with Fred Eppsteiner

Description

Our desire to create a new future for ourselves always seems to become thwarted or sabotaged by our past. Even though Buddhism clearly states that the past is gone and in no ‘real’ way exists anymore, its effects persist into the present. Seeking to create a happy and meaningful life, we often find ourselves still acting and reacting in long-standing habitual ways and continuing to hear the same old inner dialogue within and experiencing the same heavy mind states.

Buddhist depth psychology has a clear and logically astute analysis of why this is happening and why it is difficult to break out of our conditioned patterning and habits of body, speech and mine. Most importantly, it provides a comprehensive methodology to take the ‘mystery’ out of the inner process of healing and transformation and offers an accessibly pragmatic path to help us break free of our conditioning and to change. It is a way of living that we can all undertake.

This retreat will include formal periods of sitting and walking meditation, guided meditations, Dharma talks, Q&A sessions with Fred, deep listening periods, and opportunities for solitary practice. As usual, this will be a silent retreat. The silence affords participants the opportunity to deepen their meditative experience while absorbing the experiential meaning of the teachings and practices presented during the retreat. 

Logistics

This retreat is open to both FCM members and non-members and will benefit anyone with meditative experience and who has a desire to heal and transform to be free of the conditioning that continues to cause us suffering. The retreat will offer both in-person participation at FCM ’s Tampa Center and online participation. THIS REGISTRATION PAGE IS FOR IN-PERSON PARTICIPATION ONLY. Please visit the Online Retreat page if you wish to attend online.

FCM's retreat center in Tampa, Florida provides a beautiful and serene refuge from the noise and business of our everyday lives. Set among our bamboo gardens, walking paths and pond, our center offers comfortable double-occupancy accommodations in our Great Cloud residence hall, nourishing vegan meals and ample indoor and outdoor meditation spaces for personal reflection.

The retreat will begin with orientation at 5:00 pm on Thursday evening, March 16, followed by dinner at 5:45 and the opening session at 7:00. The retreat will end with at 1:00 pm on Monday, March 20.

This registration is an application for in-person participation, with a $50 refundable deposit required at this time. We will contact you after registration closes to either let you know that an in-person spot is available or if not, to ask if you wish to participate online. Full payment will be due upon acceptance into the retreat.

The fee for the retreat is $320 for overnighters (staying at Great Cloud) and $240 for commuters. Retreat Scholarships are available; please click here to see FCM ’s Retreat Scholarship Policy and for an Application, which needs to be submitted prior to the registration deadline for this retreat. The teachings are offered in the Buddhist tradition of Dana, wherein the teachers freely give of themselves to the students out of gratitude for what they ’ve received from their teachers and a desire to be of service. The student ’s response is also based on Dana, i.e. generosity that naturally flows from a sense of appreciation of the value of Dharma and gratitude to the living lineage.

The retreat registrar will be sending additional information to registrants once registration is closed and registrants have been formally accepted for in-person participation.

The last day to register for in-person participation in this retreat is February 21.

Retreat Leader

Fred Eppsteiner has been a student of the psychology of Buddhist meditation for over 40 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.

Important Note About Participating in Meditation Retreats
Please note that retreat is a time of intensive meditation and is psychologically and emotionally demanding. Sleep may be reduced and physical discomfort is a challenge all participants will face and should be expected. If you sense that the stress of focused, silent sitting meditation for 8-10 hours a day is not a healthy or appropriate endeavor for you at this time, please honor your wisdom. If you have never attended a retreat at FCM, it is recommended that you first attend a beginner's Weekend Retreat, such as the Miracle of Mindfulness or a Metta retreat. If you have never been to either of these retreats, or if you would like to discuss the appropriateness of retreat for you, please call the Dharma Programs Leader at Dharma-Programs-Leader@floridamindfulness.org.