Please note this retreat meets the requirements for participants in Jack Kornfield + Tara Brach’s Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification program through Sounds True.
This retreat has been reformatted specifically to be an online retreat, accessible for people who are staying home right now and would like to deepen their practice and connect with some calm, stillness, and a sense of inner refuge.
We live in an increasingly complex world, and many of us long for more stillness and quiet in our busy lives. With the current challenges we are facing, we may discover the space for a slower life tempo but are not sure how to start cultivating the calm and tranquility we seek. At other times, we may feel overwhelmed by our personal responsibilities and the turbulence of our world. Whatever our current conditions, the spirit of our times is calling us to strengthen the depth of our practice and find moments of peace.
During this six day online retreat, we will learn to slow down and attune to the fresh simplicity of our present moment experience, rest in stillness, and connect with the heart’s inner capacity for healing and freedom. As we focus on practices that quiet the mind and open the heart, we support a continuity of mindfulness and a deepening of our meditation practice, which provides us with a true refuge amidst uncertainty.
Together we will explore some of the supports for presence: letting go of distraction, the deliberate cultivation of simplicity and contentment, and a renewed sense of connection with our own bodies, hearts, and minds in community. By bringing mindful attention to our moment to moment experience, we can learn to cultivate resilience amidst change and grow in awareness, love, and wisdom.
The structure of this online Insight meditation retreat includes two guided meditations with Q&A each day, time for independent sitting and walking meditation periods in the communal virtual hall, rest, mindful eating instruction, Dharma talks, and small group practice discussion meetings with the teachers. This format is configured to maximize its effectiveness as a virtual retreat during this extraordinary time. It combines the dedicated practice time of a residential retreat while supporting those with family members and other personal commitments.
General Schedule (All Time are in PT):
The retreat includes 6 full days and 6 nights of practice together. It will start at 9:00am on Friday, February 19th and end at 11am Thursday, February 25th. The below schedule is the general daily schedule. All are strongly encouraged to attend as much of this retreat as your schedule allows with emphasis on the bolded sessions.
| 7 – 7:45 AM | Silent Sitting or Stationary Meditation |
| 7:45 – 9 AM | Meal Break |
| 9 – 10:15 AM | Stationary Meditation (Sitting, Reclined) with Instructions, Q&A, Announcements |
| 10:15 – 10:45 AM | Walking or Movement Meditation or Group Meeting 10:30-11:30am (when assigned) |
| 10:45 – 11:30 AM | Silent Sitting or Stationary Meditation |
| 11:30 – 12 PM | Walking or Movement Meditation |
| 12:00 – 12:30 PM | Silent Sitting Meditation or Group Meeting 12-1pm (when assigned) |
| 12:30 – 2:30 PM | Meal Break |
| 2:30 – 3:15 PM | Dharma Talk |
| 3:15 – 3:45 PM | Walking or Movement Meditation |
| 3:45 – 4:30 PM | Silent Sitting Meditation or Group Meeting 3:45-4:45pm (when assigned) |
| 4:30 – 5:15 PM | Walking or Movement Meditation |
| 5:15 – 6 PM | Brahmavihara Practice |
| 6:15 – 7: 15 PM | Group Meeting (when assigned) |
For MMTCP Students: The MMTCP student attendance and practice participation (with camera on) requirement is at least 5 bolded sessions per day including: Guided Stationary, Dharma Talk, Brahmavihara Practice, Small Group Practice Meetings (when assigned), and at least 2 silent sits.
OPTIONAL: Meditation Cabins for Rent at Big Bear Retreat Center
If retreat practice is challenging because of your living situation or you would like to practice in a private location, there is an option to practice this online retreat on your own at the Big Bear Retreat Center. Please note: there would not be any in-person instruction or facilitated activities during your stay.
Big Bear Retreat Center is offering a limited number of its 3 bedroom / 2 bathroom cabins for rent, on a first-come first-served basis, for the duration of this retreat. Each cabin has a living area and small kitchen. The cabin (and portions of the grounds with wifi access) would be your own private space to participate in the online retreat virtually via your computer or phone.
Contact-free vegetarian meals will be delivered to your cabin three times per day, and coffee, tea, and snacks will be available in your cabin’s kitchen. You may also bring your own snacks with you. In addition to your private cabin, you will also have full access to the grounds, trails, meditation hall (limited capacity), and outdoor dining spaces.
Join the waitlist for a cabin on the Big Bear Retreat Center website HERE.
(Arrive 2/18/2021, Depart 2/25/2021)
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Pricing:
This is a dana retreat. The Base Cost includes InsightLA’s administration fees only and it does not include compensation to the teachers. There will be an opportunity at the end of the retreat to give a donation/dana to the teachers.
Please consider paying at the highest rate you can afford. Your generosity helps to support fellow practitioners who might not otherwise be able to attend, InsightLA, and the teachers. Any amount above the Base Cost becomes a tax deductible donation. The practice of generosity helps continue the ancient Buddhist monastic tradition of teaching on a dana basis – dana being the Pali word for generosity or giving freely. Your contributions help teachers to lead a life devoted to teaching both at InsightLA and in other parts of the world, including communities without the means to donate. Your gifts also allow teachers to take time for their own practice, ensuring that their teachings are continuously enriched. We thank you for your support!
