Upcoming Events

Teachers: Phillip Moffitt, Dana DePalma, and Tuere Sala

Prerequisites:
A minimum of three silent meditation retreats of 4 days or more including at least one Nine Bodies multi-day retreat and at least one Vipassana retreat of 6 days or longer.

Description:
The teaching of the Nine Bodies of Consciousness offers fresh perspectives for practicing Satipatthana meditations, the four foundations of mindfulness. In the Satipatthana Sutta, the Buddha laid out how to be present for all aspects of our experience, even the most subtle parts. (For more info on the Nine Bodies of Consciousness, visit ninebodies.com.)

As a support for Satipatthana meditation, the Nine Bodies teachings and meditations presented during this retreat offer new, detailed means for tracking and classifying meditative experiences which can help you stay present with whatever arises. These explorations may also increase the clarity and specificity of your mindfulness and enable the arising of insight. This retreat will focus on cultivating integrated, embodied presence and intuitional knowing.

The retreat starts by focusing on the consciousness that arises in the physical body and then presents a series of meditations for exploring ever more subtle levels of consciousness. By building your awareness utilizing the Four Foundations and Nine Bodies practices, you gradually develop clear seeing (sampajanna), the ability to see life from a dharma point of view. From this perspective, it’s possible to access well-being that can include non-well-being.

This retreat is specifically designed as an online offering for experienced practitioners. It combines the dedicated practice time of a residential retreat while supporting yogis with family members and/or other responsibilities. The format provides each of us the opportunity to integrate formal meditation and daily life practice. Each day there will be three guided meditations, time for independent sitting in the communal virtual hall, and a dharma talk.

Please note that each teaching session and guided meditation of the retreat is a building block for the next teaching session and guided meditation. Due to this progressive building process, please plan on attending all teaching sessions. We understand that due to the home retreat aspect of this offering, you may need to skip a walking meditation or other non-essential part of the retreat. In reviewing the retreat schedule below, we ask that you consider carefully whether you can commit to attending all of the active teaching sessions and two or three small group practice meetings.

This retreat is for yogis that have a committed practice and the ability to sit multiple times a day throughout the retreat. This retreat is not recommended for students who are experiencing acute depression or grief or other strong mental challenges.

Daily Schedule:

Please note: The schedule is in Pacific Standard Time

Bold sessions mean all are encouraged to attend

Opening Day Schedule, Tuesday, March 16
3:00 p.m. Technology Check for participants unfamiliar with Zoom
4:00 p.m. Break – Main Hall Closed
4:15 p.m. Meditation Hall Opens – Arrive and Settle
4:30 p.m. Formal Opening/Welcoming Talk
6:30 p.m. Close for Night

Daily Schedule; Wednesday, March 16 – Monday, March 22
7:00 a.m. Optional Personal Early Practice / Sitting, Walking
8:00 a.m. First Guided Meditation Period
9:00 – 9:45 Walk
9:45 – 10:30 Second Guided Meditation Period
10:30 – 11:30 walk
11:30 – 12:15 Self-Guided Silent Sit
12:15 p.m. Lunch
1:30 -2:30 p.m. Practice Meetings for some groups
2:30 -3:15 Third Guided Meditation Period
3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Practice Meetings for some groups
2:00 – 5:00 p.m. Individual Sitting/Walking Practice – when not in Practice Meeting
5:15 p.m. Teaching Session
6:30 p.m. Close for Night

Closing Day Schedule, Tuesday, March 23
8:00 a.m. Closing Session
11:30 a.m.   Close of Retreat

In the many months since the pandemic began, the always difficult task of care providing has become even more challenging. The stress, energy demands, tension, and excess workload that go along with care providing in “normal” times have all been compounded by the health crisis. Therefore, you are warmly invited to take a day for yourself for renewal and revitalization.

In this day, we focus on refreshing perspective and vitality through mindfulness practices and self-care techniques. We also explore some of the skillful means the Buddha taught that can mitigate the stress of care providing.

You will learn the importance of placing attention, the art of letting go of expectations, how to determine what your true responsibilities are, and how to recognize and respond to the confusion that arises around care providing. The program includes guided meditations, Dharma talks, self-care techniques, and gentle stretching

Teachers: Phillip Moffitt and Dana DePalma

The Four Noble Truths are the Buddha’s first teaching, which is said to contain the sum of all of his teachings. Based on one of the oldest Theravada texts, there is a rarely taught practice of utilizing the Four Noble Truths to attain Twelve Insights that bring freedom and well-being. These insights prescribe a radically different way for us, with all of our vulnerability and fear, to engage with life just as it is and find joy even in the midst of suffering.

In this four-day, silent retreat, we will explore each of the Four Noble Truths in depth and learn how we can apply the insights of this teaching to our daily lives. The goal of this retreat is to discover how the Four Noble Truths become the Four “Ennobling” Truths.

Each day will have periods of sitting and walking meditation along with Dharma talks, discussion, and Q&A.

Teachers: Phillip Moffitt, Tuere Sala and Dana DePalma

Prerequisite: Completion of one (or more) 6-night (or longer) silent, residential insight meditation retreat.

Description:
The Nine Bodies Insight meditations and teachings presented in this online retreat offer a new method of practicing Insight meditation. We start with establishing mindfulness through the practice of arriving and then turn towards the consciousness of the physical body. Through a series of guided meditations, we will explore ever more subtle levels of consciousness. This map offers a means for tracking and classifying meditative experiences which can help you stay present with whatever arises. Moreover, this method of practice may increase the stability and clarity of your mindfulness and enable the arising of insight.

This method integrates the Nine Bodies teachings on the nature of consciousness from Himalayan yoga master Premvarni Balyogi with Insight meditation dharma teachings.

This retreat includes 3-4 detailed guided meditations per day, dharma talks, walking meditations, and small group meetings. Due to the progressive nature of these teachings, please plan to attend all teaching sessions.

Marin Sangha is a mindfulness meditation (vipassana) group in Marin County that puts special emphasis on living the dharma in daily life. The evening’s agenda includes guided meditations, mindful movement or walking meditation, and insightful talks that draw upon various aspects of the Buddha’s teachings. Sangha means “community.” Since our inception in 1998, Marin Sangha has been committed to creating a safe and welcoming community where dharma students can come and explore how Buddhist teachings might unfold in their everyday lives. We invite students of all levels of meditation experience and beginners are especially welcome.

Normally, we meet Sundays, 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the Bayview Room of the St. Luke Presbyterian Church. During The Pandemic, all meetings are live-streamed.  Please click here for details on how to connect to our Virtual Sangha.