Insight Meditation Modesto will be offering an Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation with Qi Gong daylong on Saturday, Feb. 12th from 9am to 4pm at Doctors Medical Center, Conference Center, room 1 (the building between the parking structure and the emergency department):

An introduction to mindfulness meditation will be taught by Lori Wong, including basic instructions, experiential sessions and guided meditations with alternating sitting and Qi Gong movement periods, about 35 minutes or so in length through the day.  Qi Gong has at its very foundation the necessity of complete physical relaxation and the idea that the intent leads and controls the motion of the body.  It has many benefits that can improve energy, health, balance, calmness, and illness.  Sifu Neil Thomas will offer Qi Gong as a complement for sitting practice, to energize the body and also to develop body awareness in movement.  If you come for a partial day and arrive during a sitting period, please enter quietly and sit in the rear until the sitting period is over.  Most of the day will be held in silence in order to cultivate a still and quiet mind; opportunities for questions and discussion will be provided.

Lori Wong has been practicing mindfulness meditation since 2003 and is a Community Dharma Leader in training through Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, CA.  Her mentor teachers in the program are Gil Fronsdal of Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City and Eugene Cash of SF Insight in San Francisco. She has been on the board of the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City and is currently on the board of the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies.  She leads two Insight Meditation sitting groups in Modesto.

Sifu Neil Thomas has trained over 35 years in Yang and Chen Style Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Wu Tang and Shaolin martial arts as well as Tibetan Pranic Healing. He is a student and disciple of Master Jason Tsou, who was a disciple of the late Grand Master Liu Yun Chiao, founder of the famous Wu Tang Chinese Martial Arts Association.  Sifu Thomas teaches Tai Chi, Qi Gong and martial arts classes in Modesto.

This day is freely offered. Donations for the teachers and Insight Meditation Modesto are gladly accepted.  Please bring a vegetarian potluck dish to share for lunch.  Feel free to bring a meat dish for yourself if you require additional protein in your diet.  Dress in loose and comfortable clothing.  If you have a meditation cushion, please bring it.  Chairs will be available.  Suitable for beginning and experienced practitioners.

Insight Meditation Modesto will be offering a daylong with Dr. Lee Lipp on Satuday, Jan. 8th, from 10am to 5pm at Doctors Medical Center, Conference Center, room 1 (the building between the parking structure and the emergency department) on:

Transforming Depression and Anxiety: A Path of Skillful Compassion

Combining mindfulness meditation and specific therapeutic approaches, this workshop will examine how to best take care of ourselves by relating to depression and anxiety with compassion. Suitable for both experienced and beginning meditators, the aim of the workshop is for participants to practice identifying, relating to, and interrupting conditionings that are hindrances to feeling better.  With encouragement and skillful means to interrupt the mind’s habitual patterns contributing to depression and anxiety, participants can cultivate practices to manage and prevent chronic feelings of unhappiness.

There is no fee for this workshop. Donations for the Insight Meditation Modesto’s future daylongs and for the teacher will be gratefully accepted.

TO REGISTER: Those wishing CEU credit must pre-register in advance and a CE  administrative fee of $25 will be collected at the workshop. 6 CEUs for MFTs/LCSW’s may be earned by those attending the entire workshop (Dr. Lipp’s Provider #4468). Please download the Transforming Depression and Anxiety Flyer and fill out the registration form and return it – follow instructions on the form.

WHAT TO BRING: Please bring something vegetarian to share for a pot luck lunch.  Hot water and tea will be provided.  If you prefer to sit on the floor, please bring your own cushion.

Lee Lipp, Ph.D. has been a member of Thich Nhat Hanh’s Order of Interbeing, practicing Zen and Vipassana since 1991. Having taught in psychology graduate programs for 16 years, her most recent work has included being Diversity Coordinator at SFZC. She has taught classes at Spirit Rock, Insight Meditation Center, San Francisco Zen Center, East Bay Meditation Center, Zen Hospice Project, Tassajara, Arcata Zen Center, La Casa de las Madres, Gay Men’s Buddhist Sangha, UCSF Trauma Recovery Center, SF Mental Health Assoc. and SF Dept. of Mental Health.  Lee supervises at Haight Ashbury Psych Services, leads “Transforming Depression” and “Transforming Anxiety” groups, and has a psychotherapy practice in San Francisco. www.leelipp.com

Insight Meditation Modesto will be offering a daylong with Sean Feit on Sunday, Dec. 12th, from 9am to 4pm at Doctors Medical Center, Conference Center, room 1 (the building between the parking structure and the emergency department).

Devotion, faith, and refuge:
A day of mindfulness, meditation and chanting

Devotion and faith are beautiful qualities of the open heart, as well as being necessary and powerful supports on any spiritual Path.  They manifest in the core Buddhist practice of going for Refuge, and when strong can sustain us through the deepest challenges of practice and life.  In this day of retreat, we’ll practice sitting and walking meditation, discuss the wonderful and sometimes charged teachings on devotion and faith, and bring in the ancient practice of chanting, learning mantras and verses from the Buddhist tradition.  Everyone is welcome.  Meditation instructions will be given, and all chants taught.

Please bring a vegetarian dish to share for lunch if you wish, and anything else you need to stay warm and cozy through the day.  Hot water and tea will be provided.  Please bring a cushion if you wish to sit on the floor.  Chairs will be available.

Sean’s teaching is dedicated to the integration of yoga and meditation, and draws on 17 years of practice in both.  He was a monk in Burma in 2002, and has studied with many wonderful teachers including Jack Kornfield, Sylvia Boorstein and Eugene Cash (Dharma/meditation), David Moreno and Alice Joanou (yoga), and Steve Hoskinson (Somatic Experiencing).  Sean teaches at Yoga Mandala and SF Insight, is recording a CD of Buddhist devotional chants, and leads kirtan, offering the practice of Bhakti Yoga as an integral aspect of a heart-centered Path.  nadalila.org