with Celeste Young, Christiane Wolf, and Jake Dartington. Registration is now open.
We are happy to share that this retreat has been thoughtfully formatted to accommodate international time zones so that we can practice together as a global community! Please click this link to view the two schedule options for the retreat. You can choose the option that is listed for your time zone.
This retreat also meets the requirements for participants in Jack Kornfield + Tara Brach’s Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification program through Sounds True.
Practicing “alone together” while in our own spaces presents a unique and powerful new kind of retreat container to deepen our practice and the integration of mindfulness into how we’re living during these times. After teaching several online retreats, we’ve learned what works well for supporting a home retreat and have created a schedule that’s accessible to people with different circumstances. This particular format combines the dedicated practice time of a residential retreat while also supporting those with family members and/or other responsibilities.
There’s an optional first meditation period that usually begins before breakfast. Each morning the teachers offer continuing meditation instructions for the day. The whole retreat is a succession of mindfulness trainings, including breath awareness, inhabiting the body with mindful attention, meditations on the nature of feelings, and awareness of mind from the Buddhist Insight Meditation tradition.
Sitting (or stationary) Meditation: Sitting meditation is at the heart of silent retreats. In sitting practice silence and stillness develop, concentration deepens, and awareness expands. Through training the heart, kindness and compassion are awakened to meet all that arises within awareness. We come into presence and learn to find freedom in the midst of life as it truly is. The Buddha invited us to establish mindfulness in all postures. For those who find sitting is not possible for their body, alternate stationary postures are suggested.
Walking Meditation (or movement meditation): Throughout the retreat we learn to cultivate mindful awareness in all postures: sitting, walking, standing, and lying down. In mindful walking meditation practice, we learn to sustain meditative awareness through movement, and establish continuity of mindfulness in the midst of activity. Walking meditation helps us to bridge the gap between our experiences in seated meditation and daily life. We alternate between sitting and walking meditation to support the establishment of mindfulness and concentration and to balance the factors of energy and calm in our practice. The Buddha invited us to establish mindfulness in all postures. For those who find walking meditation is not possible, alternate forms of mindful movement are suggested.
Eating Meditation: Instructions will be given on how to integrate the process of nourishment and eating as a meditation during retreat for continuity of mindfulness and a deepening of practice. Retreatants are encouraged to bring the same calm, focused attention to eating as is brought to sitting, walking, and other activities. Through reflection on the Buddhist teaching of interdependence, we have the opportunity to slow down and recognize each bite of food we eat is a result of countless causes and conditions and to appreciate the blessing of mindful nourishment.
Dharma Talks and guided meditations: Each day, the teachers present a different set of teachings that are central to practicing mindfulness and compassion. These teachings can be applied to our own direct experience. Sometimes the talks focus on retreat practice, and sometimes they offer teachings for wise living in the world.
Dana/Generosity: There will also be an opportunity to offer Dana for the teachers and center at the end of the retreat. Thank you for your support!
Testimonials from previous retreatants:
“The instruction was exceptional in its clarity and sophistication. Celeste and Christiane offer a beautifully fine tuned integration of MBSR, insight oriented meditation and Buddhist teachings. I feel truly privileged to have been their student. I have learned more on this retreat than in all the years and courses I have taken over the years. They are true masters. I felt step by step guided until I could clearly understand equanimity. I will recommend it to many of my patients.” – Dr. Eliana C.
“This retreat has been transformative as well as insightful in ways I could have never wished for or even imagined. The kindness and embodied wisdom of the teachers, as well as the Sangha, allowed for an experience that I will carry in my heart forever. “– Marina P
For more info on the retreat schedule and registration, click below.