This unique 7-day vipassana retreat will be held in noble silence and offer sitting and walking meditation, and mindful movement instruction. The movement class will emphasize bringing attention to the inner experience of the body in order to strengthen the concentration in the sitting and walking practices. This retreat will emphasize both the wisdom practices and the compassion practices in order to achieve a healing balance in mind, body and heart.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT RETREAT CENTER PREREQUISITES:
We are setting a high bar for retreats for advanced students. In the past, the definition of an experienced or advanced student has generally been characterized by the amount of formal retreat time in which one has engaged. While time logged on the cushion can be an important aspect of experience, we do not find this measure alone to be a meaningful gauge of the quality of a student’s practice.

We see an advanced student as someone who has developed a balanced practice, with sincere and diligent attention to practicing sila (ethical/moral conduct) and dana (generosity), in addition to bhavana (cultivation of mind). Sometimes yogis engage in unwholesome behaviors indicative of a need for additional development.

Some of these behaviors include:

• Arriving late or leaving a retreat early without prior permission (except in the case of an emergency).
• Lying or manipulating to secure a single room or other personal preferences.
• Not fulfilling yogi job commitments.
• Not offering dana to the teacher or staff (of money, volunteer energy, or another expression of generosity/gratitude).
• Making demands expressive of entitlement.

All of these behaviors create hardship and have a corrosive effect on our collective ability to keep the Dhamma alive, available and accessible.