Dancing With Change: An online Insight Meditation retreat with David Chernikoff

About Our Online Retreats

This first-ever online retreat for the Flowering Lotus community will be a powerful exploration of the ways in which Buddhist teachings can help us to transform ourselves into something beautiful.

These times are financially difficult for many of us – for Flowering Lotus and, we understand, for many members of our sangha. We ask that you support Flowering Lotus and those whose needs are greater by registering at the highest level ($75, $50, $25) with which you feel comfortable. All are welcome to participate, regardless of ability to pay. If you are unable to pay the minimum $25 registration, check “Scholarship” below, and no payment will be required. We encourage scholarship recipients to make a dana contribution in any amount, at the online event. NOTE: registration fee does not include any contribution to the teacher. You will have the opportunity to make a dana contribution to David at the online retreat.

About Dancing With Change

There’s a saying in India that “The world is like a grinding stone. It will either grind you up or it will turn you into something beautiful.” In this unprecedented time generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, this aphorism takes on an entirely new level of meaning. This first-ever online retreat for the Flowering Lotus community will be a powerful exploration of the ways in which Buddhist teachings can help us to transform ourselves into something beautiful. While this is a very challenging time in many ways, it’s also a time that offers extraordinary opportunities to see the benefits of Dharma practice in our lives. 

Each of our personal situations is unique and our intentions for an online retreat will vary from one person to the next. For someone who lives alone and is retired or temporarily unemployed, an at-home retreat of this kind might feel very similar to a retreat at a meditation center. For someone who is working part-time and has children at home who are out of school, an online retreat might focus more on “meditation-in-action” and learning to move harmoniously from “formal meditation practice” to mindfully attending a Zoom meeting for work or staying present while cooking dinner. This retreat has a flexible schedule that is adaptable to a variety of individual situations. The preliminary schedule is available here as a PDF. (There might be some minor changes in the schedule prior to the start of the retreat.)

We ask that you commit to attend the following sessions, in order to experience the potential benefits of this retreat: 

1. Opening Session Friday 5/29 7:30 pm

2. Meditation instructions on Saturday 5/30 at 9:30am, 2:00pm, and 7:30pm

3. The dharma talk at 3:30pm on Saturday 5/30

4. The morning sessions on Sunday 5/31 from 9:30am - 12 noon.

Join us for what promises to be an inspiring and eye-opening weekend with people who share an aspiration to live fully and love well.

Teacher Bio: 

David Chernikoff, M.Div., LCSW. A student of meditation since 1971, David completed the Community Dharma Leader training at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and has been teaching Insight Meditation since 1988. His teaching has been influenced by senior teachers from the Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock, Tibetan teachers he studied with during a 3-year stay in Nepal, and spiritual guides from other contemplative traditions, most notably Ram Dass, Father Thomas Keating, and Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi. David taught meditation and psychology at Naropa University for many years and currently has a private practice as a spiritual counselor and life coach in Boulder. He teaches workshops and retreats throughout the U.S. For more information please see his website, www.davidchernikoff.com.

Teacher Professional and Social Links:

Sangha Facebook: www.facebook.com/boulderinsightmeditation/ 

Sangha Instagram:

Website: www.davidchernikoff.com 

Dharma Talks: www.davidchernikoff.com/dharma-talks 

Special Terminology: 

David uses the Sanskrit translations of Dharma and similar terms. 

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact: 

Beth Herzig

Retreat Director

floweringlotusms@gmail.com