What we’re about
Mindful Shenandoah Valley (www.mindfulvalley.com), led by Insight Meditation teacher Shell Fischer, offers various classes and workshops, as well as daylong and residential retreats in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and the greater Washington, D.C. area to help you discover the amazing and healing benefits of mindfulness practice.
ABOUT THE TEACHER: Shell Fischer, founder and guiding teacher, offers 30+ years of extensive mindfulness practice and study. She is a Buddhist teacher, trained in the Tibetan Vajrayana tradition at Naropa University – the nation’s leading contemplative university – and in the Theravadan Vipassana (Insight) tradition by Dr. Tara Brach – one of the world’s foremost Insight teachers. She is a graduate of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction teacher-training program led by Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of MBSR and the Stress Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Prior to teaching, Shell wrote about mindfulness and yoga for national magazines.
While offering the teachings of Insight Meditation, Shell places great emphasis on the metta (loving-kindness) practices. Her hope is to guide you in nurturing even more kindness and compassion for yourself, others, and for all the situations you find yourself in throughout your life, through the heart-teachings and practices of mindfulness meditation.
Shell warmly welcomes the inclusion and participation of people of diverse identities, including those of all races, ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities, classes, religions, abilities, and ages … with the aspiration that all feel welcome, safe, and respected as we practice together in community.
Please visit www.mindfulvalley.com for more information about classes, workshops, and retreats, or email Shell directly at [email protected].
Upcoming events (3)
See all- MEDITATION RETREAT: Cooling the Flames of AngerGrace Episcopal Church, Berryville, VA
In the Buddhist teachings, we are taught that the difficult energy of anger is simply a common human emotion, and not something we need to deny in ourselves.
Instead, we’re urged to mindfully recognize, get to know, and investigate every level of our anger, so that we can more wisely and compassionately direct its powerful energy, let it transform us, and then courageously let it go.
Because the truth is: if we continue to cling to our anger, or allow it to cause us to react in ways that are unskillful or even harmful, this can not only greatly affect the quality of joy, ease, and peace in our own lives, but also in the lives of others.
During this silent meditation retreat, we’ll explore how we can work with our minds, bodies, and hearts to help us cool the flames of anger within us, and cultivate more patience, kindness, joy, and ease in our own lives, as well as out in our world.
The format will include both guided and silent meditation, a dharma talk, and walking meditation both inside and on the lovely, spacious church grounds. Lunch will be in silence, and participants are asked to bring their own.
We’ll be gathering for our retreat on Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m in the beautiful, peaceful, light-filled sanctuary of Grace Episcopal Church in Berryville, VA. The spacious pews are padded, and the quiet church grounds include a large Parish Hall building, and several different lovely natural places to sit and walk.
Please note: These daylong retreats usually fill with a waiting list about 3 weeks prior to the day of retreat. Also, meditation experience is recommended, but not required. These retreats are not recommended for those under age 18.
THE TEACHER: Shell Fischer, founder and guiding teacher of Mindful Shenandoah(www.mindfulvalley.com) offers 35+ years of extensive mindfulness training, study, and teaching. She is a Buddhist teacher, trained in the Tibetan Vajrayana tradition at Naropa University – the nation’s leading contemplative university – and in the Theravadan Vipassana (Insight) tradition by Dr. Tara Brach – one of the world’s foremost Insight teachers. She is a graduate of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction teacher-training program led by Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of MBSR and the Stress Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Prior to teaching, Shell wrote about mindfulness and yoga for national magazines.
While offering the teachings of Insight Meditation, Shell places great emphasis on the metta (loving-kindness) practices. Her hope is to guide you in nurturing even more kindness and compassion for yourself, others, and for all the situations you find yourself in throughout your life, through the heart-teachings and practices of mindfulness meditation.
Shell warmly welcomes the inclusion and participation of people of diverse identities, including those of all races, ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities, classes, religions, abilities, and ages … with the aspiration that all feel welcome, safe, and respected as we practice together in community.
REGISTRATION:
$85 In-Person Registration; $40 Private online streaming
You can learn more and register HERE - MEDITATION RETREAT: Letting Go & Beginning AgainGrace Episcopal Church, Berryville, VA
Meditation practice itself has often been defined as a process of learning how we can more calmly observe the constant flow of old and new, birth and death, in each moment, and more fully and compassionately experience both the ache of letting go, and the joy of beginning again.
During this silent daylong meditation retreat, we’ll be exploring how we can offer ourselves the kindness and care we need to let go of the way things were, and to welcome with joy all that is new in our lives – including our view of ourselves as new, too.
The format will include both guided and silent meditation, a dharma talk, and walking meditation both inside and on the lovely, spacious church grounds. Lunch will be in silence, and participants are asked to bring their own.
