New England Family Dharma Retreat in the Berkshire Mountains We are pleased to announce that the IMCW Family Program teachers -- Ofosu, Jen, and Fred – will be leading a New England Family Dharma Retreat in the Berkshire mountains of Massachusetts, July 19-23, at the beautiful Eastover Estate & Eco-Village. Activities will include skits, games, songs, art, mindful movement, nature activities, a campfire, meditation, and dharma talks. During free time, optional activities include swimming, mindful sports, drumming, nature activities, Qi Gong, and parent workshops.... March 28, 2019By Neile Whitney events, family
Shedding the Baggage of Negative Self-Talk Self-talk—that inner monologue that combines your conscious thoughts with unconscious beliefs and biases—helps your brain assess and interpret your daily experiences. "What we tell ourselves on an ongoing basis reflects not only the way we think but how we feel and act. [O]ur thoughts influence how we create our reality," writes psychologist and author Fran Simone. All of us have times when our inner voice drags us down, rather than lifting us up. The baggage of negative self-talk can be particularly pronounced and distressing among peer-influenced tweens and teens.... March 26, 2019By Jennifer Jordan family, teachings
Don't Flip Your Lid: The Intersection of Mindfulness and Neuroscience The fruits of a consistent mindfulness meditation practice include strengthening the ability to "put our lid back on" even when our nervous system is over-stimulated, regain access to our higher reasoning and memory centers of the brain, be "our own boss", and make better choices. March 18, 2019By Jennifer Jordan family, meditation
The Rudder of Self-Kindness: Reflections on Parenting In the 1964 movie Zorba the Greek, Zorba humorously refers to family life and parenting as "the full catastrophe", striking such a chord in audiences that the comic phrase was adopted into English vocabulary. Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, the father of western mindfulness, sees full catastrophe living in a positive light - to be embraced, not bemoaned, as it reflects the variety and richness intrinsic to a life fully lived.... February 11, 2019By Jennifer Jordan family
Registration Now Open for "Jhanas & Insight" Retreat "The jhanas are altered states of consciousness with little or no ego. They are arrived at by one-pointed concentration and temporary abandonment of unwholesome mind states of greed and aversion." (Mary Aubry) In May, IMCW teacher Mary Aubry is offering a special, deepening practice, 10-day residential retreat for experienced meditators... January 29, 2019By Neile Whitney announcement