Category Archives: Events

Special Live Webcast of Spirit Rock benefit daylong with Jack Kornfield – Saturday, Sept. 7th, 2013

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IMCV in collaboration with Stanislaus County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services will be hosting a special live webcast of a Spirit Rock daylong with Jack Kornfield on Sept. 7th from 9:30am to 5:00pm at the [please note the location change] Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Education Building at 2172 Kiernan Avenue, Modesto.  Please see details below about how to register for this daylong and how to receive CEU credit. You must register in advance.

One Day Training in Buddhist Psychology: The Essence, for Meditators and Psychologists

Learn from the transformative teachings and practices at the heart of Buddhist Psychology. Discover inner capacities for wakefulness, joy, dignity and compassion, your Buddha-nature. Join us for this day of mindful meditations and teachings on love, consciousness, healing and the nature of mind. Our training will study the fundamental principles of Buddhist psychology combining practical examples, teaching stories, visionary wisdom and case studies. We will explore applications of these revolutionary perspectives in our healing work, our meditation and our life.

Teachings are appropriate for individuals as well as health care professionals. Continuing Education (CE) credit available for in-person attendance.

This workshop is designed to help participants:

    • Practice and employ five different forms of mindfulness training including the basic four foundations of mindfulness of body, feelings, thoughts and relationship;
    • Integrate Buddhist psychology’s core principles of mental health and well-being into traditional western approaches;
    • Employ three Buddhist psychological practices for transforming difficult emotions;
  • Utilize and incorporate compassion and forgiveness training in their professional work and personal life;

How to register:

Due to the nature of this daylong being offered as a benefit for Spirit Rock’s capital campaign, we cannot offer this daylong as dana (free). However, if there is interest in attending and you do not have financial means, please contact us and we will see if there might be a donor to offset the cost.

Step 1: You must register for this event via Spirit Rock’s website – use this link. The registration has a sliding scale from $60 to $108. Once registered, you will receive an email confirmation of your registration. You must bring that confirmation with you! That will be your ticket for us to verify that you have registered.

Step 2: Once you’ve registered on the Spirit Rock website, please register on our website using the form below. We have limited facility space and your registration will help us determine how many people will be attending and whether we might need to change the venue.

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Step 3: If you wish CEU credit, please bring a check or cash in the amount of $30, payable to Spirit Rock Meditation Center (or SRMC). You must also bring your professional license number for registration – please do not forget this or we won’t be able to issue you a certificate for the day.

Step 4: Please, please arrive at least 30 min. early so we can get you registered and checked in! Everyone will benefit from your arriving early. Please bring your own lunch for the day. Chairs will be provided. If you wish to sit on the floor, bring your own mat and cushion. We will provide hot water and tea.

There will be a donation basket if you would like to support future IMCV offerings and activities.

If you have any questions, please contact Lori via email at insightmeditationcentralvalley@gmail.com or phone 209-343-2748.

Introduction to Mindfulness Course Starts July 7th

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We will be offering a 4-week Introduction to Mindfulness course on Sunday afternoons from 1:45-3:15pm at the Sarana Kuti at the UUFSC.  If you are new to meditation or want to review basic mindfulness practices, this is a good opportunity to begin or deepen your practice.

This course is offered freely, although donations will help to support more offerings of this kind. You do not need any special cushions or clothing.

Please register below for this course as this will help us plan for materials that are needed. Thank you.

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Daylong July 13, 2013 with Jeff Hardin on The Abhidhamma

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Join us on Saturday, July 13, 2013, from 9am to 4:30pm at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Stanislaus County in the Sarana Kuti, 2172 Kiernan Ave., Modesto, CA for a daylong with Jeff Hardin on:

The Abhidhamma



A Practice-Study Daylong on Buddhist Psychology

The Abhidhamma is perhaps humanity’s most precise and detailed system for understanding human thought and behavior. Found in the third basket of teachings of the Pali Canon, it describes physical and mental experience in minute detail and on the momentary level. The constituent parts of reality are analyzed and their diverse conditions and interactions are elucidated. More than mere theory, however, the Abhidhamma provides the meditator with a sophisticated yet clear map for dissecting momentary experience and realizing liberating insights into the nature of reality.

During this study-practice daylong we will look at the history, theory and practice of the Abhidhamma. Didactic, discussion and guided meditation sessions will be integrated in order to explore the deeper meanings and movements of the mind and to provide a framework for working with Buddhist psychology in one’s own meditation practice and life. Please join us for an interesting and thought-provoking retreat.

