with Maria Teresa Jaureguizar and Bill Mac Millen

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, July 9, 16, 23 & 30 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.

Class Instructors:

Maria Teresa Jaureguizar first took refuge and the Five Precepts from Gyokoko Carlson in 1999 at the Dharma Rain Zen Center in Portland Oregon. Upon moving to Florida with her spouse, she became a formal student of Fred Eppsteiner in 2012 and was ordained into the Order of Interbeing in 2019. Maria Teresa completed the three-year Dharma Transmission Program in 2018 and has taught various classes related to meditation, mindfulness, and basics of Buddhism. She finds joy in nature, in mentoring those on the meditational path and serving the community. She currently serves as the Community Care Leader. She also works for Hillsborough County Government -Healthcare Services Department.

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.