Dear Retreatants for the Interfaith "Day of Mindfulness"
at MAYFLOWER CHURCH in Minneapolis
on Sat. April 5, 2008, 9 am - 5 pm,
Thank you for registering for this retreat. We look forward to a
wonderful Saturday together. Please read the following information
carefully (some parts may not apply to you specifically):
IMPORTANT: Please
bring a vegetarian lunch and non-alcoholic drink for yourself to the
retreat. And you may wish to bring a little extra to share,
just in case someone forgets theirs. Thanks.
CANCELLATION POLICY
We hope no one has to cancel, and especially not last minute. If you
absolutely must cancel, please do so by Friday morning. There are
still spaces left. So, feel free to invite a few more friends. Just
try to have them register ASAP so we have a fairly accurate count by
Friday at noon. Walk-ins on the morning of the retreat will not be
turned away, but it will really help us to prepare if your friends can
register sooner than later. Thanks.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
Please honor your commitment to arriving on time (before 9:00 am) and
staying through to the end of the retreat at 5:00 pm. If you
absolutely must arrive late, please try to arrive at least by 9:30 am
for the first mindfulness practice of sitting and walking meditation.
And if you absolutely must leave before 5:00 pm, please contact
Br. ChiSing and let him know what time you need to leave by. However,
it is highly recommended to stay all the way to the end to receive the
full benefit of the retreat experience. Sometimes, an insight,
breakthrough or small awakening experience can occur toward the end of
a retreat, even if earlier parts of the retreat feel difficult or
bring up challenges. It's like baking a cake in the oven; it needs
time to cook all the way through. :-)
WHAT TO BRING
- Blanket.
- Zafu and zabuton (meditation cushion & mat), if you have them; otherwise, you can substitute the cushion with a thick pillow. There will also be chairs to sit on as another option for sitting meditation.
- Pen and pad of paper or notebook/journal (important).
- Bottle of water (recommended).
- Bring your own vegetarian lunch.
- Check or cash: $60-$80 suggested donation toward the retreat.
Please be generous; those who can give more will help us provide the
lower rate and scholarships to those who need them. Checks can be
made payable to: Interfaith Mindfulness Ministries. Religious
clergy and students, you have the option of a scholarship rate of
$40-$60; however, you do not need to take the scholarship rate if you
would like to make it available to others.
DRESS
Please do not wear perfumes or anything with a strong odor. Dress in
layers comfortably in clothes that are loose (jeans are not
recommended as they are too tight). Avoid wearing t-shirts that have
any distracting or offensive pictures or words on them. Please wear
clean socks as we will have our shoes off most of the time indoors.
Sometime during the retreat, we may do a Walking Meditation outdoors
(weather permitting), so dress accordingly (layers) to be comfortable
both indoors and outdoors.
DIRECTIONS & MAP
Mayflower Church is located at:
106 E. Diamond Lake Rd.
Minneapolis, MN 55419
You can get directions at Mayflower's website:
http://www.mayflowermpls.org
RECEIVING THE MOST FROM YOUR RETREAT EXPERIENCE (important, please read)
The Day of Mindfulness technically begins at 9:00 am and ends at 5:00
pm. But, in fact, the retreat really begins before you arrive and
continues well after you leave. Here are some suggestions for
starting your retreat experience early and continuing it later:
Do some sort of spiritual practice, whether meditation or something
else, on Friday night. Have a relaxing and enjoyable evening and go
to bed early. It is important to get plenty of rest and sleep before
participating in a Day of Mindfulness.
Keep your mind and speech in spiritual and physical silence upon
waking for as much of Saturday morning as possible. Be attentive to
your breath, your body, your movements, your thoughts and your
environment all throughout showering, eating breakfast, and preparing
to leave the house. Try to minimize use of the TV, radio, cell phone,
telephone, etc.
While driving to the retreat, especially if in a carpool, you have the
opportunity to maintain the peaceful silence of the morning. If there
needs to be some conversation, you can share a little about your
practice and use mindful speech. If you need to listen to music, you
can choose a gentle instrumental CD or tape of chanting. It is also
nice just to be quiet together, too. Every red stoplight can be a
bell of mindfulness, reminding us to come back to our true home, here
and now.
During the retreat, you have the opportunity to cultivate a sense of
child-like wonder and openness. Let go of expectations and judgments
and simply experience what you are experiencing. Sometimes, buried
issues or difficulties come up to the surface of one's consciousness
during mindfulness practices; this is normal and alright. Give
yourself the experience of staying in the retreat to the very end and
see how your difficulties slowly transform into wisdom and peace.
Try not to plan anything too jarring after the retreat if possible.
You can continue to cultivate the transformative energy of the retreat
during dinner and bedtime and into the next day and rest of the week
if you are skillful.
If you are a beginner, you might like to read some books by Thich Nhat
Hanh. If you are not a beginner, please remember that you are
practicing not only for your own benefit but for the benefit of
others, especially those beginners sitting next to you at the retreat.
A common problem that arises in non-beginners' minds is arrogance or
judgmentalism. This can be transformed by metta (lovingkindness)
practices and humble gratitude practices.
*** Oh, and one more thing, please try not to drink
caffeinated beverages on the morning of the retreat (or at least don't
drink as much coffee or black tea as you normally do). It is better
for you to be a little drowsy during a mindfulness retreat than to be
too wired. If you are sleepy, you can always feel free to lie down
during the first meditation period or to rest just after lunch; but if
you are wired from too much caffeine, much of the day may be a
struggle to be at peace with your body and mind.
RETREAT OUTLINE
Here is a general outline of the possible schedule
(subject to change as Spirit inspires):
| 8:45 |
(Arrive early to register and settle in)
|
| 9:00 |
Centering Music
Welcome & Introductions
Overview & Instructions
|
| 9:30 |
Sitting Meditation
Walking Meditation (outdoors)
Sitting Meditation
Mindful Movement
|
| 11:00 |
Teachings
Music
|
| - short break - |
| 12:15 |
Lunch (eating meditation) -- bring a vegetarian lunch
|
| 1:00 |
Walking meditation (outdoors) |
| 1:30 |
Restful Yoga, Deep Relaxation, Energizing Qigong |
| 2:30 |
Sitting Meditation
Mindful Movement
|
| 3:15 |
Q & A
Journal-writing exercise
|
| 4:00 |
Sharing Circle
Announcements
Closing Circle (w/ music and movement)
|
| 5:00 |
Until we meet again … |
If you have any further questions, you may contact my Assistant,
Cornell Kinderknecht
I look forward to seeing all of you on Saturday! :-)
Peace is every breath,
Br. Chi Sing, M.Div., M.A.
"True Wonderful Happiness"
INTERFAITH MINDFULNESS MINISTRIES
P.O. Box 863961, Plano, TX 75086
… serving California, Minnesota, Texas, etc. …
WWW.INTERMINDFUL.COM
