February 24 - May 18
We come to this path of mindfulness seeking greater happiness and alleviation of stress, anger, and other forms of mental suffering. Before this transformation can occur, however, we need to stabilize our minds so that we can stop acting out of our historical reactivity, stop being blown about by the winds of life, and begin to make conscious choices that align with our heart’s aspirations. The Buddha taught that the way to achieve this stability is through developing the foundations of mindfulness.
In our Winter/Spring 2020 Mindful Living Path Intensive, developed by our teacher Fred, we will train our minds in these foundations, building our muscles of mindfulness and meditation with a progressive series of weekly recorded guided meditations and daily life mindfulness practices. Our formal meditation practices will move from practice with “still objects” like the breath or a pebble to increasingly fluid objects such as sensations, sounds, objects of mind, and finally an open awareness. These practices will help train our minds to be in the “ready position” for life. At the same time, we will play with the simple, enjoyable, and effective mindfulness practices offered by Jan Chozen Bays in “Mindfulness on the Go” to begin to bring mindfulness into more and more aspects of our daily lives.
These practices will be beneficial for both newcomers and more experienced practitioners of mindfulness. Participants will be provided with a path of practice that will include readings, guided concentration meditations, and weekly daily life practices. Bi-weekly group mentoring video-conference calls on Zoom will provide individual guidance and support. Four Dharma talks will be offered via Zoom. A Daylong Retreat and a Forum in which Fred will answer questions and interact with participants will take place in Tampa and will be available via Zoom so that those in other locations can participate.
Once we have built these foundations of mindfulness and stabilized our minds in this way, we can begin the process of emotional healing, which will be the second part of our 2020 Mindful Living Path Intensive series, beginning in October 2020. This Winter/Spring Intensive is an essential prerequisite for successful participation in the emotional healing Intensive.
If you have questions about this Intensive or whether it is appropriate for you, contact Angie Parrish (parrish26@gmail.com).
The commitments for this Intensive are listed below. Before registering for the Intensive please read the commitments and reflect carefully on whether you will be able to keep them.
Commitments for each Intensive participants:
Study & Practice:
- Spend a minimum of 30 minutes daily in formal meditative practice, study, and/or other practices related to this Intensive.
- Read Dharma texts assigned for the Intensive.
- Regularly attend your local Sangha’s weekly meditation and daylong retreats as possible.
Participate in Assigned Practice Groups:
- Participate in your assigned bi-weekly mentoring group (via Zoom).
- Be present for monthly Dharma Talks (via Zoom).
- Participate in a Forum with Fred, in-person or via Zoom.
- Be present for the Intensive’s Daylong retreat in-person or by Zoom as possible (Scheduled for March 21 in Tampa).
There is a suggested donation of $100 associated with this Intensive. This is a suggested donation, and participants are free to donate more or less, depending on their individual practice of Dana and their financial situation. You may pay on-line or send your check made out to the Florida Community of Mindfulness (FCM) to Florida Community of Mindfulness, 6501 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa, FL 33604.
Please note that participation in this Intensive is only open to members of FCM. For information about membership, please access our website at www.floridamindfulness.org.
This Intensive will begin on February 24 and end on May 18. Readings, Zoom teleconference/phone call instructions, and other pertinent dates will be announced once registration has been completed.
Registration will close on February 5.
REGISTRATION PROCEDURES:
Please read the information below before you click to register.
Mentoring Groups. When you register, you will also be asked to indicate your preferences for the Mentoring Groups offered through Zoom. The following six mentoring groups will be listed, and you will be required to score each group as one of the following:
If there is more than one group that will work well for you, please mark all these as “my first choice.” This will provide us with added flexibility in making group assignments. Please have your calendar available when you register so that you can complete this part of the registration process accurately. (Mentor calls generally last one hour.)
Group 1: Tuesdays mornings, 8:00 am Mar 3, 17, 31; Apr 14, 28; May 12
Group 2: Tuesday evenings, 7:00 pm Mar 3, 17, 31; Apr 14, 28; May 12
Group 3: Wednesday mornings, 7:30 am Mar 4, 18; Apr 1, 15, 29; May 13
Group 4: Wednesday mornings, 9:00 am Mar 4, 18; Apr 1, 15, 29; May 13
Group 5: Wednesday afternoons, 3:30 pm Mar 4, 18; Apr 1, 15, 29; May 13
Group 6: Thursday evenings, 7:00 pm Mar 5, 19; Apr 2, 16, 30; May 14
