Special Events

Launching Insight World Aid: A presentation on its mission

Launching Insight World Aid: A presentation on its mission

Sunday June 12, 11am to 12pm Gil Fronsdal and members of the IMC community have created a new non-profit called Insight World Aid in order to provide medical and humanitarian aid to impoverished communities.  Its first project is to organize a group of volunteers to go on a two week medical mission to Cambodia. On June 12, board members will introduce IWA’s mission and its Cambodian project.  This is an exciting extension of the Buddhist practice of our community.  More…

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Yoga and Meditation Half-day Retreat w/Terry Lesser

Yoga and Meditation Half-day Retreat w/Terry Lesser

May 7, 9am to 12:30pm Offers an opportunity to develop a continuity of awareness in movement and in stillness. We will integrate yoga poses, breath work, relaxation, lovingkindness(metta), guided and silent meditation and let the synergy of these practices inform and deepen one another to open heart and mind. The retreat is appropriate for beginners to yoga and meditation as well as experienced yogis and meditators.You do not have to be flexible to do yoga, nor to have a particular…

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Cultivation and Blessings of the Brahma Viharas with Chris Clifford and Maria Straatmann

Cultivation and Blessings of the Brahma Viharas with Chris Clifford and Maria Straatmann

May 21, 9am to 4:30pm The Brahma Viharas are four states of heart and mind that the Buddha encouraged us to develop: unconditional kindness (metta), compassion (karuna), appreciative joy (mudita) and equanimity (upekkha). Arising out of our practice, they are available to us in softening and awaking the heart. We will explore these qualities in a day of meditation, talks and guided meditations in specific practices. Bring lunch. Maria Straatmann Biography/Talks Chris Clifford Biography/Talks

Teen Meditation and Stress Relief Daylong

Teen Meditation and Stress Relief Daylong

Sunday April 3, 1-5pm Relax, let the stress and anxiety go…Spend a day with yourself and other great teens in a supportive and fun environment that welcomes you, just as you are! During this Teen Retreat you will learn to meditate, practice yoga, play games that build community and safety, and get to be who you are! This event is suitable for teens in high school. Beginners welcome, no previous meditation experience needed. Welcoming all levels of experience. Join teachers guest…

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Mindfulness, Generosity & Joy w/ Jim Podolske, Leslie Tremaine & Shin Kwan Park

Mindfulness, Generosity & Joy w/ Jim Podolske, Leslie Tremaine & Shin Kwan Park

Saturday June 11, 9:30am to 4:30pm Generosity, the first of the ten foundational practices (Paramis), is the beginning of the path to liberation. This daylong will develop generosity and mindfulness and  will explore a range of meaning and application of generosity beyond that associated with monetary offering through periods of silent sitting, guided meditation and group exercises.The focus will be to inspire inquiry into and explore practices of generosity, allowing time to discover the joy that can emerge from this…

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Intensive Daylong Retreat w/ Gil Fronsdal

Intensive Daylong Retreat w/ Gil Fronsdal

Saturday June 4, 6am to 9pm This is a great opportunity for a full day of immersion in silent Dharma Practice. Practicing mindfulness on retreat is one of the foundations for maturing insight meditation. The simplicity, silence and support of retreats contribute to letting go of many of the distractions that get in the way of clear seeing. Retreats also are a wonderful environment for developing a continuity of awareness for an extended period. Fifteen minute Interviews with Gil will…

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Daylong Retreat with Gil Fronsdal

Daylong Retreat with Gil Fronsdal

Saturday April 9, 8:30am to 5pm Practicing mindfulness on retreat is one of the foundations for maturing insight meditation. The simplicity, silence and support of retreats contribute to letting go of many of the distractions that get in the way of clear seeing. Retreats also are a wonderful environment for developing a continuity of awareness for an extended period. This particular daylong retreat is meant for people who already understand the basic practice of mindfulness; no instruction will be given….

