Weekend Single Day Retreats

The Relaxed Mind Retreat, Part One: 1-4 of the Seven Meditations - With Matthew Daniell

Sat 10/20/18 - 9:00am to 5:00pm

Could you use a little more relaxation in your meditation practice? In your life? Kilung Rinpoche in his book, ‘The Relaxed Mind,’ leads us through meditations that may have a unique contribution to what it means to be ‘relaxed.’ The approach is based in mindfulness, but also draws deep inspiration from Tibetan Buddhist wisdom, and is secular in its instructions. It emphasizes both ease, and relaxation, but also clarity.  It is designed to help us to undercut habits of making ourselves and others ‘right and wrong,’ and unlock a deep abiding capacity in ourselves for compassionate presence and relaxed wakeful ease. In this retreat we will be guided through exploring for ourselves the first four of seven meditations, along with time for discussion.  These first four meditations emphasize working qualities of grounded calm, and connected ease. This offering will complement a later retreat, emphasizing meditations four through seven (held on 11/17), but is an independent offering and has integrity practiced on its own. Our guiding teacher, Matthew, has been authorized to teach this approach. No previous experience with these meditations is necessary. If interested, the reading Kilung Rinpoche’s book would be a wonderful complement to the retreat, but is in no way required.

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There is an optional morning half day from 9am-12:30pm.

NOTE:  For those staying for the entire day, lunch is included with your registration fee.  However, if you register for this retreat after Thursday, ­­­­­­October 18th please bring your own lunch as we have already taken a final count for the volunteer who makes the soup.

To pay by check or read our refund policy, click here

Waking Up to Your Life: A Retreat for Beginning and Newer Students - With Ted Jones

Sat 11/03/18 - 10:00am to 12:30pm

Insight meditation is a time-tested method of mind training that enables us to change our relationship to each moment’s experience, and thus our lives. In this retreat, specially designed for beginners and those with limited meditation experience, we will systematically explore (through sitting and walking meditation periods, teachings, and discussion) how to calm and steady the mind and see more clearly.  As we strengthen this capacity we begin to move from suffering and reactivity to responsiveness, freshness and ease. We learn how to touch and live in the mindful moment.

Read About Ted Jones

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To pay by check or read our refund policy, click here

The Relaxed Mind Retreat: Part Two: 5-7 of the Seven Meditations - With Matthew Daniell

Sat 11/17/18 - 9:00am to 5:00pm

Could you use a little more relaxation in your meditation practice? In your life? Kilung Rinpoche in his book, ‘The Relaxed Mind,’ leads us through meditations that may have a unique contribution to what it means to be ‘relaxed.’ The approach is based in mindfulness, but also draws deep inspiration from Tibetan Buddhist wisdom, and is secular in its instructions. It emphasizes both ease, and relaxation, but also clarity.  It is designed to help us to undercut habits of making ourselves and others ‘right and wrong,’ and unlock a deep abiding capacity in ourselves for compassionate presence and relaxed wakeful ease. In this retreat we will be guided through exploring for ourselves the fifth through seventh meditations, along with time for discussion.  We will begin with a foundation of connected ease found in the first four meditations and then expand to emphasize deeper levels of relaxation, connectedness, compassion and effortless wisdom. This offering will complement the earlier retreat, emphasizing meditations one through four, but is an independent offering and has integrity based on the way it will be presented here all on its own. Our guiding teacher, Matthew, has been authorized to teach this approach. No previous experience with these meditations is necessary. If interested, the reading Kilung Rinpoche’s book would be a wonderful complement to the retreat, but is in no way required.

Sign up

There is an optional morning half day from 9am-12:30pm.

NOTE:  For those staying for the entire day, lunch is included with your registration fee.  However, if you register for this retreat after Thursday, ­­­­­­October 18th please bring your own lunch as we have already taken a final count for the volunteer who makes the soup.

To pay by check or read our refund policy, click here

Mindful Presence: A Retreat for Beginning and Newer Students - With Ted Jones

Sat 12/01/18 - 10:00am to 12:30pm

Insight meditation is a time-tested method of mind training that enables us to change our relationship to each moment’s experience, and thus our lives. In this retreat, specially designed for beginners and those with limited meditation experience, we will systematically explore (through sitting and walking meditation periods, teachings, and discussion) how to calm and steady the mind and see more clearly.  As we strengthen this capacity we begin to move from suffering and reactivity to responsiveness, freshness and ease. We learn how to touch and live in the mindful moment.

Read About Ted Jones

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To pay by check or read our refund policy, click here

Cultivating Calm and Loving Kindness in a Chaotic and Angry World - With Chas DiCapua

Sat 12/15/18 - 9:00am to 5:00pm

We live in challenging times. Humanitarian and ecological crisis continue to grow and deepen. Extreme and radical forms of religious beliefs and nationalistic views seem to increase every day. It can be very easy for our reactions to such conditions to be one of anger. We have a sense of what is wrong and can make whoever holds different views from ourselves responsible for what is wrong. We can end up seeing “them” as bad or evil, slipping into a self and other mentality, and contributing to the divisiveness and hostility that is taking hold of our societies.

These are the times where we most need to bring our practice to bear on our lives and our world. Cultivating Calm in the body and mind is essential for creating the space from which we can respond, rather than react, to the conditions we are faced with. Developing Loving Kindness for all beings, especially those with views that are contrary to ours, is essential if we are to avoid fostering a us and them mentality. 

During this retreat we will practice developing Calm using the body and then engage in the Loving Kindness practice that will be supported by that calm.

Read About Chas DiCapua

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There is an optional morning half day also offered.

NOTE:  For those staying for the entire day, lunch is included with your registration fee.  However, if you register for this retreat after Thursday, December 13th, please bring your own lunch as we have already taken a final count for the volunteer who makes the soup.

To pay by check or read our refund policy, click here

Calm, Still, Quiet: Winter Residential Retreat (Saturday) - With Chris Crotty (SATURDAY ONLY OPTION)

Sat 01/12/19 - 9:00am to 9:00pm

In winter, the stars seem to have rekindled their fires, the moon achieves a fuller triumph, and the heavens wear a look of a more exalted simplicity.

                                                                                              - John Burroughs

Winter is a natural time for turning inward, while retreat provides an opportunity to focus attention on your meditation practice and contemplate the Buddha’s teachings. In this second annual Winter Residential Retreat with Chris, the outer stillness of the natural world supports us in quieting our mind, and directly experiencing the calm and stillness of concentration. With a mind free from distraction, we use mindfulness (insight meditation) to investigate the path to peace taught by the Buddha and perfected during retreat practice for over 2500 years.  

Combining periods of sitting and walking meditation, with Dharma teachings, the Winter Residential Retreat is held in noble silence. This retreat is suitable for those who have not yet sat retreat, as well as ongoing practitioners who wish to further their practice–meditation instruction and dharma talks will accommodate all experience levels.   

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This is the Saturday only portion of this weekend retreat that runs 1/11-1/13.  This day runs from 9am-9pm.  It is not required that you stay for the entire day.  However, lunch and dinner are included in your registration fee.  There are no half day registrations.

Cancellation/Refund Policy:

Due to the high fixed cost of this weekend retreat, a full refund, minus $50 processing fee, will be given for cancellations up to two weeks prior to the retreat (December 28th). 50% of your retreat fee will be refunded if you cancel after December 28th, and no refunds will be given for cancellations occurring after 12:00 pm on January 9th.. This policy applies to both the Residential Retreat and Commuter Retreat prices. 

For the Saturday only retreat fees, the above policies apply regarding refunds, with the exception that the processing fee will be $25. 

To pay by check or read our refund policy, click here