We’ll be gathering for our retreat on Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m in the beautiful, peaceful, light-filled sanctuary of Grace Episcopal Church, 110 N. Church Street in Berryville, VA. The spacious pews are padded, and the quiet church grounds include a large Parish Hall building, and several different lovely natural places to sit and walk.
THE TEACHER: Shell Fischer, founder and guiding teacher of Mindful Shenandoah(www.mindfulvalley.com) offers 35 years of extensive mindfulness training, study, and teaching. She is a Buddhist teacher, trained in the Tibetan Vajrayana tradition at Naropa University – the nation’s leading contemplative university – and in the Theravadan Vipassana (Insight) tradition by Dr. Tara Brach – one of the world’s foremost Insight teachers. She is a graduate of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction teacher-training program led by Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of MBSR and the Stress Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Prior to teaching, Shell wrote about mindfulness and yoga for national magazines.
While offering the teachings of Insight Meditation, Shell places great emphasis on the metta (loving-kindness) practices. Her hope is to guide you in nurturing even more kindness and compassion for yourself, others, and for all the situations you find yourself in throughout your life, through the heart-teachings and practices of mindfulness meditation.
Shell warmly welcomes the inclusion and participation of people of diverse identities, including those of all races, ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities, classes, religions, abilities, and ages … with the aspiration that all feel welcome, safe, and respected as we practice together in community.
FEE: $85 In-Person Registration; $40 Private online streaming. Late registration is unavailable the day of retreat. Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive detailed instructions, suggestions, and directions.
LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE
- 5-DAY MEDITATION RETREAT: LOVING YOURSELF - Nurturing the Heart PracticesPeterkin Camp and Conference Center, Romney, WV
The Buddha taught that you can search the entire universe for someone more deserving of your love and affection than yourself, and you will not find that person anywhere.
And yet, for many of us, it seems much easier for us to offer our care, compassion, and even forgiveness to others than to ourselves.
We tend to beat ourselves up, or give ourselves an unnecessarily hard time for our “perfectly human” imperfections.
During this 5-day meditation retreat, we’ll be deeply exploring and nurturing the heart practices of kindness, compassion, joy, and a sense of profound ease (or equanimity) – for the person we spend the most time with – ourselves.
In the Buddhist tradition, these four essential qualities of heart are called the Divine Abodes, or the Bhrama Viharas, which translates as the “dwelling places of the gods.” And the idea is that, through our practice, we can not only nurture these qualities, but eventually, we can become these qualities … and “dwell there,” in the home of our body, mind, and heart.
Our silent retreat together will include dharma talks, periods of both guided and silent meditation, walking meditation, and Q&A sessions about these essential practices. Check-in will be from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, and the retreat will end at 12:45 p.m. Monday, followed by lunch.
THE TEACHER
Shell Fischer, founder and guiding teacher of Mindful Shenandoah Valley, offers 35 years of extensive mindfulness practice and study. She is a Buddhist teacher, trained in the Tibetan Vajrayana tradition at Naropa University – the nation’s leading contemplative university – and in the Theravadan Vipassana (Insight) tradition by Dr. Tara Brach – one of the world’s foremost Insight teachers. She is also a graduate of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction teacher-training program led by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of MBSR and the Stress Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Prior to teaching, Shell wrote about mindfulness and yoga for national magazines.Shell’s main focus as a teacher is on metta (loving-kindness) practice. Her hope is to guide her students in nurturing even more kindness and compassion for themselves, and for all the situations they find themselves in throughout their lives, through the practice of meditation and mindfulness – which she believes everyone can learn.
THE RETREAT CENTER
Peterkin Camp & Conference Center, 286 Clubhouse Rd., Romney, WV
Nestled in a valley of unsurpassed natural beauty, and surrounded by the South Branch of the Potomac River, the sprawling, private campus at Peterkin offers a refuge of quiet, serenity, and peace amid the rush of our everyday lives.Located near historic Romney, WV, Peterkin boasts 1,400 acres of private forest with clean mountain streams and miles of hiking trails. It is about 60 minutes from Winchester, VA, and about 2 hours from Washington, D.C. There is also a beautiful outdoor yoga pavilion, 200-year-old poplar trees, walking paths right along the roaring creek, and a walk to The Falls.
This serene, secluded retreat center includes comfortable beds in shared rooms (2-4) with shared bathrooms. The exquisitely quiet meditation hall on campus sits right next to the creek, and is heated and air-conditioned, with windows that also allow the sounds of nature to be enjoyed while practicing.
The food service staff provides nutritious, delicious vegetarian meals, and special dietary needs can be accommodated with notification prior to the retreat.
REGISTRATION: $***755 for Room & all meals
LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE
