Tree of Life Saturday, August 12 10am – 2pm
A light lunch will be served
Advance registration is necessary
$25 if paid in advance ($30 if at the retreat)
Come join us for a different kind of summer vacation experience. Although frequently imagined to be just a quiet sitting meditation, mindfulness is actually a dynamic and fully engaged way of going about life. The mindfulness-based stress reduction programs of Jon Kabat-Zinn, are taught in hospitals around the world to help people deal with chronic physical and emotional pain and other health challenges. His books, particularly Coming to Our Senses, and Full Catastrophe Living, are wonderful resources for understanding the how and the why of mindful living and in his writing, he encourages us to see that through mindfulness practices, we develop an expanded awareness and that this “awareness offers a safe haven in which to restore ourselves and rest in a vital and dynamic harmony, tranquility, creativity and joyfulness.”
For our retreat and workshop, we will work on developing our “awareness” in a meditative environment and within the quiet stillness of shared practices. Within the practices, there will be qi gong exercises, sensory connection exercises and breath exercises. And there will be many suggestions for incorporating mindfulness into your daily activities. Weather dependent, we will spend some time outside. A light lunch will be provided – which we will mindfully share together.
Everyone is invited; no prior attendance or experience is necessary. This program is open to the community and you may invite friends or family. This program is suitable for youth, but probably a little too challenging for young children. If you’re curious, Marc Stettner, Janet Burns, or Linda Howanietz can offer insights into what they find beneficial about these practices.
In order to make arrangements for the lunch and our space, an advance registration is necessary. If you plan to attend, please let me know no later than August 8. The cost is $25 if paid in advance, and $30 if paid at the retreat. If you have questions or need more information, please feel free to contact me: m.e.tanabe@comcast.net, phone 815 337 9895
Wishing you deep peace and joy,
M.E. (Emi) Tanabe