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Experienced Practitioners’ Weekend Retreat

Program Type:
Teacher:
Time:9:00 am - 8:00 pm
Start Date:Saturday - July 20, 2019
End Date:Sunday - July 21, 2019
Sessions:2
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The Experienced Practitioners Weekend Retreat offers an intensive opportunity to practice in the company of other dedicated practitioners. The meditation instructions offered will be suitable for those who have walked the Eightfold Noble Path for some time (three or more years) and are interested in deepening their practice through the ancient forms originally taught by the Buddha. One of the many beautiful aspects of this retreat is the invitation to merge one’s everyday life with one’s dharma practice.

In addition to periods of group sitting practice, this retreat includes open periods of individual practice in the four postures of sitting, walking, standing and lying down. This format is intended to encourage making the practice one’s own, and it offers the invitation to be aware and fluid in all four postures. This is called the practice of “evening out the postures” which means bringing an equally caring attentiveness to each posture.

On Saturday evening, after a short dharma teaching, there is a shared dharma talk in which a meditative question is presented. This question is responded to and investigated by those present who wish to share their process, challenges and understanding in the context of a non-judgmental and generous-spirited group.

Participants are strongly encouraged to attend both days, however, Saturday-only and Sunday-only registrations are also available. It is necessary to commit to being present for the entirety of the day, or days, you attend.

Schedule:

  • Saturday: 9:00am – 8:00pm
  • Sunday: 9:00am – 5:00pm

Please review the prerequisites for this program.

This program is intended for those who have been practicing Vipassana for at least three years.

Retreats

  • CIMC retreats are non-residential; overnight accommodation is not available.
  • Please arrive at least 15 minutes early to check in and to find a comfortable place in the meditation hall.
  • At check-in participants will be asked to volunteer for a short period of mindful work during the retreat—a “yogi job.” Yogi jobs enable the smooth running of the retreat and offer an opportunity to practice alongside other retreat participants. (Half-Day Retreats do not include yogi jobs.)
  • Retreats are held in silence. Teachers expect all retreatants to honor a commitment to abstain from using cell phones or other electronic devices—whether inside the building or not—for the duration of the retreat.
  • Parking at CIMC is limited; we suggest taking public transportation to the Center whenever possible.
  • CIMC provides delicious meals at all day-long, weekend and multi-day retreats. These vegetarian meals are prepared by CIMC volunteer cooks, and a list of ingredients will be provided for all dishes.
  • 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.
  • Retreat meal dana: In keeping with tradition, we offer the option to sponsor the cost of the retreat meals for all attendees, as a simple and meaningful act of generosity. By contributing in this way, you can opt to have a dedication posted at the retreat, 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.
  • 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; however, please give yourself a range of clothing options, as individual preferences for warmth or coolness differ widely and cannot be accommodated.
  • Please be sure to leave shoes on the shoe shelves on the first floor, and to 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.
  • While at the Center all phones, pagers, beeping watches and other electronic devices must remain completely turned off.
  • Some people who practice at the Center have chemical sensitivities or environmental illnesses and experience adverse reactions when exposed to scented products. CIMC is a refuge. Out of compassion for those with 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.