Andrea Fella is the co-teacher at the Insight Meditation Center and the Insight Retreat Center. She has been practicing Insight Meditation since 1996, and teaching Insight Meditation since 2003. She is particularly drawn to intensive retreat practice, and has done a number of long retreats, both in the United States and in Burma. During one long practice period in Burma, she ordained as a nun with Sayadaw U Janaka. Andrea is especially drawn to the wisdom teachings of the Buddha. Her teachings emphasize clarity and practicality. Andrea is a member of the Spirit Rock Teachers Council, and teaches residential retreats for IMC and other retreat centers around the country
The faith we are asked to cultivate in our practice is the confidence to put wisdom of the Buddha into action in our lives. Doing this, we can see for ourselves the benefit of this wisdom. Yet the process is gradual and many of us have doubts. Recognizing and working with doubt is an essential aspect of our spiritual journey.
We have a strong tendency to try to understand why things happen to us. This talk explores meeting what is happening moment to moment, which begins to reveal the "why" of the present moment.
Bring mindfulness into daily life is a challenging aspect of our practice. Using specific practices for daily life helps to bring the thread of mindfulness throughout our days.
Exploring the pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral feeling tone of our experience, we have the opportunity to witness the birth of reactivity to that feeling tone, which allows us to deeply understand the nature of our suffering. In this understanding of suffering are the seeds of freedom.
