An Exploration of Meditation for a Mindful New Year – 6 weeks of instruction, meditation and discussion

Mindfulness & Meditation Series with Fern LaRocca

Sundays, 9:30–11:00 a.m.
January 26 – March 1, 2020
Free of charge

Join for one, a few, or all six sessions.

About the Program

We all know how important physical fitness is to our well-being — but what about our mental wellness?

FIT founders Thom and Tracey Downing are hosting a six-week program with local meditation and mindfulness instructor Fern LaRocca. Together, you’ll explore:

• How to meditate
• How mindfulness can help us navigate everyday life challenges
• How Buddhist wisdom can increase our sense of contentment

Discussions will draw from Pema Chödrön’s book Welcoming the Unwelcome: Wholehearted Living in a Brokenhearted World. Reading is optional — books can be purchased ahead of time or at each session.

Important Details

• Talks will not be recorded — feel free to take notes.
• Bring your personal meditation cushion, or request a chair.
• Participation is limited — email concierge@focusedtrainers.com to register for the series or individual sessions (include the dates you’ll attend).

About the Instructor

Fern LaRocca has been a meditation and mindfulness practitioner and instructor for over 35 years.

• Received lay ordination and studied Soto Zen Buddhism with Kwong Roshi at Sonoma Mountain Zen Center (since 1981)
• Studied Tibetan Buddhist teachings with Pema Chödrön, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, and Ethan Nichtern (since 1996)
• Retired financial advisor and founder of Advanced Financial Designs
• Lives in Mountain View with her husband and labradoodle, Goldie

Schedule Overview

Each Sunday:

• 9:30 – 9:55 a.m. — Meditation instruction
• 9:55 – 10:15 a.m. — Meditation
• 10:15 – 11:00 a.m. — Stretch break followed by discussion

January 26 — Session 1: Introduction

Discussion Topics:

• What is meditation?
• What is mindfulness?
• How to work with posture and the mind
• Mindful speech
• Why practice?

February 2 — Session 2: Chapters 1–5

• Fully awaken heart and mind
• Interconnectedness
• Feeling failure and vulnerability
• Discovering basic goodness

February 9 — Session 3: Chapters 6–10

• Appreciating life as it is
• Maintaining confidence and aspiration
• Stretching beyond comfort
• Speech from the heart
• How we label experiences

February 16 — Session 4: Chapters 11–15

• Open awareness
• Impermanence
• Emptiness
• Nowness
• Birth and death in every moment

February 23 — Session 5: Chapters 16–20

• Overcoming ego & befriending oneself
• Humor as a connection tool
• Challenges as opportunities for spiritual growth
• Aspiration and commitment for the benefit of others

March 1 — Session 6: Next Steps

Discussion Topics:

• What we’ve learned
• What we want to explore further
• Practice and study opportunities
• Closing survey

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