5-Week Course, exploring the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (In Person & Virtual)
Teacher: Adam Stonebraker
Topic: Rooted in Awareness: A Journey Through Four Ways of Seeing
Location: In Person and Virtual
Join us at Mountain Stream Meditation, 710 Zion St, Nevada City, CA 95959
Or join us via Zoom; see below.
Dates: Five Sundays: October 27, November 3, 10, 17 (no class on Nov 24) & December 1, 2024
Time: 4:00 to 5:30 pm PT
Cost: Sliding Scale $75 - $125. Limited scholarships available. No one turned away for lack of funds.
Pre-registration is required for both in-person and virtual participants. Registration includes all five days. The Zoom meeting link will be provided once registered and paid in full.
To register, visit https://square.link/u/nHXC0ljZ
Your emailed payment receipt is your registration confirmation.
For questions or to apply for a scholarship, email juanita@mtstream.org
Course description: Join us for a transformative 5-week course, where ancient wisdom invites us to look beyond the surface of ordinary experience. The Four Foundations of Mindfulness, a cornerstone of Buddhist practice, offers a map for navigating the deeper layers of reality and unlocking the potential for awakening in each moment. Whether you're new to meditation or an experienced practitioner, this course provides practical tools to cultivate mindfulness and access profound insight.
In this supportive environment, we will explore how these practices help us shift beyond habitual ways of seeing, opening to a more expansive, interconnected relationship with life. As we recognize the conditioned patterns shaping our experience, we tap into a deeper inner wisdom that guides us toward greater freedom. By peeling back what obscures our true nature, we cultivate a more spacious awareness that enables us to engage with life more fully.
Throughout the five weeks, we will explore each of the Four Foundations as pathways to seeing beyond the conventional, awakening to a deeper reality:
1) Mindfulness of the Body (Kāyānupassanā) – Rooting our awareness in the physical body, we uncover the aliveness in each breath, each sensation, learning to hear the wisdom of embodiment.
2) Mindfulness of Feelings (Vedanānupassanā) – Observing the fluidity of feelings—pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral—we come to see their transient nature, revealing the deeper layers of our emotional experience.
3) Mindfulness of Mind (Cittānupassanā) – As we observe the ever-shifting landscape of thoughts and mind states, we learn to witness without attachment, touching the spaciousness beyond mental constructs.
4) Mindfulness of Dhammas (Dhammānupassanā) – Awakening to the principles and teachings that shape all experience, we are drawn toward the truth of impermanence, interconnectedness, and liberation.
Through guided meditations, dharma talks, and group discussions, this course invites you to attune to the rhythm of awareness, gently unfolding with each moment. Rooted in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta, this journey offers a doorway into the richness of presence, where stillness leads to deeper freedom.
Whether you're seeking to deepen your meditation practice or explore Buddhist teachings more fully, this course provides a supportive space to help you cultivate greater self-awareness and insight.
Dana: During the course, there is an opportunity to offer a financial donation to Adam as part of the Buddhist practice of dana (the practice of giving and receiving). All offerings are gratefully received and support the continuation of the Buddha’s teachings.
ADAM STONEBRAKER DONATION (DANA)
Bio: Adam Stonebraker, a dedicated practitioner of Yoga and Meditation since 1999, serves as the Guiding Teacher for Mountain Stream Meditation, in Nevada City, CA. He has been sharing his profound insights with diverse audiences both locally and internationally since 2010. Adam's teachings are deeply rooted in his extensive training in Yoga and a long-standing devotion to Buddhadharma, which inspire him to guide others towards realizing their unique potential in mind and body. His primary goal is to help individuals trust their innate wisdom and embrace the profound sense of interconnection that defines our existence.
Adam's approach is particularly influenced by the rich intersections between Buddhism and traditional Yoga practices, the Bodhisattva path, and engaging with the natural world. He has had the honor of studying closely with renowned teachers such as Kittisaro & Thanissara, Sarah & Ty Powers, Tias & Surya Little, Paul & Suzee Grilley, Maty Ezraty, Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche, and many others.
In 2019, Adam completed a Master’s degree in the pioneering Mindfulness Studies Program at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, further enriching his understanding and teaching of mindfulness practices.
More about Adam: https://www.mtstream.org/adam-stonebraker