During this pandemic year, many have felt the depths of our mind in movement, but we don’t know exactly where everything will land. There is grief and there is opportunity: opportunity to understand ourselves and the human condition more fully. Change and loss are always somehow startling and it takes time and tenderness for the heart to catch up.

From one perspective, spiritual practice right now might appear to be a luxury. Yet, in the middle of the intensity of this historical moment, caring for our hearts is an urgency. Fear, stress and uncertainty make our minds very suggestible and can lead us down the rabbit hole of anxiety and agitation. But this moment also acts like a magnet, pulling our goodness to the surface. It is easy to forget all of this, but retreat helps us remember. At home and together, we can sit in the refuge provided by a 2600-year legacy of wisdom and kindness. Through the process of meditation, we practice pausing, looking deeply, and knowing experience as it actually is, rather than ideas about how it should be. In this stillness, we grow our capacity to love what we discover.

The teachers will offer instruction in insight (vipassana) meditation, as well as in loving-kindness (metta) practice. Daily practice periods will include sitting and walking meditation, Dharma talks, and an optional mindful movement session. There will also be small group meetings with the teachers on both Saturday and Sunday to support your practice. Both new and experienced meditators are welcome.

The opening session for this retreat is 4 – 5:30 PM Pacific Time on Thursday, May 6, and the closing session is 8:30 – 10 AM on Sunday, May 9. There will be an optional introduction to Zoom and online practice before the retreat begins at 3:30 PM on Thursday. Practitioners will be encouraged to follow the retreat schedule as fully as their life circumstances allow. Instructions for how best to use the schedule will be offered at the opening session. Follow this link to the view the daily schedule in detail.

Scholarship assistance is available for those face financial challenges.

Zoom retreats are helping Cloud Mountain, like other retreat centers, to survive closures due to covid-19. We hope that you will register at the highest level you can to help sustain us through these difficult times.