Practical Wisdom for Everyday Mindfulness<\/h2>\n
From Bob Agoglia, IMS Executive Director:Recently I spoke with meditation teacher Kamala Masters. Kamala was first introduced to meditation while raising young children. Unable to undertake longer-term retreats during those years, she was grateful to learn from one of her teachers how to use daily life tasks for deepening awareness.<\/p>\n
In this interview, she points out that there\u2019s no point in trying to replicate the retreat environment at home, since its silence and simplicity are so very different from the demands of our busy daily schedules. But what we can do is bring the qualities of mindfulness and wisdom that we\u2019ve cultivated on retreat into our everyday activities. In this way, practice permeates all aspects of our lives.<\/p>\n
Download or stream<\/a> Sky\u2019s inside view of life at the Forest Refuge.<\/p>\n Kamala will offer an insight meditation course, Awareness and Dhamma Wisdom at IMS\u2019s Retreat Center, August 2-11, 2013, together with Deborah Ratner Helzer and Mark Nunberg.<\/p>\n Also from Bob Agoglia: A poignant moment has arrived in my life: I will be retiring from my position as IMS\u2019s Executive Director in late July.<\/p>\n My decision to retire was not taken lightly. While I look forward to spending time with my young grandsons and pursuing many interests, I\u2019ll miss the frequent contact that I\u2019ve been fortunate to have over the last seven years with members of the IMS community. You have all inspired me with your practice and your dedication, both to the path of awakening and to IMS itself.<\/p>\n I\u2019m happy to announce that our Board of Directors has appointed Linda Spink to succeed me. Linda will bring much talent and great heart to this role. She\u2019s been serving on the Board since 2007, so is already familiar with the organization from both a governance perspective and as a retreatant. Her extensive professional experience, organizational wisdom and years of practice will benefit IMS significantly. She and I will overlap for a time in July so that continuity of leadership and direction can be maintained.<\/p>\n Bob continues: I started sitting at IMS more than three decades ago. Since my very first retreat, this has been my refuge and spiritual home. For the last 11 years, I\u2019ve been honored to serve on the Board and for the last seven as Executive Director. To have this opportunity for right livelihood has been a great blessing.<\/p>\n Over these years, it\u2019s been exciting to witness the tremendous growth of interest in meditation and the path to liberation. IMS now holds many more retreats varying in duration and themes. An ever-increasing number and diversity of people are coming through the doors of both our centers, to be taught by an expanding group of excellent teachers from around the world.<\/p>\n The improvements to our facilities over the last few years are a gift from our community of supporters that can be enjoyed by us all. At the Retreat Center, the foyer, the lower walking room, the bowling alley corridor and the dining room have all been refreshed and renovated. Right now, work on our beautiful new dormitory proceeds rapidly, and once the Catskills renovations are completed by late summer, we will have accomplished our vision of being able to offer single rooms for every IMS retreatant.<\/p>\n While I\u2019m proud of the changes that I\u2019ve overseen while in a leadership position at IMS, I\u2019m acutely aware that these developments rest on two factors that have sustained our centers from the very start: the steady commitment of our teachers and the open-hearted generosity of our sangha.<\/p>\n I will be leaving IMS with a heart filled with gratitude and metta.<\/p>\n For the very first time in IMS\u2019s history, more than a third of all those attending this fall\u2019s Three-Month Retreat will be people of color. This represents a milestone for our community and perhaps for the broader Western sangha as well. At this stage, more than 50 people of color will participate in the course \u2013 18 are sitting for the entire three months, 16 for the first six weeks and 18 for the latter half.<\/p>\n For some time now, we\u2019ve consciously endeavored to expand the diversity of our community, so that the wide range of voices present in our society is included in shaping IMS\u2019s culture and future.<\/p>\n Concerning racial diversity in particular, one area stands out \u2013 there is an urgent need for more teachers of color. And yet, even before senior teachers might extend invitations to apply for teacher training, qualified meditators must have sat longer-term retreats. In the insight tradition in which IMS is rooted, this is considered an essential component in developing the skills required to help others work to deepen wisdom and compassion through meditation.<\/p>\n But for many people of color, a longer-term retreat \u2013 of six weeks, three months or more \u2013 would be impossible For IMS, making longer-term practice more accessible to all is an exciting next step in the flourishing of the dharma.<\/p>\n Throughout the winter, work continued on the exterior of the new Retreat Center dormitory, the enclosed walkway that connects it with the Annex and Catskills, and a new stair tower at the end of the Catskills.<\/p>\n In January, windows and roofing were installed and a black high-tech coating was applied to all outside walls. This coating stops air and moisture from penetrating the building envelope, resulting in greater heat efficiency and dampness prevention.<\/p>\n When spring arrives and the weather is warm enough, siding will be added. But for now, the exterior is considered \u2018buttoned up,\u2019 allowing for interior work to proceed in earnest. Individual rooms in the new dormitory have been framed. Rough plumbing, electrical, heating, sprinkler system and ventilation work has been completed, and some bathroom fixtures have been installed. Now, insulation, soundproofing and drywall are being put in place.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve been pleased to hear from our retreatants that they\u2019ve found construction noise to be much less noticeable than anticipated.