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Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation Series w/Ines Freedman

Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation Series w/Ines Freedman

Wednesdays 7:30pm to 9pm, May 25, June 1, June 8, June 15, June 22 Insight Meditation or Vipassana, is a simple technique, beginning with focusing the attention on the breath. The practice concentrates and calms the mind. At the heart of Insight Meditation is the practice of Mindfulness, a practice of moment-to-moment observation which cultivates a clear, stable and non-judgmental awareness. While mindfulness practice can be highly effective in helping bring calm and clarity to the pressures of daily life,…

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Mindfulness of Speech Daylong with Andrea Fella

Mindfulness of Speech Daylong with Andrea Fella

Saturday, April 23, 2011  9:00 am – 4:30 pm Speaking is often one of the most difficult places to be mindful. One of the reasons it can be so challenging to integrate speech into our mindfulness practice is that we often don’t practice it! This daylong offers an opportunity to explore practices, reflections and teachings that support wise and mindful speech.  The day will integrate some periods of silence with periods of practicing mindful speech, with ample opportunity for discussion….

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Mindful Parenting Series

Mindful Parenting Series

Fridays, 7:00 – 8:30  pm on  Oct 14, Nov 11, & Dec 9 An opportunity for parents to practice in community with mindful speech and listening, meditation and stress reduction. Each participant will have time to share their mindful parenting experiences. The monthly series will include council practice sessions alternating with sessions featuring local dharma teachers who also practice mindful parenting and mindfulness for children. Facilitated by Patty McLucas and Liz Powell.

Taking the Buddha to Prison: Panel on teaching Dharma to inmates

Taking the Buddha to Prison: Panel on teaching Dharma to inmates

Sunday, May 22, 11am to 12pm This panel is informational—to give some insights into the role of a volunteer chaplain in prison, what it’s like to share the dharma through prison visits or being penpals with an inmate, and to share some of the mens’ writing and the joy that is often found, even in prison. Panel Members: Heidi Rentería, who has served at CTF for 8 years, is a graduate of the Sati Center Chaplaincy Program and sits with…

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Mindfulness and Anxiety with Lee Lipp and Martina Schneider

Mindfulness and Anxiety with Lee Lipp and Martina Schneider

Saturday, June 25, 9:30am – 5pm Aversion to anxiety is often accompanied by reactivity and actions that worsen how we feel. We suffer. Instead of running from anxiety, our focus for this day will be on kindhearted mindful awareness and intentional cultivation of non-reactive attention to this mood state. Guided meditations will be offered as we practice stopping and quieting the mind so that we slow down enough to see what is actually happening internally. The natural state of a…

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Series: Body and Mind with Andrea Fella

Series: Body and Mind with Andrea Fella

Five Thursday Evenings:  February 10,17, March 3, 10, 17 In this five week series, we will explore how mindfulness of the body can help us to become more familiar with our minds.  We will begin with mindfulness of the elemental nature of physical experience. Over the weeks of the course, we will explore a variety of mental processes, such as emotions, feeling tone, perception and knowing, and look at how we can become mindfully aware of these processes in relationship…

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Refuges Class with Gil Fronsdal & Andrea Fella

Refuges Class with Gil Fronsdal & Andrea Fella

Tuesdays, May 3 to June 14, 7 to 9pm No meetings on May 17, June 7 For those who would like to formally take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, we will have four classes exploring the meaning of “taking refuge.” Then, on the evening of June 14, we will meet for a sitting, dharma talk, and refuge ceremony. Those who have been in the refuge ceremony before are encouraged to come again to provide support and inspiration. Taking…

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Creativity & Meditation with Carloyn Dille

Creativity & Meditation with Carloyn Dille

Saturday, April 2, 2011, 9:30am – 4:00pm In this day we’ll explore some of the practices that meditation and the creative arts share.  Through concentration, mindfulness, imagination, and energy we’ll deepen an open awareness of both meditation and creativity.  Bring materials for drawing and writing and a lunch. Carolyn is a poet and teacher, a Sati Center board member, and a Spirit Rock Community Dharma Leader.