Radiant Mind, Compassionate Heart: Insight Meditation Retreat

During this weeklong silent meditation retreat, we will focus on practices that quiet the mind and open the heart to support the unfolding of insight and compassion.

We will learn to bring mindful attention to our moment to moment experience, facilitating a renewed sense of connection with our own bodies, hearts, and minds.

The structure of this Insight meditation retreat includes time for guided and silent sitting meditation, walking meditation, rest, mindful eating, and Dharma talks to deepen our embodied understanding. There will also be small group meetings with the teacher to offer personalized instruction and support.

As we deepen our connection to our direct experience, we cultivate continuity of mindfulness and awaken the heart and mind for greater ease, balance, and clarity in daily life.

“I enjoyed the combination of teachings, guided meditations, and solo time. The retreat was also structured so well, with each day building on the next, strengthening our mindfulness muscle.” – Past participant

Please note: The registration fee does not include teacher compensation. This is a dãna-based retreat (see below for details).

A Note on Dãna

Dãna is an ancient Pali word meaning “giving” or “gift.” Dãna is at the heart of the 2,500 year old Buddhist tradition. Going back to the days of the Buddha, he and the monastic community offered the teachings freely to lay people, as a form of dãna. In turn the lay community, through their generosity, or dãna, ensured that their teachers’ basic needs for food, clothing, shelter and medicine were provided.

When the Buddha would give a public discourse, he usually began with teaching on the importance and the benefits of dãna. The act of giving itself is of immeasurable benefit to the giver; it opens up the heart, diminishes for a moment one’s self-absorption and places value on the well-being of others. The key is that the act of giving itself is the natural expression of a connected and loving heart.

The registration fee you pay to attend this retreat covers the basic retreat costs; none of your registration fee is payment to the teacher leading the retreats. Teachers offer the teachings with a spirit of generosity and trust that their lives and work will be supported by those who are receiving the life-giving teachings. This is a real expression of the truth of interdependence.

You may offer dãna to your teacher directly before, during or after the retreat.

Daily Schedule

A detailed schedule will be available at least 2 weeks in advance of the program. View sample schedule here.