<\/p>\n Valentine\u2019s Day marked IMS\u2019s 37th birthday. To celebrate this milestone, cooks at both our centers offered delicious and beautifully-decorated cakes to retreatants, teachers and staff.<\/p>\n The Forest Refuge recently acquired two bells made from recycled steel. After they were hung in place, IMS co-founder Joseph Goldstein, together with one of our cooks, conducted a celebratory initial ringing. The sound is lovely and resonant \u2013 the bells\u2019 exceptionally high quality material makes for rich, sonorous tones. The Forest Refuge cooks are continuing the tradition of ringing the bells each day to announce that lunch is ready.<\/p>\n Did you know that IMS\u2019s website offers a range of resources<\/a> in addition to retreat information and registration? You might like to take a look at our recipes section<\/a> \u2013 more dishes have been added over the last few months.<\/p>\n You can also check our weather page if you\u2019re coming on retreat, or explore historical photos (it\u2019s fun to see how our teachers looked in the early days!), or listen to a wealth of audio offerings<\/a>.<\/p>\n An important aspect of the future of insight meditation is underway \u2013 a new four-year Teacher Training Program has just started. Altogether, 26 dedicated practitioners from around the world will be instructed and mentored by senior IMS and Spirit Rock teachers.<\/p>\n To download or stream recent Forest Refuge teacher talks and morning reflections, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n At the Forest Refuge<\/a>, there are openings for a personal retreat coming up in March, and from July onwards. Contact our office for more information: please email<\/a> or call us at 978-355-2063.<\/p>\n At the Retreat Center<\/a>, space is still available in our annual Women in Meditation course, offered by Christina Feldman, Narayan Liebenson Grady and Maddy Klyne, March 8-15.<\/p>\n Carol Wilson and Steve Armstrong will help us train in awareness and wisdom throughout their retreat, Through Dhamma Eyes, March 29 \u2013 April 7.<\/p>\n Openings are also available in a weekend insight meditation course, Awareness, Pure and Simple led by Maddy Klyne and Chas DiCapua, April 19-21.<\/p>\n Participants in Kindhearted Awareness, taught by Rebecca Bradshaw and Greg Scharf, April 26 \u2013 May 1, will explore infusing mindfulness with kindness. This will help us to connect with and accept all life\u2019s experiences.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re interested in deepening your practice while working with others with similar values, please consider joining our staff. We currently have two openings: one for a Facilities Worker<\/a> to help us support retreats and care for our buildings and grounds. The other is a part-time position (20 hours per week) for an experienced\u00a0 Administrative Assistant<\/a> to support the activities of our Human Resources department and Executive Director. Both offer optional housing on-site.<\/p>\n As winter in IMS\u2019s neck of the woods gives its last hurrah for this year, IMS extends warm wishes to all our friends across the globe. May our world be peaceful. May our hearts be at ease. May our practice benefit all.<\/p>\n In This Issue This issue features an audio interview with IMS teacher Kamala Masters, who shares with us ways to keep our practice alive when we\u2019re home from retreat. There\u2019s also an important announcement about IMS\u2019s leadership, a diversity accomplishment, a fun time-lapse video showing the rise of the new Retreat Center dormitory, news of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1010,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"issue":[29],"class_list":["post-1003","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sangha-news","issue-february-2013"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"IMS News<\/h2>\n
Passing the Baton<\/h3>\n
![\"Linda](\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/linda-spink-headshot.jpg\")
Reflections<\/h3>\n
Racial Diversity in the 2013 Three-Month Retreat<\/h3>\n
\nwithout substantial financial aid. An initial generous grant from The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation For American Buddhism<\/a> was recently supplemented by an outpouring of generosity from some IMS friends; these gifts have allowed us to go forward with this opportunity. We should note that all this is in addition to the usual levels of financial assistance we offer for all our retreats, regardless of retreatants\u2019 race or ethnicity.<\/p>\n![\"Diversity](\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/three-month-diversity.jpg\")
<\/p>\nConstruction Progress<\/h3>\n
![\"Panorama](\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/new-construction.jpg\")
![\"New](\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/dormitory-framing.jpg\")
![\"Sitting](\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/second-floor-framing.jpg\")
Happy Birthday!<\/h3>\n
![\"IMS](\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/ims-birthday-cake.jpg\")
<\/p>\nNew Forest Refuge Bells<\/h3>\n
![\"New](\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/forest-refuge-bells.jpg\")
Website Resources<\/h3>\n
![\"Spinach](\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/spinach-ricotta-pie.jpg\")
![\"Ven.](\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/ims-photo-ven-master-mahasi.jpg\")
New Teacher Training Begins<\/h3>\n
![\"Teacher](\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/teacher-training-feb-2013.jpg\")
Program Highlights<\/h2>\n
At the Forest Refuge<\/h3>\n
![\"Winnie](\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/winnie-nazarko-ambrosia.jpg\")
![\"Akincano](\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/akincano-fella.jpg\")
At the Retreat Center<\/h3>\n
![\"MLK](\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/mlk-retreat-teachers.jpg\")
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/metta-course.jpg\")
Retreat Space Available<\/h3>\n
Serving on Staff<\/h2>\n
![\"Job](\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/openings-feb-2013.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWishing You Well<\/h2>\n
![\"Wishing](\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/wishing-you-well-feb-2013.jpg\")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"