SELF-NOT SELF

& THE CREATIVE PROCESS

A unique 2-week retreat grounded in the Vipassana tradition.

Guiding Teacher: Marcia Rose

assisted by Movement Teacher Wynn Fricke

& Writing Teacher Sean Murphy

July 11-25, 2014

Columbine Inn in Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico

One need not have experience with any of these creative modalities to participate in the retreat.

"I love the way Wynn teaches and embodies the artistry of our human anatomy. Also, the skillful and gentle support for us to experiment with our self/non-self

expressions through

movement and Yogi portrait cropped

stillness...."

"The blind contour drawing done so purposefully and slowly led me to an experience of 'being interested' in an ordinary object, which translated to my being better able to focus on and 'be interested' in my breath while sitting."

"I learned a lot about equanimity & preferences and how not to lock down on what I think is best, because 'anything can happen anytime.' And often what came out...was rich & valuable, dear & funny and really worth the effort...."

"Overall, it was a complicated experience for
me; physica

lly difficult, wonderful, challenging, heart opening, mundane, magical! The experience has long echoes for me."

In this issue...

* Self-Not Self & the Creative Process Retreat

*Sean Murphy on Writing Practice & Study Of Mind
* November Concentration Retreat

* 10th Anniversary Fundraising

TEACHERS:

Guiding teacher Marci Marcia2 cropped more

a Rose has been studying & practicing Buddhist teachings & meditation with Asian & Western teachers since 1970, primarily in the Theravada-Vipassana tradition. She was resident teacher for staff at the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Barre, MA from 1991-1995 & still teaches on occasion at both IMS & The Forest Refuge. Marcia offers Vipassana, Concentration, Brahma Vihara & Creative Process retreats in various venues & is dedicated to offering these ancient & timeless teachings in ways that make them accessible & authentic for contemporary culture.
Movement Teacher Wynn Fricke is a choreographer, dancer & somatic movement educator. Since 2008, she has served on the faculty of Macalester College in the Department of Theatre & Dance where she teaches somatic-based courses. Wynn is a long-time practitioner of mindfulness meditation with extensive training in the Mahasi Sayadaw & Thai Forest Traditions. She is co-founder of Common Ground Meditation Center in Minneapolis.
Sean very close

Writing
Teacher Sean

Murphy holds an MFA in Writing from the Naropa Institute & teaches seminars in writing, meditation & creativity for many organizations, including his own Big Sky Writing Workshops & the University of New Mexico in Taos. He is the author of "One Bird, One Stone", a chronicle of Zen practice in America, as well as three novels. Sean has been a practitioner of Zen Buddhism for more than 20 years.

SLIDING SCALE FEES:

$1310 (low)

$1460 (actual cost)

$1610 (benefactor)

Partial Scholarships Available Application Necessary

Sean Murphy on Writing Practice & the Study of Mind...

Mindfulness of mind is one of the central practices of Buddhism, and writing can be a highly effective tool for investigating this particularly transformative aspect of practice -- especially when the mind has been clarified through extended meditation. Where do the words and thoughts that populate our minds arise from? Through the practice of focused, dispassionate observation we may find that when we look closely we cannot discover their source. There's no apparent 'self' generating them or 'location' from which they arise.
This discovery in itself -- and the associated insight that we are not our thoughts, and are not limited by our thinking minds, can be transformative. Writing practice, also known as freew

riting, is a uniquely deep method for clarifying this process of studying the mind, opening up the creative flow and liberating the natural, uncontrived voice, while allowing us to discover what words and thoughts may arise when the ego doesn't get in the way. Through working directly with words and thoughts, we may find ourselves able to let go of certain long-held patterns and beliefs that are encoded through them, that make up the story known as the 'self'.
What happens when we let go and simply allow our words and thoughts

flow freely onto the page without filtering or editing or 'trying' to say something beautiful or profound or impressive? We may find ourselves surprised at the results. We may find that beauty and wisdom can arise naturally from the mind of emptiness, without 'trying'. We may discover that we are able to step beyond our conditioned view of ourselves, and perhaps even find ourselves touching that deep intuitive source from which all creation and insight springs -- the source known as not-self. Then we're free to experience the joy and wisdom which comes with making that connection.

Writing teacher and author Sean Murphy will be leading the writing portion
of the July Self-Not Self & the Creative Process Retreat.

"... in the footprint of the Buddha..."

SAMATHA/CONCENTRATION RETREAT

with Marcia Rose & Nikki Mirghafori

November 1-18, 2014
San Geronimo Lodge in Taos

Guidance offered to experienced students for development & nurturing of deep concentration leading towards Jhana
in the lineage of Burmese meditation master
Venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw.

Sliding Scale Fee for 18 days:

(low) $1,625 (actual cost) $1,775 (benefactor) $1,925

Additional Scholarship support available - application required

Please don't forget...

As The Mountain Hermitage celebrates our 10th year ...

...we offer you thanks for all we have accomplished together in fellowship and our powerful shared purpose, and we invite you to join your commitment with ours with a generous donation of whatever amount you feel you can contribute.

Thank you!

...and click here to visit us on Facebook

We are also deeply grateful to those who offer their dana to The Mountain Hermitage year after year through vital volunteer work that enables us to continue our retreats. In celebration of their spirit of generosity, we will share some profiles in upcoming issues.

For more information on all these retreats, you can contact us....

(575) 758-0633 or hermitage@mountainhermitage.org

Limited scholarship support available for all of our retreats. Application Necessary.

Extensive information on the website: www.mountainhermitage.org

May our practice serve towards the welfare, the happiness & the awakening of all beings.