Jeff HardinJeff Hardin has been practicing meditation since 2000. His areas of interest are participating in residential meditation retreats, studying the original discourses of the Buddha (the Pali suttas), and providing international humanitarian relief work. He is on the board of the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies, a volunteer for Buddhist Global Relief, and a founder of Insight World Aid. He is a graduate of the Spirit Rock Community Dharma Leaders program and a Sacramento Insight Meditation community mentor. His supervising teachers are John Travis and Gil Fronsdal. Jeff is an emergency room physician in the Sacramento area.

This day is freely offered to all.  Donations are gratefully accepted to support the teacher and future offerings.  Please bring a vegetarian potluck dish to share for lunch, if you would like.  For the sake of those who may have sensitivities or allergies, please do not wear scented or perfumed products.  If you have a meditation cushion, please bring it.  Chairs will be available.  Suitable for all-levels of practitioners. A printable flyer is available here.

Sarana Kuti is the small stand-alone building on the UUFSC property at the rear of the east parking lot (the building with red and gold trim). It is behind the Johnson Building.

For additional information, please contact Lori Wong at 209-343-2748

If you plan to come, please let us know (it helps to know if we need a larger space) by filling out the form below. Thank you!

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Daylong Saturday, June 1, 2013: The Gifts of Grief with Nancee Sobonya and Daniel Doane

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Please join us on Saturday, June 1, 2013 from 10am to 5pm at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Stanislaus County, 2172 Kiernan Ave., Modesto, CA, for a daylong with film maker, teacher, and grief counselor, Nancee Sobonya, and meditation and yoga instructor, Daniel Doane, and on The Gifts of Grief.

I saw Grief drinking a cup of sorrow and called out, “It tastes sweet, does it not?”

“You’ve caught me,” Grief answered, “and you’ve ruined my business. How can I sell sorrow, when you know it’s a blessing?”     – Rumi

This daylong explores the powerful and mysterious nature of grief, using Nancee’s film The Gifts of Grief as a supportive guide in identifying; the physical, emotional and spiritual impact of grief and the various outer resources that sustain us, as well as those inner places where we find strength, love, connection and support. We will be joined on this journey by Yoga/Meditation Instructor Daniel Doane.

During this daylong, we will create a safe environment in which our grief will be honored and held as sacred through the sharing of our personal stories, exploring how loss impacts and transforms our lives and working with the emotions of grief through meditation, yoga, poetry, artwork and ceremony. We will practice a gentle movement sequence throughout the day which will facilitate the personal process of healing. No previous experience is necessary. The practice will be gentle and modified for each individual.

Participants are encouraged to bring photos and other objects of remembrances to place on a group altar that we will create in the course of the daylong to honor our losses.

ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARY:

The Gifts of Grief is a compelling documentary that explores how seven remarkable people embrace their pain, learn to live with their loss and now engage in life with more compassion, courage and awareness. The personal and moving stories include those of author, Isabel Allende; Reverend Cecil Williams; Zen Monk/ Vietnam Veteran, Claude AnShin Thomas; filmmaker, Lee Mun Wah, celebrate and inspire healing and transformation. The film invites us to open to pain, learn from loss, and reminds us of the preciousness of life.

Workshop Objectives:

1) To demonstrate and validate that grieving is a natural, healthy process from which we can not only recover, but be changed by in deep and profound ways.

2) To identify how loss impacts and transforms our lives, including the spiritual, emotional and practical resources that support us through the grieving process.

NanceeNancee Sobonya, MA is an ordained minister/teacher of the Diamond Approach guiding people on their inner journey of self-discovery in the Bay
Area and Europe. She is also a Grief Counselor and Educator and the producer/director of The Gifts of Grief. She offers workshops and screenings of this highly acclaimed educational documentary at conferences, churches, retreat centers and hospices worldwide. Nancee has been working in the field of death and bereavement for the past 28 years and began practicing vipassana meditation in 1983. Her website is www.giftsofgrief.com

DanielDaniel Doane has been a student of vipassana meditation since 1983, and has taught meditation groups and practice days since 1997. He is also a yoga instructor and currently teaches several classes and groups in the East Bay.

This day is freely offered to all. Donations are gratefully accepted to support the teachers and Insight Meditation Central Valley’s future offerings. Please bring a vegetarian potluck dish to share for lunch, if you would like. For additional information, please contact Lori Wong at 209-343-2748. Here is a printable flyer.

If you plan to attend, please fill out the form below to let us know you’re coming.  Thank you!

