Retreats
I offer residential mindfulness retreats all over the world. It is one of my passions and great joys! If you’d like to learn more about upcoming retreats click here.
Please read on to learn why I am passionate about retreats!
Of all the many ways I offer mindfulness trainings and teachings, leading silent, multi-day, residential retreats has become one of my true passions.
Why?
Personally: Like many people throughout time, I was drawn to the practice of meditation to address the great distress and confusion I experienced as a young person. I grew up in a complicated family with highly intelligent, talented parents who also suffered from alcoholism, and other addictions, which led – as many of you know – to both abuse and neglect.
One of the advantages of growing up in Los Angeles during the 70’s, was the practice of meditation and Yoga “had arrived!” And so, my tenth grade English teacher seeing my suffering, handed me a book by Ram Dass called “Be Here Now.” That funny square shaped blue book gave me a glimpse into the possibility that there was another way of seeing and being in this crazy world. I started meditating on the school bus with Ram Dass’s written instructions. But it wasn’t enough. Also like many people I continued to try meditation on my own through books and tapes, and visits to various meditation centers.
But it was my first weeklong silent retreat with Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, that offered me a transformative experience that has never left me. Being in that extended time of practice with such genuinely devoted and sincere people in an atmosphere that felt truly safe for the first time in my life changed me. Over the decades since that first retreat, I have made retreat practice a regular part of my life, mainly in the Zen tradition. It continues to show me the value of taking this time of intensive practice; which allows me to see myself and everything and everyone around me as interconnected and intrinsically whole and wise.
Professionally: The reason I wanted to begin teaching retreats was, firstly, I saw the great value of them for me and my Dharma brothers and sisters. And I realized in talking to prospective teacher trainees that while attending Silent Retreats is a prerequisite for any mindfulness-based teacher training, many people had never attended one. MBSR which is deeply founded on ancient Buddhist teachings has been adapted to be inclusive of all or no faith traditions, through language and other skillful means to make folks who don’t want to practice in the Buddhist tradition comfortable and still benefit greatly from the practices, so too, they might be comfortable in a retreat with the same flavor and intention.
So, I have co-created these kinds of retreats with the help of UMASS CFM, and the Center for Mindful-Self Compassion and partnered with them as affiliates (a huge honor). That being said, while we attract many first timers and folks on the teacher training path, long-time Buddhist practitioners and folks from other spiritual traditions, tell us that they love our retreats and make them an annual or bi-annual event in their lives. Our retreats attract people from all over the world and from all walks of life.
Here is a blog post I wrote about why teachers are required to go on retreat:
If you’d like to learn more about upcoming retreats with me click below: Retreats
