IMCW Events Calendar

6/4/2012 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM - Class Series, Meditation

Editor — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 00:30:00 GMT

An opportunity to deepen meditation and mindfulness practice through instruction in sitting and walking meditation, gentle yoga, short talks and Q & A. Insight, mindfulness meditation emphasizes a calm, centered awareness of mind and body. For beginning and more experienced students.

Bring a blanket and cushion if you would like to sit on the floor (chairs available).

Teacher bios: Carole Rogentine, Adam Asare

Series manager: Carole Rogentine

Registration Information

Fees: Session $40; Individual classes $10 (Drop ins welcome!)

Online registration available on June 4 class webpage.

No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Registration closes the Friday before the first class at noon.

Scholarships: Scholarships are available. To apply, please click the Email Us button below before registering. You can also direct a donation to the scholarship fund on the registration form.

IMCW Refund Policy: $35 of the registration fee is non-refundable. If you contact the retreat manager by clicking theEmail Us button below three weeks before the event, the balance of your registration will be refunded. Issuing a refund check may take 2-4 weeks. If you cancel less than three weeks before your retreat begins, your full deposit is forfeited.

Late Registration: To request late registration, please email the series manager to check if there are still openings (email button, below).

Persons of all backgrounds and orientations are welcome.

6/9/2012 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM - Daylong: Meditation in Nature

Editor — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 14:30:00 GMT

Spending time in nature can open you up to a sense of belonging that reflects your true self. Explore how you can slow down and draw on the world outside as a way to sense deeply inside. If you feel called to spend a day outside with like-minded explorers, please join us.Through guided meditations, group activities, periods of silent walking and personal reflection, we'll explore how we can slow down and draw on the world outside as a way to sense deeply inside.

You'll want to bring a blanket or cushion suitable for use outside, sun protection (hat, sunblock, sunglasses), insect repellant, a water bottle and good walking shoes. The day includes moderate walking up to three miles. Fruit, snacks and water will be provided. Our retreat ends at 4:30 to allow you to continue your outdoor exploration on your own or with others. River Bend Park adjoins Great Falls National Park and provides kayak, flat-bottom rowboat and canoe rentals.

I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found I was really going in.

~ John Muir

No previous experience in meditation necessary.

This retreat is limited to 20 participants.

Teacher bios: Jonathan Foust and Ellen Tynan.

See Jonathan's article "Being...in Nature," about last year's nature retreat.

Registration Information

Registration will open March 11.

Fees: Sponsor $85, Mid $75, Base $65

The base offering covers direct expenses for this event, including support for the teacher. Your payment at the two higher levels includes a tax-deductible donation to the Insight Meditation Community of Washington (IMCW).

Scholarships: Scholarships are available.

To apply, please click the Email Us button below before registering. You can also direct a donation to the scholarship fund on the registration form. Please apply early as funds are limited.

IMCW Refund Policy: $35 of the registration fee is non-refundable. If you contact the retreat manager by clicking the Email Us button below three weeks before the event, the balance of your registration will be refunded. Issuing a refund check may take 2-4 weeks. If you cancel less than three weeks before your retreat begins, your full deposit is forfeited.

6/9/2012 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM - Workshop: Intro to Mindfulness Meditation

Editor — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 20:00:00 GMT

This half-day workshop will introduce students to the first step in the practice of what is often called insight, mindfulness or Vipassana meditation.

We will focus on the practical aspects of what to do and how to begin to train our minds. We will alternate short periods of silent sitting meditation with walking meditation. We will cover the practical aspects of posture, how to cultivate your attention, work with your thoughts, and develop an attitude that fosters our openness to experience. Newcomers to meditation and long-time practitioners are welcome to attend this workshop. Registration is encouraged. Chairs will be provided or you many bring your sitting gear.

Teacher bio: Mary VanDevanter

Note: This is the LRY Arlington Studio, 6025 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22205

Registration Information

Fees: $30

Online registration will close at 3 p.m. the day before the retreat (Friday) unless it is full before then.

Refund policy: No refunds will be made for cancellations for this workshop.

Accessibility: For disability-related accommodations, please click the Email Us button below with your request at least three weeks before the event.

Late Registration: To request late registration, please email the retreat manager to check if there are still openings (email button, below).

6/14/2012 - 6/17/2012 - BuddhaFest

Editor — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 05:00:00 GMT

A unique blend of films, talks, meditation and music

Join us for the third annual BuddhaFest, when we look at how the Western world is waking up to mindfulness as a practice -- and as a way of life. We'll explore the profound effects mindfulness is having on so many of us, and how it's helping to transform our society.

The festival will be held at Artisphere in Rosslyn, VA, just minutes from Washington, DC. There's free parking, and it's two blocks from the Rosslyn metro.

Last year BuddhaFest filled over 3,000 seats, and so many people told us the experience was moving, insightful and fun. A real feeling of community sprang up over the four days. Please watch for announcements about tickets and special hotel rates. Attend individual events, join us for a day or two, or be here for the entire festival!

