People with all levels of previous meditation experience (including many years of experience and no experience) are welcome. The groups will utilize instruction (including readings from various spiritual luminaries, past and present) and guided meditations, as well as the direct experiences of those in the group as opportunities to learn from one another.
Recognizing the many gifted teachers in numerous spiritual traditions, the resources in this group will not be limited to any one tradition, and participants from any tradition or no tradition are welcome.
The group leader is Ken Lenington, MD. Ken, a retired psychiatrist-addictionologist, has 40+ years of meditation experience and has led classes and workshops on mindfulness and meditation for the general public and for mental health professionals. The Florida Community of Mindfulness is his root sangha. Within that community, he has led workshops, intensives (3 month to year-long study and practice with a specific focus,) and retreats.
He was ordained in 2007 in the Order of Interbeing, founded by Thich Nhat Hanh (the Vietnamese Zen monk, meditation master, scholar, poet, and peace activist.)
Despite residing in Asheville, NC, Ken’s root sangha is the Florida Community of Mindfulness (FCM), led by his teacher Fred Eppsteiner, a Dharma Teacher in the lineage of Thich Nhat Hanh. Although Fred has practiced primarily in the Zen and Tibetan Buddhist lineages, he bases his teachings on the full breadth of Buddhist philosophical, psychological and meditative traditions. That inclusiveness is reflected in the Open Circle Mindfulness Group.
The group is currently meeting via Zoom, Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00. If you have questions, please contact Ken Lenington at 828-768-1143 (call or text) or email at kenlen108@gmail.com.
opencirclemindfulness.org 