is available by signing up here for the full series. Alternatively, you my use the links below to register for one or more of the individual retreats.

The retreats will be led by members of the FCM sangha that have been designated Dharma Leaders because of their steadiness of practice and proven ability to give Buddhist teachings, lead guided meditations and Dharma discussions, and respond to student’s questions with an intelligence that comes from direct experience.

Following are the dates and topics for each of the retreats. 

• July 12-13: Mindfulness of the Breath and Body with Bryan Hindert.  The foundation of all mindfulness practice is awareness of body and breath. Conscious breathing unites the body and mind and brings us into the present moment. It is the path to developing mindfulness and concentration in order to live with a calm and stable mind. This retreat will offer teachings, guided meditations, and experiential exercises focused on strengthening our capacity to bring conscious present moment awareness into our formal meditation practice and our daily life. We will also learn to experience our bodies in a new way: directly, rather than through thoughts and judgments, and explore what it means to live as embodied beings.  (click here to sign up for this retreat only)
• August 16-17: Mindfulness of Thoughts and Emotions with Angie Parrish. Our thoughts and emotions serve vital functions in our lives and they have the potential to enrich us and contribute to our well-being and happiness. Yet, all to often, our lack of understanding of the nature of our thoughts and emotions and the manner we relate to them become primary sources of our suffering. Through mindfulness we can learn to recognize, experience and investigate the thoughts and emotions that arise in our mind without becoming entangled in reactivity. This is the path leading to a mind of ease, clarity and equanimity. Through the teachings, guided meditations, experiential exercises and group discussions of this retreat we will develop new ways of understanding our thoughts and emotions, based in experience and reality, and learn practices for relating to them in new and healthier ways. (click here to sign up for this retreat only)
• September 13-14: Lovingkindness Practices with Darlene Stewart.  Metta, or lovingkindness, is one of the Four Immeasurables, the four aspects of love taught by the Buddha. It is the natural capacity of our heart-mind that views all beings as our friends and naturally seeks their well-being and happiness. Developing this capacity in ourselves brings a strong sense of inter-connection with all life and shows us how to live less egotistically and more harmoniously with others, and creates the basis for happiness and well-being for ourselves. It is an incredibly powerful energy to guide and motivate our lives. This retreat will focus on the specific teachings and practices in our tradition that help us cultivate this peerless mind of love. These teachings and practices will be presented with clarity and concreteness through Dharma talks, guided meditations, experiential exercises and group dialogues so that they can become on-going life practices each participant can embrace. (click here to sign up for this retreat only)

We hope you will take advantage of this new opportunity being offered by FCM to experience the power and benefits of these essential teachings.

If you have questions, please contact Kevin Conlin at kevinconlin@gmail.com

Safety Information and Release

We care deeply about your well being and want to ensure you are able to fully participate in this Event and maximize this opportunity to enrich your practice. We want to ensure you are aware and understand that this Event may include activities that may impose a risk to you, which include, but are not limited, to the following:

• Physical activities such as yoga or other movement activities
  
• Outdoor walking or other activities
  
• Experiencing emotional states that may be uncomfortable or unfamiliar.
  

Please be aware that we may record or broadcast, or take pictures during this Event. By registering, you grant FCM permission to use your likeness in any and all of its publications if such photographs and/or videos are taken, including website entries and social media platforms and that these materials are the property of FCM.