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Daylong May 18, 2013 in Stockton: Exploring Lovingkindness

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Exploring Lovingkindness Daylong Retreat with Lori Wong

May 18, 2013
9:00 am to 4:00pm

Where: Unity of Stockton
2025 W. March Lane, Stockton, CA

This day will be an opportunity to explore the Buddha’s teachings on Lovingkindness with silent meditation, walking practice, guided instructions and some interactive exercises.

Please bring a vegetarian dish to share for a potluck lunch. Dress comfortably. There will be limited cushions and zabutons. Please bring a cushion if you have one. Chairs will be available.

This retreat is suitable for all levels of practitioners. Donations are gratefully accepted to support the teacher and to support Unity of Stockton.

LORI WONG is the founding teacher of Insight Meditation Central Valley and has been practicing Insight Meditation since 2003 under the guidance and mentorship of Gil Fronsdal, who is the principal and founding teacher of the Insight Meditation Center (IMC) in Redwood City, CA. She is a former board member and former president of IMC, a current board member of the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies (also in Redwood City), and was a founding board member of the Buddhist Insight Network. She is a Community Dharma Leader trained through Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, CA.

May 18 Printable Flyer

Daylong “Be the Mystery! A Day of Contemplation” with John Mifsud & Noliwe Alexander on Saturday, April 27, 2013

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Join us on Saturday, April 27, 2013 for a daylong with John Mifsud and Noliwe Alexander from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Stanislaus County, 2172 Kiernan Ave., Modesto, CA in the Sarana Kuti.

As we deepen our mindfulness practice, we often find ourselves in uncharted territory.  New ideas, emotions and physical sensations arise we have never experienced.  With a measure of practice, we find bliss as well as challenging, rough patches that feel uncertain and sometimes frightening.  We often run and take refuge in what we are sure of; sensual pleasures we know to be safe and comfortable.  Sometimes, we turn away or ignore what we’re experiencing because we cannot hold the uncertainty.

The Buddha taught true liberation comes form letting go of what we know and surrendering to that same mystery we often dread.  His teachings point to experiencing the present moment without definition.  As long as we are sure, we cut ourselves off from the endless possibilities that may arise in any given moment.  In uncertainty, we can actually find freedom.

If you are afraid of uncertainty, you are certainly not alone.  We all are.  Our human life is nothing less than a mystery, a precious gift we can barely fathom.  So many questions arise with every breath that remain unanswered, whether we like it or not.  Queries in the present all lead to the question of our final breath.  Fear often arises.  How do we stay present without becoming neither afraid nor confused?  We cannot deny our small part in the vast landscape.  This life and the universe are a mystery.  Because we are a part, so are we.  Together, let’s open to the infinite possibilities of the unknown within this present moment and rest there.  There is freedom in not knowing.  Let’s find it together.

“People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh

John MifsudJohn Mifsud is a graduate of the Community Dharma Leader Training Program at Spirit Rock. Larry Yang is his mentor teacher. John is a leader of EBMC’s Deep Refuge Group for Alphabet Brothers of Color. He also studied with Rodney Smith at Seattle Insight Meditation, coordinated the Seattle Multicultural Sangha and Seattle Dharma Buddies. His current practicum includes teaching at the San Francisco Gay Buddhist Sangha, the SF Gay Buddhist Fellowship, San Francisco Insight and EBMC.

Noli AlexanderNoliwe Alexander has been a student of Vipassana meditation for over 15 years.  Having first studied while living in an intentional community near Durango, Colorado, she became a dedicated practitioner after attending the 2nd POC Vipassana retreat at Spirit Rock in 2000 and the African American Retreat in 2002.  She has completed the Commit2Dharma (C2D) program through East Bay Meditation Center, has delivered Dharma talks at the Alphabet Sangha (LGBTQI community) and the People of Color Sangha (POC) at EBMC, as well as various community sanghas throughout the Bay Area.  Noliwe recently completed the Community Dharma Leaders 4 Program (CDL4) through Spirit Rock.  Noliwe is a Life & Business Coach, empowerment workshop facilitator, and is dedicating much of her coaching and Mindfulness practice to the LGBT and At Risk community in the Bay Area.

Please bring a vegetarian potluck dish to share for lunch, if you would like.  For the sake of those who may have allergies, please do not wear scented or perfumed products.  If you have a meditation cushion, please bring it. Chairs will be available. Please RSVP to Insight Meditation Central Valley at 209-343-2748.