BuddhaFest is co-sponsored by IMCW and Tricycle Magazine.

6/24/2012 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM - Workshop series, MAAD Dharma

Editor — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 21:00:00 GMT

For those suffering with Mood, Attachment And Anxiety Disorders

6-week series, June 24-July 29

(Pre-registration required.) Come and discover MAAD Dharma, a deepening mindfulness practice helping people suffering with mood, attachment & anxiety disorders take refuge in the power of awareness, understanding, naming and compassion. Learn how to interrupt the patterns of destructive thoughts, feelings and behaviors and make room for your true, healthy, basic goodness to shine through. In this workshop you will:

Learn how to see every step toward liberation (however small) as a worthwhile investment in your health;
Learn how to use mindfulness to cultivate skillful habits that make the life you have … workable;
Learn how to become intimately familiar with the absolute nature of mind and the relative nature of your unique thinking-feeling-behavior patterns;
Learn how to become your own “scientist”, curiously committed to using, exploiting and harnessing what you learn about yourself; mapping destructive patterns at increasingly subtle levels, and using awareness, understanding, naming and compassion to wear them down; and
Learn how to set intentions (again and again) to make the next skillful, wholesome, useful decision … however often you miss your mark … with full awareness and acceptance of your “wired together” networks of thoughts, feelings and impulses.

Please bring your own cushion.

Learn more about our ongoing classes.

Teacher bio: Trudy mitchell-gilkey, LICSW, LCSW-C

Series Manager: Trudy mitchell-gilkey

Registration Information

Registration closes the Friday before the first class at noon.

Fee: Full series $200.

Scholarships: Scholarships are available. To apply, please click the Email Us button below before registering. You can also direct a donation to the scholarship fund on the registration form.

Late Registration: To request late registration, please email the retreat manager to check if there are still openings (email button, below).

Persons of all backgrounds and orientations are welcome.

6/30/2012 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM - Daylong: True Refuge

Editor — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 14:30:00 GMT

When we are caught in fear or shame, our tendency is to take false refuge. We turn towards obsessive thinking, self-judgment or judging others; we get busy and distracted; we numb ourselves with over consuming. Remembering our true refuge at these times is the gateway to all healing and freedom. In this workshop we will investigate how we get stuck, and how we can call on the self-compassion and wisdom that carry us to happiness, freedom and peace. Our day together will include meditations and reflections, dharma talks and sharing.

Teacher bio: Tara Brach

Retreat Manager: La Sarmiento

Registration Information

Registration opens March 30, start of business.

Fees: Sponsor $85, Mid $75, Base $65

Scholarships: Scholarships are available. To apply, please click the Email Us button below before registering. You can also direct a donation to the scholarship fund on the registration form. Please apply early as funds are limited.

Accessibility: For disability-related accommodations, please click the Email Us button below with your request at least three weeks before the event.

Late Registration: Online registration will close at midnight the Thursday before the retreat. To request late registration, please email the retreat manager to check if there are still openings (email button, below).

7/28/2012 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM - Daylong: Dynamic Meditation

Editor — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 14:30:00 GMT

Created in 1970 by the teacher, Osho, Dynamic Meditation is a powerful method of releasing deep-seated tensions and cultivating a state prime for seated meditation. Jonathan offers a variation consisting of five distinct phases:

Phase 1: Energetic movement
Phase 2: Free flow movement
Phase 3: Chanting
Phase 4: Sitting meditation
Phase 5: Deep relaxation

Dynamic Meditation is a safe, fun and engaging practice. No prior experience in yoga or meditation is required. (Youtube video can be found through IMCW website.)

Teacher bio: Jonathan Foust

Retreat manager: Bonnie Riley

Registration Information

Fees: $85 Sponsor, $75 Mid, $65 Base

Accessibility: For disability-related accommodations, please click the Email Us button below with your request at least three weeks before the event.

Late Registration: Online registration will close at 3 p.m. the day before the retreat (Friday) unless it is full before then. To request late registration, please email the retreat manager to check if there are still openings (email button, below).

8/11/2012 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM - Daylong: Conscious Relationships

Editor — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 14:30:00 GMT

Suffering comes from our unlived life--the unseen, unfelt parts of our psyche. Through this workshop, we will explore how the Buddhist practices of mindfulness and compassion can free us from the bind of difficult emotions like fear and shame. The day will include didactic presentation, guided meditations, experiential exercises, and time for sharing and questions.

Teacher bios: Tara Brach, Jonathan Foust

Retreat Manager: La Sarmiento

Registration Information

Fees: Sponsor $85, Mid $75, Base $65

Accessibility: For disability-related accommodations, please click the Email Us button below with your request at least three weeks before the event.

Late Registration: Online registration will close at 3 p.m. the day before the retreat. To request late registration, please email the retreat manager to check if there are still openings (email button, below).