with Bryan Hindert and Maria Teresa Jaureguizar
Description
In our modern world, we have countless ways to stay busy, informed, entertained, and otherwise distracted from the moment we wake up until we go to bed at night. We can easily spend our entire day completely disconnected from our actual experience and unaware of what thoughts and mind-states we are cultivating throughout our busy days. If we do have a moment to stop, we may find that we feel uneasy, agitated, bored, anxious, stressed, in despair, or otherwise uncomfortable in our bodies and our minds.
Fortunately, as so many people throughout the world are discovering, there is another way. Through what the beloved Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh called, “The Miracle of Mindfulness,” we can learn how to be at ease in the present moment. We can learn to use our minds in a way that nourishes our well-being and helps us to feel whole again. Through cultivating mindfulness of the body, breath, and mind, we can learn to develop peace within ourselves and to enjoy the simple experience of being alive.
In this two-day Introductory Retreat, participants will learn mindfulness and meditation practices that calm and nourish the body and mind. There will be both formal instruction as well as “off-the-cushion” practice in areas such as walking, eating, mindful movements and work meditation. There will be periods of Q&A and deep sharing within a setting that is mostly silent, offering participants the opportunity to retreat from digital devices and other distractions that so often clutter our minds and cover the natural spaciousness that lies beneath the “noise.”
This retreat will be beneficial for both newcomers to meditation and more experienced mindfulness practitioners with an interest in living with more ease in the present moment.
Logistics
This retreat is being offered in-person only to be of most benefit to participants.
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 Friday evening, August 18, followed by dinner at 5:45 and the opening session at 7:00. The retreat will end on Sunday, August 20 at 4:00 pm. Full payment will be due upon acceptance into the retreat.
The fee for in-person participation is $160 for overnighters and $120 for commuters, with a $50 deposit required to register. The balance of the fee will be due by July 31.
FCM aspires to support the retreat experience for all who are on this path, and thus retreat scholarships are available and encouraged if it would support your participation. 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 Coordinator will be sending additional information to registrants closer to the retreat start date, including at-home practice guidelines and Zoom information.
The last day to register for this retreat is July 21.
Retreat Leaders
Bryan Hindert has been following the Buddhist path since 2008, when a strong desire to make changes in his life and to develop a better relationship with his mind drew him to the Florida Community of Mindfulness. This path has helped Bryan to transform his life in profound ways and continues to be a source of guidance, support, and joy in all of his endeavors. In addition to helping to develop and lead Wake Up Tampa Bay, a mindfulness and meditation group for people in their 20s and 30s, Bryan has served by teaching classes and presenting on mindfulness and on Buddhism, and leading intensive practice periods.
Maria Teresa Jaureguizar formally began on the Buddhist path in 1996 and became a student of Fred Eppsteiner in 2012. She is an ordained member of the Order of Interbeing and completed the three year Dharma Transmission Program. Maria Teresa currently serves as Community Care Leader and finds joy mentoring others in the practice, spending time in nature, and going for walks with family, friends, and pets.
Questions?
For more information, please contact Bryan at bbhindert@gmail.com.
