In the Buddha’s foundational mindfulness practices, we use awareness of the senses, body, breath, thoughts, emotions, and change. These intentional mindfulness practices help us to reduce stress, have a more skillful, kind relationship to our thoughts and emotions, and live in a more connected and fresh way. All of these are cultivated in meditation practices. Open awareness has more to do with simply recognizing and resting in the knowing quality of our being. It is natural, uncultivated, spacious, and inclusive. In this retreat we will explore how together, these two distinct meditative approaches – mindfulness and open awareness – can help us to live with more calm, kindness, and open-hearted clarity in the face of challenges on and off the cushion.
This retreat will consist of guided and silent meditation periods, reflection, and discussion. Complete beginners and a seasoned meditators alike are welcome to attend.
Matthew Daniell is the guiding teacher of NSIMC. He has been practicing Buddhist meditation since the 1980s, including over a decade in Asia, where he practiced Zen intensively in Japan, Tibetan Buddhism in India, and Insight meditation in Burma, India, and Thailand. Read more at Matthew’s teacher page.
The fee for this program is $45 for members and $50 for nonmembers (become a member here). To register and pay online, click below; if paying by cash or check, send an email to northshoreimc@gmail.com.