Daylong with Amma Thanasanti: The Joys of Awakening on Saturday, April 13, 2013

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Join us on Saturday, April 13, 2013 for a special daylong with Amma Thanasanti from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Stanislaus County, 2172 Kiernan Ave., Modesto, CA

The point of a spiritual path is to awaken. Along the path, as we radically open our hearts, expand our minds, awaken to an embodied divinity, and be inspired to walk a path of sacred action in the world there are many joys. This day long retreat will be an exploration of some of them- enjoying simple pleasures without being distracted by incessant thoughts, surrendering into a quality of love even in the face of suffering, and feeling the power of connection and truthful communication. The Buddha taught awareness of body and breath as a cornerstone to the path of enlightenment. Bringing attention to the body allows for relaxation, stillness, renewal and letting go. To discover the body is to discover awareness, and eventually, the awakened state. This allows an authentic relationship with ourselves and all of life. This brings about an unshakable joy.

This day long retreat will be divided into times for guided and silent meditation, Insight Dialogue, discussion and awareness with movement. It is suitable for both beginning and experienced meditators. Please bring a vegetarian potluck dish to offer and share for lunch, if you would like.  For the sake of those who may have sensitivities or allergies, please do not wear scented or perfumed products.  There will be a limited number of zabutons and zafus. Chairs will be available.

Amma(Amma) Thanasanti Bhikkhuni began meditating over 30 years ago and was a Buddhist nun for 20 years in the Ajahn Chah tradition. In 2009 she returned to the US and founded Awakening Truth (www.awakeningtruth.org), an organization whose mission to support a Bhikkhuni training monastery and a new interface between monastic and lay practioners in the modern world. In 2010 received Bhikkhuni ordination.

Amma’s is warm and funny. She teaches meditation as an art and skill, integrating body, heart and mind to experience our natural state of wisdom, love and peace. She has taught meditation for over 15 years. Currently she resides at Shakti Vihara Hermitage in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Cost: This retreat is offered on a Dana basis. Dana means generosity and is the Buddhist practice of giving to ones capacity. In keeping with traditional Buddhist principles, teachings which liberate are priceless and so no set fee is required making them accessible to all.

For more info contact: Lori Wong at 209-343-2748

You can download a Joys of Awakening Printable Flyer.

February 9 & 10: Two-day non-residential retreat with Eve Decker on the four Brahmaviharas

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Saturday & Sunday, February 9 & 10, 2013, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Stanislaus County, Sarana Kuti Building, 2172 Kiernan Ave., Modesto, CA

Enjoy traditional Buddhist sitting and walking practices, interspersed with short dharma talks, poetry, music, and chanting.  We will be soothing and inspiring our hearts with teachings on the Brahma Viharas, the ‘Divine Abodes’ of Lovingkindness, Compassion, Appreciative Joy, and Equanimity.  This is an opportunity to delve deeply into these beautiful qualities, and replenish ourselves with meditation and music. Saturday’s teachings will be on Metta (Lovingkindness) & Karuna (Compassion); Sunday’s teachings will be on Mudita (Appreciative Joy) & Uppekha (Equanimity).

No experience required.  Simple instructions will be offered.  You will be given a song sheet with the songs and chants but you are not required to sing or chant.  If you prefer to listen, that is just fine.

“Eve’s voice singing the Dharma on the “Brahma Viharas” reached me deeper than words have ever been able to reach. The energy I felt was a connectedness to all things. Compassion and letting go resonated deeply though my body when we all chanted and bowed low to Kwan Yin. By adding her musical abilities to her toolkit of experience Eve Decker is an insightful Buddhist teacher and talented artist. This non-traditional Vipassana retreat was one of the best I have ever been on.”
-Janet Etter, Victoria Insight Center, B.C. Canada

“My partner Steve was saying the other day that he loves sitting with Eve because of her sincerity, warmth, authenticity, and absolute passion for the Dharma.  I couldn’t agree more.  We always leave the Sangha after she has been there with big, open hearts!” – Sarah Bessera, Sangha leader, Benicia Sangha, California

EveDecker_smallEve Decker began her practices in Vipassana and Metta Meditation in 1991.  She is a graduate of the Path of Engagement (a two year program integrating Buddhist practice and social change work) and the Community Dharma Leader Program (an intensive two year teacher training), both through Spirit Rock Meditation Center.  Eve released a CD of original songs based on Buddhist teachings in 2006 (Commentary on Perfections of the Heart) and since that time has been using music to teach the dharma throughout the United States and beyond.  For more on Eve see her website at http://www.evedecker.com.

This day is freely offered to all.  Donations are welcome to support Eve and future Insight Meditation Modesto offerings.  Please bring a vegetarian potluck dish to share for lunch, if you would like.  For the sake of those who may have sensitivities or allergies, please do not wear scented or perfumed products.  If you have a meditation cushion, please bring it.  Chairs will be available.

