residential retreats
March 13 - 20: 7-Day Experienced Practitioner Retreat on Salt Spring
This week-long residential retreat is suitable only for experienced practitioners - to qualify you must have completed at least 4 residential vipassana retreats of one week or longer. This week of intensive practice will include meditation instruction, guided metta practice, dharma talks, and individual interviews. Taught by Adrianne Ross. Cost: in-house accommodation $685, camping $500, commuting $320. For more information and to register, visit the Salt Spring Vipassana website.
April 23 - 28,: 5-Day Vipassana Retreat at Cloud Mountain
This retreat will include specific training in both vipassana/insight and metta/loving-kindness practice, daily dharma talks, periods for questions and answers, and opportunities for discussion with the teacher. It is suitable for both beginning and experienced meditation students. Taught by Heather Martin. Cost is USD $300. To register, visit the Cloud Mountain website.
May 7 - 9: 3-Day Residential Vipassana Retreat in Mission
A weekend of practice at Westminster Abbey (click here for directions) in Mission, BC. The retreat is suitable for both beginning and experienced practitioners and includes guided meditation instruction, dharma talks and group interviews. Taught by Adrianne Ross and Joanne Broatch. Cost is $145 including meals and accommodation (single rooms only). To register, please download and follow the instructions on the PDF registration form (109kb) or Word registration form (454kb). For more information and to register, please contact Bridgid McGowan at 604.254.0891, ext. 1 or email Bridgid.
May 25 - June 3: 9-Day Experienced Practitioner Retreat in Samish Island
Week-long residential retreat in Samish Island, WA is suitable only for experienced practitioners - to qualify you MUST have completed at least 4 silent meditation retreats of one week or longer. This week of intensive practice will include meditation instructions, guided metta practice, dharma talks, and individual interviews. Taught by Pascal Auclair. For more information and to register, email Gretchen Harsch.
June 4 - 6: 3-Day Residential Weekend Metta Retreat on Salt Spring
A weekend of loving-kindness (metta) practice suitable for both beginning and experienced practitioners. Will include metta meditation instruction, dharma talks and group interviews. Taught by Heather Martin. Registration opens April 23, 2010. For more information and to register, visit the Salt Spring Vipassana website.
June 21 - 27: 6-Day Insight Meditation Retreat in Nanaimo
Seven days of vipassana practice at beautiful Bethlehem Centre in Nanaimo, with Thanissara and Adrianne Ross. The schedule will include chanting, guided meditation and metta instruction, silent sitting and walking periods, dharma talks and interviews. Cost is $550 including meals and accommodation. To register, please download and follow the instructions on the PDF registration form (627kb) or Word registration form (138kb). For more information about this retreat, please contact Dianne by phone at 604.980.4403 (no email contact option for this retreat).
Aug. 28 - Sept. 3 or 5: 6 or 8-Day Residential Insight Retreat near Whistler
Taught by Gregory Kramer at the Sea to Sky Retreat Centre near Whistler, this 6-day insight retreat also offers the option to add 2 days of Insight Dialogue facilitator training. Cost is $500 for the 6-day retreat only, plus an $150 for the optional 2-day Insight Dialogue facilitator training (Sept. 3-5, this training is reserved for those wishing to become volunteer facilitators of Insight Dialogue). Click here for further retreat details (PDF 637kb), or email Lucy for more information and to register.
August 21 – 28: 7-Day Residential Meditation Retreat on Salt Spring
This week of intensive practice is suitable for both beginning and experienced practitioners, and will include meditation instruction, guided loving-kindness practice, dharma talks and individual interviews. Taught by Steve Armstrong and Heather Martin. Registration opens June 26, 2010. For more information and to register, visit the Salt Spring Vipassana website.
September 10 - 17: 7-Day Vipassana Retreat at Cloud Mountain
This retreat will include specific training in both vipassana/insight and metta/loving-kindness practice, daily dharma talks, periods for questions and answers, and opportunities for discussion with the teacher. It is suitable for both beginning and experienced meditation students. Taught by Heather Martin and Andrea Fella. To register, visit the Cloud Mountain website.
September 17 - 22: 5-Day Vipassana Retreat at Cloud Mountain
This retreat will include specific training in both vipassana/insight and metta/loving-kindness practice, daily dharma talks, periods for questions and answers, and opportunities for discussion with the teacher. It is suitable for both beginning and experienced meditation students. Taught by Heather Martin. Cost is USD $300. To register, visit the Cloud Mountain website.
October 1 - 3: 3-Day Residential Weekend Retreat on Salt Spring
A weekend of of loving-kindness (metta) practice suitable for both beginning and experienced practitioners. Will include meditation and metta instruction, dharma talks and group interviews. Taught by Mark Coleman. Registration opens September 1, 2010. For more information and to register, visit the Salt Spring Vipassana website.
November 18 - 23: 5-Day Metta Retreat for Women at Cloud Mountain
Five days of Metta practice at Cloud Mountain Retreat Centre in southern Washington. Metta (loving-kindness) meditation is a complementary practice to vipassana meditation. It is a formal practice originally taught by the Buddha as an antidote to fear. When we practice metta we awaken to our own intrinsic wholeness, peacefulness and kindness and we provide an opportunity to deepen our equanimity. There will be specific instruction in metta and in walking meditation, mindful movement and a dharma talk each day, group interviews and opportunities for discussion with the teacher. This silent retreat is suitable for beginning and experienced students of meditation. Cost is USD $300. To register, visit the Cloud Mountain website.
Dec 27, 2010 – Jan 1, 2011: 5-Day New Year's Retreat on Salt Spring
This period of intensive practice is suitable for both beginning and experienced practitioners, and will include meditation instruction, guided metta practice, dharma talks and individual interviews. There will be a special program on New Year’s Eve with the option of staying up until midnight. Registration opens November 2, 2010. Taught by Heather Martin. For more information and to register, visit the Salt Spring Vipassana website.
What to Bring & What to Wear
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You will be asked to remove your shoes prior to entering the meditation hall; you may wish to wear or bring warm socks.
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Comfortable clothing; layers to adjust to the temperature in the meditation hall. Sometimes a light shawl or blanket is useful. Please wear clothing that doesn’t rustle.
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Outerwear if you intend to spend walking periods outdoors.
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Something to sit on. Your options are a chair (supplied); a zafu (a firm, round, meditation cushion) which is usually set on a zabuton (firm mat) or folded blanket; or a meditation bench, which also is set on a zabuton or folded blanket. Most bring their own zafu or bench but if you’re just starting a practice you might want to experiment before you invest. At most retreats there will be some extra benches and zafus for you to try.
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In consideration of all participants, please do not wear fragrance or scented personal care products (soap, shower gel, shampoo, body lotion, etc.) (including "natural" products) to retreats, classes and daylongs. This is part of our policy because those who are allergic to scented products cannot attend if others are wearing them.
