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Concentration, (samādhi), the collection and unification of the mind, was emphasized by the Buddha as one of the aspects of the Eightfold Path. It can bring joy to your practice and lead to the skillful use of pleasure in the meditative process. There is wisdom in developing concentration (samādhi) as a skillful means; and, there is wisdom in exploring concentration as a phenomenon of a contented mind. In this online retreat, we will intentionally and systematically do both–developing concentration through specific meditative practices, drawing from instructions in the Anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing) sutta, and exploring the experience of a collected and unified mind as a natural, mysterious, and beneficial phenomena.
The retreat includes two detailed guided meditations per day, teaching sessions, and cohort (small group) practice meetings. Please note: for this retreat, each group may not see each teacher. The small group cohort meetings will be either Sat/Mon/Wed OR Sun/Tues/Thurs at the same time of day — either 1:30 or 3:15 PT. If you have unavoidable scheduling constraints with the small group times, please let us know on the intake form which you will receive a few weeks before the retreat begins.
The retreat is not recommended for those experiencing acute grief or other strong mental challenges.
This retreat is not a training to teach; attending this retreat does not in any way authorize teaching the Nine Bodies Insight practice method.
In this everchanging life, one of the most complex challenges that men face is skillfully navigating the many transitions they face in the various stages of their lives. This is truer than ever because of the new expectations and demands that confront men.
This weekend workshop focuses on how to effectively respond to changes related to being a man in the modern world. You will be offered a series of time-tested self-assessments and tools from the Life Balance Institute that are designed to give you clarity and insights about your specific situation. These tools have empowered countless individuals to step into greater alignment with what they truly care about in life.
During this workshop you will have the opportunity to:
- Identify the areas of your life that need attention.
- Gain insights about your strengths and challenges in dealing with change.
- Recognize habits of mind that undermine you and learn practices to disengage from their influence.
- Clarify your values and intentions so you have a basis for making wise decisions.
- Use our “Journey through Change Map” to orient yourself in your change.
- Create a strategy for effectively navigating your change.
Expect a weekend full of dynamic inquiry and the opportunity to learn essential life skills for meeting your changes and transitions with authenticity, confidence, and clarity. In the Life Balance Strategy approach, this is called “finding the path to well-being.”
Schedule PT:
Friday 2pm – 5:30 pm
Saturday 9am – 5:30pm (lunch 12:30pm – 2pm)
Sunday 9am – 4pm (lunch 12:30pm – 2pm)
An extended period of retreat offers the rare opportunity for sustained and dedicated practice. This retreat emphasizes quieting the mind, opening the heart, and developing profound clarity and depth of Insight practice. Instruction will follow the traditional four foundations of mindfulness, combined with training in lovingkindness and compassion, through a daily schedule of silent sitting, walking, Dharma talks, and practice meetings with teachers.
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 Theravāda 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 to 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 to 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.
The Nine Bodies teaching presents a unified map of the various capacities of consciousness, which are often only partially recognized (or completely unrecognized) even among long-term practitioners. This retreat offers a method of practicing Insight Meditation in which consciousness itself becomes the object of meditation. We start with establishing mindfulness through the practice of arriving, and then turn towards ever more subtle levels of consciousness. The practice utilizes the felt sense as a means for freeing the mind of over-conceptualization and supporting the arising of liberating insights.
We respectfully acknowledge that this method is an integration of the Nine Bodies teachings from Himālayan yoga master Premvarni Balyogi and Thai Forest Insight teachings.
The retreat includes detailed guided meditations, teaching sessions, and cohort (small group) practice meetings. It is not recommended for those experiencing acute grief or other strong mental challenges.
This retreat is silent except for teacher-led Q&A, small groups, or other practice meetings.
In this 22nd offering of Poetry Day, our usual sitting and walking practices will be informed by periods of reading poetry to each other. Each poem is carefully selected by Phillip Moffitt with an eye toward selections that point us to Dharma insights.
Poems of this nature comfort us, and inspire us to take our meditation understandings into our daily life such that we see the world through Dharma eyes and respond from the Dharma heart. This is a day of fun and lightheartedness, and if you haven’t ever read a poem in front of others, don’t miss this opportunity to free your voice and find a new form of expression.
Concentration, (samādhi), the collection and unification of the mind, was emphasized by the Buddha as one of the aspects of the Eightfold Path. It can bring joy to your practice and lead to the skillful use of pleasure in the meditative process. There is wisdom in developing concentration (samādhi) as a skillful means; and, there is wisdom in exploring concentration as a phenomenon of a contented mind. In this online retreat, we will intentionally and systematically do both–developing concentration through specific meditative practices, drawing from instructions in the Anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing) sutta, and exploring the experience of a collected and unified mind as a natural, mysterious, and beneficial phenomena.
The retreat includes two detailed guided meditations per day, teaching sessions, and cohort (small group) practice meetings. Please note: for this retreat, each group may not see each teacher. The small group cohort meetings will be either Sat/Mon/Wed OR Sun/Tues/Thurs at the same time of day — either 1:30 or 3:15 PT. If you have unavoidable scheduling constraints with the small group times, please let us know on the intake form which you will receive a few weeks before the retreat begins.
The retreat is not recommended for those experiencing acute grief or other strong mental challenges.
This retreat is not a training to teach; attending this retreat does not in any way authorize teaching the Nine Bodies Insight practice method.