Sarana Kuti is the small stand-alone building on the UUFSC property at the rear of the east parking lot. It is behind the Johnson Building.  Location might change.  Space is limited, registration required.  Please register with Lori Wong at 209-343-2748 or at insightmeditationmodesto@gmail.com.

December 15, 2012 – Daylong with Ayya Anandabodhi and Ayya Santacitta

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Our next daylong will be with Ayya Anandabodhi and Ayya Santacitta will be:

A Day of Gratitude and Generosity

from 9:00am to 4:00pm at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Stanislaus County, 2172 Kiernan Ave., Modesto, CA.

Recognizing that much of our suffering comes from the sense of ‘me and mine’, as we try to find security and comfort in an ever changing world, we will explore opening our hearts and minds to the abundance of what is already here. Following desire does not lead to the ending of desire, but offering gratitude and generosity enables us to connect more deeply with the joy we all seek.
Since the beginning of Buddhism over 2500 years ago, Buddhist nuns and monks have depended on almsfood. In this spirit, you are invited to bring vegetarian food to offer to the nuns and that will be shared with others.

All are welcome. This day is freely offered to all.  Donations are welcome for the Saranaloka Foundation which supports the nuns and for future Insight Meditation Modesto offerings.
For the sake of those who may have sensitivities or allergies, please do not wear scented or perfumed products.  If you have a meditation cushion, please bring it.  Chairs will be available. The sanctuary can be chilly, so please be prepared and dress warmly.

Ayya Anandabodhi and Ayya Santacitta are bhikkhunis (Buddhist nuns) in residence at the Aloka Vihara in San Francisco. Both nuns have been practicing meditation for over 20 years and have received training as monastics in the Thai Forest Tradition of Ajahn Chah since 1992. They received full ordination as Theravada bhikkhunis in 2011 and offer teachings in the wider Bay Area and occasionally other parts of the US.

For more information visit: www.saranaloka.org.

For additional information, please contact Lori Wong at 209-343-2748.

A printable flyer is available here.

Special Event on Oct. 28th: A visit by Ven. Pannavati

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Co-sponsored by the UUFSC and Insight Meditation Modesto, Ven. Pannavati will be visiting Modesto on Oct. 28th.

Ven. Pannavati will be offering two sermons on the morning of Oct. 28th, at the UUFSC (2172 Kiernan Ave., Modesto) at 9am and 11am:

1.  Overcoming fear, uncertainty and a sense of failure in an ever-changing world.  Ven. Pannavati will discuss the road less traveled…a path to overcoming the 8 worldly dhammas: praise & blame, loss & gain, fame & shame, pleasure & pain.

2.  Riding the paradox – Ven. Pannavati will discuss how to develop a framework for thought and action in the world that leads to a limitless compassion in which all disparity vanishes.

There will be a potluck vegetarian lunch (and meal offering to Ven. Pannavati) after the second service – please bring a meal to share, if you like

We will have an afternoon retreat with Ven. Pannavati from 1-3:30pm with sitting meditation, a Dharma talk and time for discussion

Venerable Dr. Pannavati, a yogini, former Christian pastor, founding Co-Abbot of Embracing Simplicity Hermitage, and a founding director of Sisters of Compassionate Wisdom (a 21st century trans-lineage Buddhist order), ordained in Theravada and Chan Schools, a Zen Dharma Holder and Vajrayana practitioner as well,  Ven. Pannavati’s insight is rich with compassion, wit and humor.   Known for her ordination of Thai and Cambodian nuns, work with homeless youth in Appalachia, and ministry to the “untouchables” in India, she is the recipient of multiple Outstanding Women in Buddhism Awards, and received a special commendation from HRH Princess Chulabhorn of Thailand for humanitarian service towards women and children.  A guest speaker at Buddhafest in Washington DC this year, and returning next year, in 2013, she also guest teaches at many communities including Insight NY and Spirit Rock’s CDL program. Venerable Pannavati has realized many outer accomplishments.  Yet, larger than all these put together, is her simple concern for and connection to all sentient beings.  She is, in a word, approachable.

If you would like to support her visit, (costs for her to fly to the West Coast are approx. $800), please consider making a donation which will be used for her travel expenses (any excess monies will be used for her work in India).  You can make a PayPal donation online on her website and read about the work she is supporting in India.

Insight Meditation Modesto operates on a generosity-based “all-donation” model. Please consider supporting Ven. Pannavati, the UUFSC and IMM to continue these kinds of offerings in Modesto.

For more information, please contact Lori at insightmeditationmodesto@gmail.com or 209-343-2748.

Printable Flyer