Florida Community of Mindfulness

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Closing our instruction of the latest Introduction to Mindfulness & Meditation, we pause to reflect on the journey we’ve...
03/29/2026

Closing our instruction of the latest Introduction to Mindfulness & Meditation, we pause to reflect on the journey we’ve shared together.

From learning to rest with the breath, to grounding in the body, to observing thoughts, and finally meeting our emotions with awareness—we’ve explored what it means to truly be present. Each week invited us back to something simple yet profound: this moment.

Mindfulness isn’t about becoming someone new, but gently returning to who we already are—with openness, curiosity, and kindness. Through practice, we’ve seen that thoughts come and go, emotions shift like weather, and within it all there is a steady awareness we can rest in.

The invitation moving forward is simple: pause, breathe, and come home to the present—again and again. This is the practice. This is the path.

Grateful to walk this path together.

— Brent Hall & Dion Hall IMM Instructors

Serving with presence today at The Drop.The FCM work crew showed up in quiet, steady care:Reception: LibbyWomen’s Shower...
03/26/2026

Serving with presence today at The Drop.

The FCM work crew showed up in quiet, steady care:

Reception: Libby
Women’s Showers: Didi
Laundry: Peggy (shift lead)
Men’s Showers: Bill
Hospitality: David & Marilyn

Each role, a simple act of compassion. Each interaction, an opportunity to be of benefit.

Practice is not separate from service. This is the path in action. 🙏

03/24/2026

The Seventh Mindfulness Training: Dwelling Happily in the Present Moment

Aware that life is available only in the present moment, we are committed to training ourselves to live deeply each moment of daily life. We will try not to lose ourselves in dispersion or be carried away by regrets about the past, worries about the future, or craving, anger, or jealousy in the present. We will practice mindful breathing to be aware of what is happening in the here and the now. We are determined to learn the art of mindful living by touching the wondrous, refreshing, and healing elements that are inside and around us, in all situations. In this way, we will be able to cultivate seeds of joy, peace, love, and understanding in ourselves, thus facilitating the work of transformation and healing in our consciousness. We are aware that real happiness depends primarily on our mental attitude and not on external conditions, and that we can live happily in the present moment simply by remembering that we already have more than enough conditions to be happy.

03/24/2026

Master Sheng Yen’s "108 Adages of Wisdom" (自在語) are concise, practical Chan Buddhist teachings designed to reduce vexations, cultivate mindfulness, and promote a peaceful life. Focused on gratitude, selflessness, and living in the present, these maxims address daily life challenges through wisdom.

This morning during Sunday Sangha, FCM concluded it's 3 day OI connections retreat. Starting this past Friday 34 of our ...
03/23/2026

This morning during Sunday Sangha, FCM concluded it's 3 day OI connections retreat. Starting this past Friday 34 of our active OI revisited the history of OI with stories from our teacher Fred who was one of the first westerners ordained in OI. Other highlights were a 14 MT recitation and a lively fire building session where we explored ways that we can continue to grow our practice and be of service. It was truly a great weekend of connection with one another and reconnection with Thay and the lineage.

03/15/2026

FCM members and their guests were invited to join naturalist Dani Hall on a nature walk Saturday, March 14 at Upper Tampa Bay Park.

FCM members received transmission of five mindfulness trainings and took refuge in the three jewels in ceremonies conduc...
03/15/2026

FCM members received transmission of five mindfulness trainings and took refuge in the three jewels in ceremonies conducted by our teacher Fred in Tampa on Sunday.

Dani Hall received transmission of the 14 Mindfulness Trainings of the Order of Interbeing (OI).

FCM members received transmission of five mindfulness trainings and took refuge in the three jewels in ceremonies conduc...
03/15/2026

FCM members received transmission of five mindfulness trainings and took refuge in the three jewels in ceremonies conducted by our teacher Fred in Tampa on Sunday.

Dani Hall received transmission of the 14 Mindfulness Trainings of the Order of Interbeing (OI).

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Venerable PannavatiBy FRED EPPSTEINERMany of our FCM members know the Venerable Pannavati from her visits to our communi...
03/10/2026

Venerable Pannavati

By FRED EPPSTEINER

Many of our FCM members know the Venerable Pannavati from her visits to our community that began in 2018. It is with mixed emotions that I share with you that on February 26, she left her body. 

A wonderful inspiring Dharma Teacher, her love for the Dharma was palpable and there was nothing she liked more than sharing it with others. With a background in the three major Buddhist traditions, as well as having lived a full and diverse life prior to her becoming a Buddhist nun, her teaching was always relevant and on-point to whomever she was speaking.

Angie and I first met her at her home

 

community, Heartwood, more than eight years ago. We were invited to tour the Heartwood campus and have lunch with her by a woman who used to be on staff at Southern Dharma Retreat Center and now resided at Heartwood. I immediately felt a strong heart connection with the Venerable, which was mutually shared. Not only for her Dharma, but for the person she was--fearless, ruthlessly honest, and totally dedicated to her personal awakening and bringing benefit to others. We became good Dharma friends and I had great love and respect for her. She was truly “one of a kind.”

Over the years she visited us several times in Tampa, and Angie and I would visit with her when we were in the Asheville area.

Several years ago, she shared with me that she wanted to pull back from her very active teaching schedule and devote more time to her personal awakening. And a year ago, she told me that she was ready to transition from her body, as she felt her work in this incarnation had been fulfilled and her body had become a source of suffering to her.

So, when her assistant, Soma, contacted me the day of her passing, I felt nothing but happiness as I knew she was now free and she was ready to move on to what was next.


"Buddhism does not answer your questions about life with some neat formula. Rather, it provides tools for transcending t...
03/04/2026

"Buddhism does not answer your questions about life with some neat formula. Rather, it provides tools for transcending the state of consciousness in which the question was framed."

Meeting the Buddhas: A Guide to Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Ta***ic Deities by Vessantara

03/03/2026

Walking slowly through the FCM gardens with monastics from Blue Cliff Monastery, we were invited to pause.

Not to accomplish.
Not to arrive.
Simply to walk.

Each step became a quiet return — to the breath, to the body, to the present moment. The garden felt different in that stillness. Softer. More alive.
In the tradition of Thích Nhất Hạnh, we were reminded that peace is not somewhere else. It is here, in this step. May we continue to walk gently in the gardens and in our lives.

03/03/2026

The monastics from Blue Cliff Monastery chanting the Heart Sutra. “Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.” Hearing it together as a community is powerful and grounding. Grateful for the Sangha and the reminder to come back to this moment.

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6501 N. Nebraska Avenue
Tampa, FL
33604

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+18132370746

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