Buddhist Faith Fellowship

Relax, breathe and discover new ways to cultivate inner peace and resilience.''

With Linda Lentini, Executive Director: Breath-Body-Mind Foundation
Date and Time: Wed June 11, 6-7PM

In this session, discover the transformative power of Breath-Body-Mind (BBM) techniques, which are designed to help you manage stress, enhance emotional well-being, and build resilience. BBM is a powerful approach integrating simple breathing practices, gentle movement, and guided meditation to calm the nervous system and promote inner peace.

In this session, you will learn:
1. Reduce stress and anxiety by regulating your breathing, as you can directly impact your nervous system and create a sense of calm.
2. Improve focus and concentration with BBM techniques that can help quiet the mind and enhance mental clarity.
3. Enhance emotional regulation by learning to navigate challenging emotions with greater ease and stability.
4. Promote restful sleep by utilizing breathing practices that can help you relax and prepare for a goodnight’s sleep.
5. Increase overall well-being, experiencing a greater sense of connection between your mind and body.
This session can suit everyone-no prior experience with meditation or breathing exercises is necessary.

$20 Suggested Donation ($10 off if you preregister by June 1st- text/call Melissa 860-929-6831 & venmo/cash app @Melissa-Lewis-363)
Come prepared to relax, breathe, and discover new ways to cultivate inner peace and resilience.

Bio
Linda Lentini is the Executive Director of the Breath-Body-Mind Foundation and a Level 4 workshop teacher. Linda has over 25 years of peer service experience, and 10 of those years have focused on emphasizing the mind-body connection around mental health and addiction recovery. After exploring many healing practices over the past 25 years, she discovered Breath-Body-Mind (BBM). BBM provides trauma-sensitive practices that support the recovery process while honoring everyone’s comfort levels. Linda uses these practices as a Rehab Therapist at CT Valley Hospital in all the inpatient psychiatric and addiction units.

Join our Practice and Talk Meeting, where you can deepen your spiritual journey and connect with a supportive community led by one of Connecticut’s renowned Buddhist teachers, Rev. G.R. Lewis (Senpai), M.A.

Our meetings uniquely blend the timeless and heartfelt wisdom of classic Thien Lam Te (Zen) and Shin Buddhism. This distinctive approach offers an immersive experience in Buddhist teachings (dharma) with quiet sitting (zazen) and voice meditation, mindfulness practices, readings and practical discussions, —all within a nurturing and inspirational group setting.

This Sunday, we will offer an additional practice experience: the Mindfulness Tea Ceremony. This guided visualization meditation will explore spatial and temporal interconnectedness, deepening your awareness of the oneness of reality. To enhance the experience, we will serve caffeine-free lavender tea, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the moment. Following the practice, there will be a reading on mindfulness, a talk, and a Q&A session to further explore its insights and applications.

Open to everyone, including first-timers and seasoned practitioners, we warmly welcome you to explore and grow with us.

WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you give yourself time to arrive in-person before the 9 a.m. meeting.

Our Location: Our location is unequaled in Connecticut, which includes quiet sitting meditation in front of the Shôyôan Teien Zen garden and a traditional Japanese style tatami room.

Parking: Free street parking on Washington Terrace but there is also parking on Mt. Vernon Street which is the side street, next to the center.

Meeting Rules: In order to maintain a harmonious and respectful environment, practice kind speech, be courteous, and abstain from talking about current politics or display or wear political or offensive symbols or imagery. Those unable to follow these rules will be asked to promptly leave.

Suggested Donation: $10 -$20 (cash or check) to help cover costs for our Wesleyan expenses, internet services, our extensive outreach efforts, Meetup, and standard operating costs. Checks are payable to BFF of CT. Thank you in advance for your generous support.

Join our Practice and Talk Meeting, where you can deepen your spiritual journey and connect with a supportive community led by one of Connecticut’s renowned Buddhist teachers, Rev. G.R. Lewis (Senpai), M.A.

Our meetings uniquely blend the timeless and heartfelt wisdom of classic Thien Lam Te (Zen) and Shin Buddhism. This distinctive approach offers an immersive experience in Buddhist teachings (dharma) with quiet sitting (zazen) and voice meditation, mindfulness practices, readings and practical discussions, —all within a nurturing and inspirational group setting.

Open to everyone, including first-timers and seasoned practitioners, we warmly welcome you to explore and grow with us.

WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you give yourself time to arrive in-person before the 9 a.m. meeting.

Our Location: Our location is unequaled in Connecticut, which includes quiet sitting meditation in front of the Shôyôan Teien Zen garden and a traditional Japanese style tatami room.

Parking: Free street parking on Washington Terrace but there is also parking on Mt. Vernon Street which is the side street, next to the center.

Meeting Rules: In order to maintain a harmonious and respectful environment, practice kind speech, be courteous, and abstain from talking about current politics or display or wear political or offensive symbols or imagery. Those unable to follow these rules will be asked to promptly leave.

Suggested Donation: $10 -$20 (cash or check) to help cover costs for our Wesleyan expenses, internet services, our extensive outreach efforts, Meetup, and standard operating costs. Checks are payable to BFF of CT. Thank you in advance for your generous support.

#### See Clearly, Live Mindfully, and Connect Fully

Open Enrollment starts on May 13, 2025
Enrollment ends July 10, 2025, Classes begin on July 20.
Early Bird Discount Available – look for code on web page

The online Buddhism 101 Course – The Heart of Buddhist Wisdom offers an engaging introduction to the profound teachings of Mahayana Buddhism, focusing on its most influential scriptures and the deep wisdom they reveal. 5-week, 3-class series will explore essential concepts such as emptiness (shunyata), interconnectedness, and dependent co-origination—key insights that shape how we understand ourselves and the world. Through guided discussion and reflection, participants will examine the Diamond Sutra, Lotus Sutra, Avatamsaka Sutra, and Vimalakirti Sutra, uncovering their teachings on wisdom, compassion, and the bodhisattva path. This course is designed to make these profound texts accessible and relevant to everyday life, helping students integrate Buddhist wisdom into their own spiritual journey.

In addition to exploring these foundational Mahayana sutras, this module provides an introduction to Zen Buddhism and the Prajnaparamita (Wisdom) teachings, particularly through the Heart Sutra, which challenges us to move beyond fixed views and cultivate a deeper awareness of the present moment. Mindfulness practice will be incorporated into each session, allowing participants to directly experience these teachings rather than simply study them. Whether you are new to Buddhism or continuing your exploration, this course invites you to engage with Mahayana’s vast and transformative vision in a way that is both practical and deeply illuminating.