2020 Retreat Schedule
Our Moveable Sangha will be spreading the dharma in a wider area than ever, with weekend retreats planned for the Mississippi Coast; New Orleans; Acadiana; North-Central Louisiana; Central Mississippi; and southern Alabama. Here's a glimpse of what's coming up in 2020!
March 20-22. In Harmony with Reality, with Acharya Christie Bates.
Part of the cultivation of mental and emotional well-being is weeding out that which chokes healthy growth. In this weekend retreat with Acharya Christie Bates, you’ll come to recognize four types of misperception that are like weeds running rampant in our human conditioning. We’ll spend time in a variety of ways – silent meditation, mindful walking practice, and facilitated discussion – all within the structure we create together in the safety and support of the Five Precepts. As we identify and begin to clear these weeds of misperception, we'll get a glimpse of what it's like to live in harmony with reality. This retreat is suitable for anyone interested in meditation, mindfulness, and clear seeing.
Initial registration fee:
$50 (does not include post-retreat donation/dana) Visit the registration page to learn more about this retreat.
Location:
Homestead Education Center, 402 Lake Valley Road, Starkville, MS, 39759
April 17-19. Working with Emotions - the Buddha's Way, with Ayya Sobhana.
Emotion is normal and essential for our existence in this world, but in the Buddha's teaching, it is also part of what keeps us "hooked." Mindfully observing and fully understanding the process of the five aggregates, one can let go of attachment and identification with them. With letting go comes the experience of freedom, clarity, forgiveness and compassion for the entire emotional process ... in oneself and in others. It is in this state of balance and clarity that the Noble Path of Buddhism can be fully developed. This retreat is especially designed to help practitioners see the reactivity of our bodies and minds to emotional triggers, and to find methods for a more peaceful, lighthearted way of living. Ayya Sobhana has developed an approach to afflictive emotions based on the Buddha's teaching on the “five aggregates of clinging.” She takes emotion to include the entire bundle of reactive body states, feelings, and thoughts. This course will include instructions for sitting and walking meditation, Dhamma talks, individual interviews, and group discussion.
Initial registration fee:
$50 (does not include post-retreat donation/dana)
Location:
Pineview Camp & Retreat Center, 2339 Attala Road 3111, West, MS 39192
May 29-31, 2020. Intimacy and Awakening: An Insight Meditation Retreat, with David Chernikoff.
David Chernikoff has taught transformative retreats at Flowering Lotus for many years. A leader in the Boulder, Colorado, Insight Meditation Society, he has taught meditation since 1971. “Enlightenment,” said Zen master Dogen, “is intimacy with all things.” This retreat is an opportunity to explore the meaning and implications of this powerful statement. A primary focus of the retreat will be the practice of sitting and walking meditation in Noble Silence. The teacher will offer dharma talks and meditation instruction. In addition, we’ll do some guided meditations and interactive exercises that are designed to deepen our understanding of the essential role of intimacy in our personal lives and in the process of spiritual awakening.
Description of accommodations:
Double Occupancy. All rooms contain 1 queen and 1 bunk bed (2 bunks) and bathroom. Bedlinens are provided. Guests are to provide towels, washcloths, and all toiletries (bath soap is provided).
Registration Fee:
$50 (does not include post-retreat donation/dana)
Additional Costs:
Private (single occupancy) rooms are available at a cost of $110 for the weekend, payable at registration only.
Location:
The Bethel Encounters Retreat Center
1000 Restoration Way
Kiln, MS 39556 (near Bay St. Louis)
June 12-14. How Not To Be A Hot Mess: A Survival Guide for Modern Life, with Devon and Craig Hase of Sati Mindfulness.
This dynamic couple will lead a retreat drawing from their book of the same name, teaching embodiment practices that reorient us to what is already good – in ourselves, our lives, and in the world.
Location:
Baton Rouge / New Orleans (Site TBA)
July 31-August 3. A weekend Vipassana Retreat with Venerable Pannavati Bhikkhuni, Flowering Lotus’s Spiritual Advisor.
The founder and director of Heartwood Refuge in North Carolina, Ven. Pannavati is one of Flowering Lotus’s most beloved teachers.
Location:
The Rivers Retreat Center, 14253 US-190, Covington, LA 70433
September 11-13: Terry Ray. Retreat Information forthcoming.
October 9-11. Save the date! Retreat Information forthcoming.
November 13-15. Cultivating Compassion and Serenity on the Path to Wisdom with Dawn Barie.
Dawn Barie is a meditation and Dharma teacher, licensed psychotherapist and founder of the Center for Mindful Living in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. She has traveled through South and Southeast Asia and has experience in the Theravada, Mahayana and Tibetan traditions. Dawn has led national and international meditation retreats and has taught at the United Nations.
Location:
Kelly Retreat Center at St. Augustine Seminary, Bay St. Louis MS.
December 4-6. Save the date! Retreat Information forthcoming.
Past Retreats
January 25 1pm - 5pm. The Power of Meditation, with Susan Piver.
Join New York Times bestselling author and meditation Susan Piver for a day of meditation and conversation about how to find balance, even in a speedy, out-of- control world. A half-day, non-residential retreat. Susan is an internationally known author and meditation teacher, and the founder of the Open Heart Project, an online community offering meditation, courses and support.
Location:
First Presbyterian Church 5401 S Claiborne Ave, New Orleans, LA 70125
February 14-16. The Heart of Love: How Relationships are our Teacher, with Shastri Nick Kranz and Märta Vigerstad.
Shastri Nick Kranz and Mǟrte Vigerstad will be our guides as we explore how to engage our relationships in more fulfilling ways. The Buddha taught that simply being present is not enough for awakening. It is necessary that we have insight while we are present; this is what is meant by being awake. An essential part of this is bringing our practice into relationships. In this retreat we will practice Contemplative Meditation, a form of a form of Insight Meditation that leads to having direct insight. We will explore obstacles and discover opportunities to open our hearts, deepening our ability to love ourselves and each other.
Initial reservation fee: $50 (does not include post-retreat donation/dana). Shared rooms are available for couples at this retreat. Visit the registration page to learn more about this retreat.
Location:
William J Kelley Retreat Center 510 N 2nd St, Bay St Louis, MS 39520