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This program is full – Awakening Insight: Knowing Breath, Body, and Heart (in person)

Program Type:
Teacher:,
Time:10:00 am - 5:30 pm
Date:Saturday - April 23, 2022
Sessions:1
Registration for this program is closed.

Registration for this program is closed as it has reached capacity.
Please write to office@cambridgeinsight.org to be added to a waitlist.

This program will be held in person at our center in Cambridge with CIMC’s Covid protocols in place:

  • All participants must be fully vaccinated and document their Covid vaccination status via CrowdPass prior to arrival. You will be invited to do so upon registration for the program.
  • Masks must be worn while inside the meditation center, except during lunch. (A vegetarian meal will be provided—see our additional information tab.)

This retreat is limited to 48 participants. Registration will close at 4:00pm on Thursday, April 21st. Late and walk-in registration will not be available.

The Buddha said: “When mindfulness of breathing is developed and cultivated, it is of great fruit and great benefit. When mindfulness of breathing is developed and cultivated, it fulfills the four foundations of mindfulness. When the four foundations of mindfulness are developed and cultivated, they fulfill the seven factors of enlightenment. When the seven enlightenment factors are developed and cultivated, they fulfill true knowledge and liberation.”

We will use our day together to explore mindfulness of the body, including the full awareness of breathing. In the process, we will cultivate greater openness of heart, and explore how shifts of perception give rise to insight into the truth of the way things are. Our aspiration is to know the direct experience of breath, body, and heart, as a path that opens to wisdom (pañña) and compassion (karuna).

This program is appropriate for beginners as well as experienced meditators. Our time together will include guided mediation periods, talks and time for discussion and questions.

Full and partial scholarships are available. Everyone is welcome.

Click here for more information about CIMC’s Center Guidelines (including our Covid protocols and policy), and for instructions on Using CrowdPass to register your vaccination status.

Devin Berry has been an Insight meditation practitioner since 2000. He has a passion for daily life practices, exploring long retreat forms of practice and the Buddha’s liberative teachings. He has been trained and empowered by the Insight Meditation Society to teach. Devin counts many influences on his practice and teaching. He has gratitude for receiving direct mentoring from Lyn Fine, Larry Yang, Andrea Fella, Carol Wilson and Joseph Goldstein. He shares the influence of his teachers' mentors including Thich Nhat Hanh, Munindra-ji, Dipa Ma, Ajahn Chah, Mahasi Sayadaw, Sayadaw U Pandita and Sayadaw U Tejaniya. Devin is passionate about the power of witnessing and storytelling as a liberation tool. He is deeply committed to the personal and collective liberation of marginalized communities knowing that through the integration of reflection and insight, clarity and wisdom give rise to wise action.

Tara Mulay teaches and mentors Insight Meditation practitioners to refine their mindfulness practice, both on the meditation cushion and in daily life. Her practice and teachings stem from the lineage of Mahasi Sayadaw, and she has gratefully drawn influence from many other teachers within and outside of the Mahasi lineage, including Howard Cohn, Kamala Masters, Gil Fronsdal, Joseph Goldstein, Sayadaw U Tejaniya, and Ayya Anandabodhi. Tara practiced criminal defense law in California for over 20 years. In 2016 she co-founded the San Francisco Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Insight Sangha. In the spring of 2019, she relocated to Western Massachusetts and served as the Interim Guiding Teacher of Insight Meditation Community of Western Massachusetts from 2020-2021. To learn more visit taramulay.com.

There are no prerequisites for this program. Everyone is welcome.

Retreat

Attending an In-Person Retreat at CIMC (see below for attending online retreats)

  • Masks may be required and is determined on a program by program basis – see description.
  • Please arrive at least 20 minutes early to check-in and to find a comfortable place in the meditation hall.
  • Retreats are held in silence. Please power off your cell phone, smartwatch, or other electronic devices for the duration of the retreat.
  • Parking at CIMC is limited; we suggest taking public transportation to the Center whenever possible.
  • CIMC provides vegetarian meals at day-long, weekend, and multi-day retreats. We are unable to accommodate special dietary needs. If you have dietary restrictions, we invite you to bring your own vegetarian meal. Please note that nuts may be used in our kitchen.
  • Food and beverages, including water, are not allowed in the meditation halls.
  • We strongly recommend you dress in layers since the temperature in the meditation hall will vary throughout the day. The hall thermostat is set to a comfortable temperature range; however, please give yourself a range of clothing options, as individual preferences for warmth or coolness differ widely and cannot be accommodated.
  • Please leave shoes on the shoe shelves on the first floor and keep your valuables with you at all times.
  • CIMC provides zafus (round cushions), zabutons (large mats), meditation benches, blankets, and chairs for your use. At the end of the program, we request that participants brush off their zabuton and plump up their zafu. All other items should be returned neatly to where they were found.
  • CIMC is a refuge. Out of compassion for those who may have chemical sensitivities, please avoid using scented products—lotions, deodorant, after-shave, hair products, perfume, clothes laundered with scented detergent, or dryer sheets—before you come to the Center.
  • Retreat Meal Dana: In keeping with tradition, we invite you to sponsor a retreat meal as a simple and meaningful act of generosity. You will have the option to share a dedication of your generosity, perhaps to someone in your life, to a special occasion, or to an aspiration. Please contact the office for more information on offering Meal Dana for this retreat.

Attending a Retreat Online

  • Sitting a retreat at home and online is certainly different from coming to a meditation center. Tending to your comfort and giving yourself a quiet, private sitting and walking space (if possible, in the environment you are in) will help keep your attention focused and support your practice and learning. Plan to bring as much simplicity and ease to your day as possible. The schedule of the retreat is structured to support your well-being and practice with regular breaks and time for mindful movement.
  • We will be using Zoom for this retreat. Before your retreat begins, be sure to download Zoom and familiarize yourself with using the program, including the chat feature. Specifics about how we will be using Zoom during your retreat will be covered at the beginning of the retreat; however, we are not able to provide technical support during the retreat.
  • We ask that you treat our virtual meditation hall as if we were together in person, in the same room. The teachers and other yogis benefit greatly from your full presence and careful attention.
  • Join each session of the retreat a few minutes early. This will support the teachers and your fellow retreatants.
  • Please maintain noble silence as much as possible for the duration of the retreat and take any necessary steps to limit external distractions such as incoming emails, texts, or other interruptions so that we can maintain the integrity of our practice together. Close all programs on your computer other than Zoom and turn off all notifications on your devices.
  • Ideally, power off phones and smartwatches for the entire time scheduled for the retreat on each day. Please don’t check your devices during breaks. We suggest that you put an “away” message on your email and voicemail and leave your devices in another room during your retreat hours.
  • Please keep your video on during our time together as much as you can. This supports a sense of connectedness and sangha.
  • Closed Captions for CIMC Programs are generated through “live streaming” via Rev.com. CIMC programs are not live-streamed to any other platform for any other use.
  • You will receive a welcome email from CIMC a day or two before your program that will include the zoom link, retreat schedule, and further information.