Mindfulness and the Listening Heart: Living Our Understanding of Practice

A one-day retreat hosted by the Victoria Insight Meditation Society

Sunday, February 19th, 2017

9:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m.
Goward House
2495 Arbutus Road
Victoria, BC

Registration is now open! Please visit victoriaims.org and follow the links to register.

Mindfulness is more than simply paying attention to the present moment. It is a training of the heart. The Pali word sati is derived from the verb sarati -- to remember. Sati or mindfulness can be understood and developed as the capacity to remember the Buddha's teachings on non-harming and compassion. Remembering becomes the foundation of everything we do.

Mindfulness radically shifts our perception, opening up a vivid appreciation of the fleeting beauty of the world. At the same time, we see beyond the horizon of our own experience and discover how intimately connected we are to all other forms of life. This kind of listening goes beyond sensory perception. It is the heart's awakening to the truth of interconnectedness. What follows is a growing awareness of our potential to bring about healing in our own lives and in the world around us.

This day of practice will include instructions in sitting and walking meditation, as well as a close look at the link between personal practice and engagement with the world around us, however we define it.