Day Retreat with Taravandana - The Four Foundations of Mindfulness

“Monks and Nuns, this is the direct path for the purification of beings, for the surmounting of sorrow and lamentation, for the disappearance of dukkha and discontent, for acquiring the true method, for the realization of Nibbana namely, the four Satipatthanas”  The Buddha

A day retreat exploring aspects of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (Satipatthanas) as originally taught by the Buddha and then throughout history in every Buddhist tradition down to the present day in Triratna. These teachings are the basis of all our teachings on awareness including the mindfulness of breathing and secular mindfulness training.
The Four Foundations are mindfulness of: 

• Rupa: Body
• Vedana: Feeling
• Citta: Thoughts and emotions
• Dhammas: The path to realization/Nibbana

Today Taravandana will look at the first two foundations - Body and Feelings - briefly and then explore the Third Foundation, Awareness of Thoughts and Emotions (citta), in more detail. The Fourth Foundation - dhamma - will be explored on a future Day Retreat.  
 

We will be meditating, reading and studying from the Satipatthana Sutta text, discussing our own experiences of practising mindfulness
 

Outline Programme

10.15 Arriving for a drink
10.30 Welcome and introductions
10.45 Meditation: Mindfulness of the body and of feeling (Vedana)
11.05 Quick recap of Satipatthana: 4 Foundations of Mindfulness
11.20 Break
11.35 Awareness of the Citta (Thoughts): Talk and Meditation
12.30 Sharing our experience
12.45 Lunch
14.00 Awareness of Citta 2(Emotions): Talk and meditation
15.00 Break
15.15 Sharing our experience
15.45 Just sitting
16.00 Close

This Day Retreat is open to all those who have a regular meditation practice or who have joined one of our Introductory Courses.
Please bring vegan lunch to share: This could be bread, margarine,  flavoured tofu, olives, vegan meat, humous, falafels, crisps, vegan cheese, cheese spread. salad, pasta or rice dishes etc without any animal products in them (including egg and dairy). All major supermarkets now carry a wide range of vegan products in a Vegan section of the store.

Cost: There is no set charge for this day retreat, however we do ask you to make a donation of £15 to £20, or whatever you can manage. We are a charity, no one gets paid, and our income comes solely from your donations. Please give whatever seems appropriate and affordable..

BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL:  please click on the link below

Taravandana who is based in Manchester, joined the Order in 2000 having met the Dharma at Taraloka on a Newcomer’s Weekend. She enjoys meditation  especially Mindfulness and Metta practices and connecting with Green Tara  through walking in woods. She is a Breathworks Trainer and takes her Dharma practice out into the world through supporting others to be their best through mindfulness and leadership training. She really enjoys spiritual friendship and  teaching the Dharma and is a Kalyana Mitra or Spiritual Friend to all of us at York Buddhist Centre