Welcome Peace: Finding Refuge in Community
Weekend In Person Retreat
with
Sharon Shelton & Caroline Durham
September 3 - 7, 2026
at
William Kelley Retreat Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
When life often asks us to move faster, carry more, and stay constantly connected, this retreat offers an invitation to pause. Together we will explore what it means to discover refuge—not as a place we escape to, but as a way of being that can accompany us wherever life leads.
Drawing from the Insight Meditation tradition and the teachings of Engaged Buddhism, Sharon Shelton and Caroline Durham invite us into a weekend of mindfulness, compassion, and community. Through meditation, Dharma talks, silent reflection, mindful movement, group inquiry, and time in nature, we will gently cultivate the qualities of presence, kindness, and inner steadiness.
The Buddha taught that we take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. While these ancient teachings remain timeless, refuge is also deeply personal. It can be experienced in the steadiness of the breath, the wisdom of the body, the support of spiritual friendship, and the courage to meet our lives with openness and care. As we practice together, we'll explore how mindfulness becomes something we don't simply do during meditation—it becomes a way of living with greater clarity, resilience, and compassion.
This retreat is designed for both those new to mindfulness and experienced practitioners wishing to deepen their practice. Whether you are seeking rest, renewal, guidance, or a stronger connection to community, you'll find space to slow down, listen deeply, and reconnect with what truly matters.
Throughout the weekend, we'll investigate questions such as:
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What does it mean to truly feel at home within ourselves?
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How do we cultivate resilience without hardening our hearts?
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How does community support individual healing, and how does our own practice strengthen the communities we belong to?
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What might become possible when we meet ourselves and others with mindful awareness and compassion?
The William Kelley Retreat Center provides a peaceful setting along the Mississippi Gulf Coast where the rhythms of nature support the rhythms of practice. Whether sitting quietly beneath the trees, sharing a meal in mindful silence, or engaging in heartfelt conversation, each moment becomes an opportunity to remember that none of us walks this path alone.
You are warmly invited to come exactly as you are. Together we will practice, rest, learn, and discover the quiet refuge that has always been available within—and between—us.
Your registration includes four nights of accommodations and eleven nourishing meals.
As in the Buddhist tradition, the retreat teachings are offered in the spirit of dana (generosity). When planning your retreat budget, please consider making a voluntary contribution to support the teachers at the conclusion of the retreat.