About us
Mindful Shenandoah Valley (www.mindfulvalley.com), led by Insight Meditation teacher Shell Fischer, offers daylong and residential meditation retreats in Virginia and West 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 retreats@mindfulvalley.com.
Featured event
MEDITATION RETREAT: Dwelling in the Divine Abodes
During this daylong meditation retreat, we’ll be exploring the Bhrama Viharas, or the Divine Abodes – four practices that open and nurture the heart.
In the Buddhist teachings, these four – loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity – are considered the highest qualities of heart and emotional well-being.
During our time together, we’ll not only begin to sense into these profound and deep qualities of heart, but practice abiding and dwelling in them as well. Over time, with practice, these qualities can become our true home, as well as the atmosphere in which we deepen our mindfulness practice and intimacy with life.
Our retreat will include a dharma talk, a flow of both guided and silent meditations combined with walking meditation, and silent time in nature.
We’ll be gathering for our retreat on Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m in the beautiful St. Francis Episcopal Church in Great Falls, VA. The peaceful interior is filled with large bright windows overlooking the great lawn and a canopy of trees. The expansive grounds include a special labyrinth**,** and many natural places to sit and walk. *There are many open spots on the carpeted floor of the sanctuary
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.
TESTIMONIALS:
“As a newbie, I was unsure if I would be able to hang in … When it was over, I didn’t want it to end and was in deep, deep gratitude for the experience; I know it will marinate within me for a very long time, and the impact will be shared forward and outward. The cadence of the meditations was wonderful, and I surprised myself when tears flowed at various times – such a gift to sit quietly and emote naturally. I look forward to attending again, and again …”
“Shell, thank you for a beautiful and powerful day. This retreat was transformative for me, truly a day of awakening. Thank you for your loving and compassionate guidance.” “
Thank you for leading such a beautiful retreat. I felt completely wrapped up in the comfort, safety and structure of the day. It was pitch perfect.”
“As always, it was a pleasure to experience another one of your retreats; each one is a gem and I cherish them. I really feel blessed to have experienced so many hours of your excellent teaching, you really are an expert at what you do and I truly admire the way you hold the space for us as you lead class and retreats.”
“Yesterday was awesome! Seven hours of silence and meditation, just what I needed!! Great leader, great people, great view, great day!! I feel so refreshed! Looking forward to doing it again in the future! Thanks so much Shell.”
“Thank you again for the fabulous experience, and for your expertise that you are imparting to curious minds such as mine. I am grateful for the exposure, and realize I have much to learn about the art of meditation. Thank you for making my first experience pleasurable.
WHERE: St. Francis Episcopal Church, 9220 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, VA 22066
FEE: $85 in-person/$40 online streaming
Upcoming events
2
MEDITATION RETREAT: Dwelling in the Divine Abodes
St. Francis Episcopal Church, Harris Hall, 9220 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, VA, USDuring this daylong meditation retreat, we’ll be exploring the Bhrama Viharas, or the Divine Abodes – four practices that open and nurture the heart.
In the Buddhist teachings, these four – loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity – are considered the highest qualities of heart and emotional well-being.
During our time together, we’ll not only begin to sense into these profound and deep qualities of heart, but practice abiding and dwelling in them as well. Over time, with practice, these qualities can become our true home, as well as the atmosphere in which we deepen our mindfulness practice and intimacy with life.
Our retreat will include a dharma talk, a flow of both guided and silent meditations combined with walking meditation, and silent time in nature.
We’ll be gathering for our retreat on Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m in the beautiful St. Francis Episcopal Church in Great Falls, VA. The peaceful interior is filled with large bright windows overlooking the great lawn and a canopy of trees. The expansive grounds include a special labyrinth**,** and many natural places to sit and walk. *There are many open spots on the carpeted floor of the sanctuary
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.TESTIMONIALS:
“As a newbie, I was unsure if I would be able to hang in … When it was over, I didn’t want it to end and was in deep, deep gratitude for the experience; I know it will marinate within me for a very long time, and the impact will be shared forward and outward. The cadence of the meditations was wonderful, and I surprised myself when tears flowed at various times – such a gift to sit quietly and emote naturally. I look forward to attending again, and again …”“Shell, thank you for a beautiful and powerful day. This retreat was transformative for me, truly a day of awakening. Thank you for your loving and compassionate guidance.” “
Thank you for leading such a beautiful retreat. I felt completely wrapped up in the comfort, safety and structure of the day. It was pitch perfect.”
“As always, it was a pleasure to experience another one of your retreats; each one is a gem and I cherish them. I really feel blessed to have experienced so many hours of your excellent teaching, you really are an expert at what you do and I truly admire the way you hold the space for us as you lead class and retreats.”
“Yesterday was awesome! Seven hours of silence and meditation, just what I needed!! Great leader, great people, great view, great day!! I feel so refreshed! Looking forward to doing it again in the future! Thanks so much Shell.”
“Thank you again for the fabulous experience, and for your expertise that you are imparting to curious minds such as mine. I am grateful for the exposure, and realize I have much to learn about the art of meditation. Thank you for making my first experience pleasurable.
WHERE: St. Francis Episcopal Church, 9220 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, VA 22066
FEE: $85 in-person/$40 online streaming
1 attendee
Past events
556
