Five-Day Retreat
This five-day online retreat will explore the practice of Insight Meditation and the liberating effect of moment-to-moment mindfulness. As a residential course, this retreat provides a valuable opportunity to deepen the skills of awareness and to cultivate a resilient heart. Together, we will seek balance and freedom within the flow of change. The teachers will offer guidance in developing attitudes of mind that support relaxation, courageous inquiry, and an authentic encounter with one’s own heart.
This silent retreat is open to all levels of experience and will include periods of sitting and walking meditation, Qi Gong, small group interviews, dharma talks and question/answer sessions.
Retreat times:
Retreat begins: Thursday, February 17th, 5:00pm PT
Retreat ends: Monday, February 21st, 11:00am PT
All sessions will be recorded in case participants are in other time zones. See full schedule below.
REGISTRATION FOR THIS RETREAT IS NOW CLOSED.
We’re in the process of completing registration for Oren’s six-week, live online course, Cultivating Authentic Communication, which opens on Feb 16. There are a few flex-time slots available. If you’d like to join the retreat, you can email us no later than 5pm PT Wednesday February 16th and we will send you information about how to join. Please put the words “INSIGHT RETREAT” in all caps in the subject line!
About the Teachers
Oren Jay Sofer
Oren Jay Sofer teaches workshops and retreats on meditation and communication nationally. A member of the Spirit Rock Teachers Council, he holds a degree in Comparative Religion from Columbia University, is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner for healing of trauma, and is a certified trainer of Nonviolent Communication. Oren is also the author of Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication.
Matthew Brensilver
Matthew Brensilver, PhD, is a member of the Guiding Teachers Executive Group and Teachers Council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. For more than a decade, he taught for Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society. He lectures at UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center about the intersections between mindfulness and mental health. Matthew has a background in research on addiction pharmacotherapy and is interested in the unfolding dialogue between dharma and science. He is the co-author, with Oren, of two books on mindfulness for adolescents.
Retreat Schedule
We ask that Full-time participants attend all or nearly all of the sessions marked with an asterisk * (as long as it’s reasonable for your time zone).
All Times Pacific Standard Time
February 17th – Opening Night
5:00 p.m. Orientation *
5:30 p.m. Welcome & Opening Session *
7:00 p.m. Break
7:45 p.m. Lovingkindness Practice *
8:15 p.m. End of Day
February 18-20
6:30 a.m. Sitting Meditation *
7:15 a.m. Breakfast
8:25 a.m. Arrive and Settle *
8:30 a.m. Morning Instructions and Sitting Meditation *
9:30 a.m. Walking Meditation *
10:00 a.m. Sitting Meditation *
10:45 a.m. Walking Meditation (OR Practice Meeting if assigned) *
11:15 a.m. Sitting Meditation *
12:00 p.m. Lunch/Practice/Take care of life as you see fit
3:25 p.m. Arrive and Settle
3:30 p.m. Qi Gong
4:00 p.m. Stretch Break
4:15 p.m. Dharma Talk *
5:00 p.m. Dinner / Practice as you see fit
7:30 p.m. Lovingkindness Practice *
8:15 p.m. End of Day
February 19th, 5:45 - 6:30 p.m. Q&A for Flex-time Participants
February 21st
6:30 a.m. Sitting Meditation *
7:15 a.m. Breakfast
8:30 a.m. Closing Session *
10:00 a.m. End of Retreat