September 8, 15, 22, 23 from 6:30-8:30 pm
& September 24 from 9:00-12:30 pm
With greater understanding and acceptance of impermanence and the universality of death, we move beyond apprehension and can now focus on what is important: how to prepare for being present with the dying process, our own and others. By examining the misconceptions, misplaced hopes and irrational fears that shape our relationship to death and dying, we can also reassess our life priorities and aspirations. Paradoxically, reflection on death and impermanence is the portal to living a life of true meaning and happiness.
Drawing on teachings and meditative practices of Buddhism, as well as medical and contemplative fields, the presenters will create a supportive environment for workshop participants to reflect and share. The series is open to anyone who is interested in the dying process, in conscious dying, or who would like to offer psychological and spiritual assistance to the dying, including family members. It is for those who are ill and for anyone who would like to look deeply into the meaning of death and dying within the framework of a spiritual path.
This Five session series will be conducted as follows:
1. Thursday, Sept 8, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm (online only)
2. Thursday, Sept 15, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm (online only)
3. Thursday, Sept 22, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm (online only)
4. Friday, Sept 23, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm (online or in-person)
5. Saturday, Sept 24, 9:00 am to 12:30 pm (online or in-person)
In three consecutive Thursday evenings online, we will discuss the Five Invitations Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully by Frank Ostaseski. We invite you to join us in-person if possible (or stay online) for sessions 4 and 5. Fred Eppsteiner will join us in our final Saturday morning session. Participation in all five sessions is encouraged but participants will benefit from attending any portion of this program.
The in-person option for sessions 4 and 5 will be at the FCM Practice Center, 6501 N. Nebraska Ave., in Tampa. Please register for either 1) All online, or 2) In-person for sessions 4 and 5. If you would like to register your spouse or significant other to also participate in this series, please add their name in the registration as your guest.
The cost is $110 for all 5 sessions, with a $40 reduced rate option for those needing financial support to participate. If you have questions, please contact us at info@floridamindfulness.org
If you have taken this class before, please consider taking it again to deepen your practice.
Please Note: There are required books and homework prior to the first session. You will receive a link to this information after you register.
Workshop Leaders:
Marilyn Warlick, LCSW is a retired social worker working in the VA Health Care System, with focus on various areas: Homelessness, Substance Abuse, and Clinical Coordinator for Programs to serve returning Veterans from their combat tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition she worked in areas of End of Life Care, serving as coordinator of the Hospice and Palliative Care Program. Her involvement with Florida Community of Mindfulness (FCM) began in 2000. During her years of involvement, in 2009, she completed a pilgrimage with her FCM teacher and other members to India, Following the Footsteps of the Buddha, to deepen her understanding of the Buddhist teachings. In 2010 she received ordination in the Order of Interbeing. In August 2012 Marilyn and Sam, her husband, moved from their home in NC to join the Tampa FCM community, helping in the remodeling and development of a Center for further growth of this Mindfulness Community. Currently, Marilyn shares her selfless service time with FCM within the Programs for Mentoring, Death and Dying and the Mindfulness In Recovery Program (MIR).
Alex Lerner has been practicing with FCM 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 Dharma. Dr. Lerner was a physician in private clinical practice in Obstetrics and Gynecology in Tampa, Florida. After his retirement from medicine, he developed an interest in psychology and mindfulness as well as neuroscience and how they all interface.
Reverend Diana Fish, BCC, is an interfaith chaplain at Tampa General Hospital. She became interested in chaplaincy while volunteering with Empath Health-Suncoast Hospice after retiring from her career as a professional cellist. She played cello in the White House Chamber Orchestra of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in Washington DC for twenty years. Diana joined FCM upon moving to Florida in 2014 and was ordained into the Order of Interbeing in 2019. She was a student in the first Dharma Transmission Program offered by Fred Eppsteiner and she participates in many retreats and intensive study periods, serving on the Order of Interbeing Council at FCM, the Death and Dying Program, and St. Petersburg “Friends on the Path”.
Diana was ordained in 2018 as a Buddhist chaplain by Roshi Joan Halifax, Abbott of Upaya Zen Center and author of “Being with Dying”. She graduated from the Buddhist Chaplaincy Training Program at Upaya Zen Center as a member of Cohort 8 in 2017. After doing her Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at Tampa General, she was hired as a staff chaplain in 2019. In 2021 she was board certified by the Association of Professional Chaplains. Tampa General is a level one trauma center and Diana works primarily with trauma, emergency, and end-of-life cases. She has special interest in disaster chaplaincy and has done ongoing education in that field.
