Introduction to Mindfulness: The Four Foundations
With Maya Z. Adams, CNM
Four Week Series on Tuesdays, July 9, 16, 23, 30 from 6:15 to 7:30 pm
$65, no cost for members
*registration is required for all*
The Discourse on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, or the Satipatthana Sutta, is the Buddha’s teaching on the practice of mindfulness. In Buddhism these four foundations provide a direct path for lessening and ending suffering. The simple and profound instructions help form a foundation for beginner and advanced practitioners’ alike.
These four classes will present the foundations, including: mindfulness of body, mindfulness of emotions, mindfulness of thoughts. The fourth foundation expands into what has been described as ‘mindfulness of phenomena’ and transitions the practitioner into a larger body of practice. We will touch on it in our fourth session but will focus primarily on the first three.
While we are looking at the traditional Buddhist foundations of mindfulness, which have proven to be very compatible with our modern understanding of neuroscience, this introduction is directed at the secular application of mindfulness as a wise means to navigate, heal, and foster true connection and well-being.
Maya Z. Adams is a local nurse midwife with a long-time commitment to supporting women and families during the momentous time of bringing their children into this world. While she has delved in and out of the world of meditation and yoga for over 30 years, mindfulness became more significant in the last ten years, especially around her experience of parenting her own children. She found that while traditional therapy was helpful, a regular mindfulness practice provided another level of awareness and spiritual growth, helping to navigate the daily ups and downs of life, as well as influencing her practice as a midwife. Maya is currently engaged in a two year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program (MMTCP) directed by Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. Her intention is to extend the benefits of this practice further into her midwifery practice and care of new and not so new parents and people.
