The Heart of Loving Kindness (Metta) and Gratitude
A Saturday Mindfulness Retreat | In Person
Date: Saturday, May 7, 2022
Time: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm CT
Location:
Institute for Spirituality and Health
8100 Greenbriar #300
Houston, TX 77054
Cost: $20 | This nominal fee supports the direct costs of this pilot mindfulness retreat. No one will be turned away for inability to pay. Please write to programs@ish-tmc.org if you need a scholarship.
All participants will be asked to complete an anonymous evaluation at the end of the retreat.
This retreat is for all practitioners and to-be practitioners. All levels and experiences welcome.
The Retreat
Mindfulness is a non-judging, kind attention and awareness to the body and mind in the present moment. The capacity to love is inherent in each one of us and it can be cultivated through the practice of Loving Kindness or Metta. This practice is one of the four divine abodes of the heart according to Buddhist teachings. Gratitude is derived from the Latin word “gratia” which means gratefulness, “state of thankfulness” or a “state of being grateful”.
In this day-long retreat, we will explore various ways to open our heart, body, and mind, to loving kindness and gratitude. This will include various teachings, sitting and walking meditation, movement practices, sharing, break-out groups, and time for questions and answers. We will cultivate the profound beauty and possibilities that are open to us with these practices. You will take with you a sense of calm, ease, connection to each other, and to our common humanity.
The practices I will share are all part of my own daily practice - they ground and center me and have allowed me to heal in many ways. They continue to make a significant difference in my life and my sense of well-being and belonging. I would like to share these practices so they may become present in our daily lives.
In honor of Mother’s Day, we will also invest in Mother Earth with a hands-on meaningful practice.
Please dress comfortably. Bring your lunch, water bottle, a yoga mat/blanket (we will also provide one if needed), and a pillow if you choose. Snacks will be provided. There will be a one-hour break for lunch and four fifteen-minute breaks throughout the day.
We hope to share this meaningful day with you.
Instructor: Dr. Manizeh Mirza-Gruber, MD
Manizeh Mirza-Gruber, MD, is a licensed, board-certified psychiatrist (ABPN), Certified Yoga Teacher (NACYT), and Certified Mind-Body Skills Medicine Facilitator (CMBM). She is currently in a two-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program, Class of February 2023.
Manizeh was born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan and moved to Houston, Texas in 1988 for her post-graduate training in Psychiatry. She worked in community mental health for almost sixteen years providing psychiatric emergency services to a culturally diverse, underserved community.
In May 2017, she founded her own private practice, Manizeh Mirza-Gruber, M.D., PLLC - DBA Mindful In Practice™, to follow her lifelong passion of helping individuals become their true and authentic selves.
As an individual, parent, and psychiatrist, Manizeh follows a holistic approach to life. She believes in connecting mind, body, and spirit for healing.
She has been facilitating Mind-Body Skills Groups and workshops since January 2018 to bring healing in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, and now during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Manizeh is happily married to her husband and has two adult children and a dog! She has a daily practice of running, yoga, and meditation. She loves to read, cook, spend time with family and friends, and volunteer. She is a forever learner.