Description
Join us for a day of practice, reflection, wisdom, and community as we explore how contemplative practice and Buddhist teachings can support addiction recovery, healing, and freedom.
Whether you are navigating addictive or compulsive patterns yourself, supporting someone you love, working in the field of recovery, or simply seeking to deepen your spiritual practice and change your relationship to craving and attachment, this workshop offers practical tools and timeless wisdom for meeting life on life’s terms with more clarity, compassion, and courage.
Together, we will explore how the core insights of Buddhism — including the four noble truths, the paramis, and mindfulness practices — can illuminate the path of recovery. These teachings offer a clear, practical, and accessible way to understand suffering, loosen the grip of shame and reactivity, and cultivate steadiness, connection, and peace.
Through guided meditation, reflection, discussion, and community sharing at your comfort level, we will fearlessly investigate the places we still struggle, while also strengthening the inner resources that support healing. As we cultivate mindfulness, wisdom, and compassion, we can reduce suffering here and now and begin to experience deeper levels of well-being, resilience, and freedom.
This day is open to anyone affected by addictive or compulsive behaviors, including those in recovery, those still struggling, family members, friends, caregivers, and professionals. No prior meditation experience or knowledge of Buddhism is required — only a desire to show up with curiosity, honesty, and compassion. Our time together will include guided practices, short teachings, reflection exercises, optional sharing, and plenty of space for questions.
Attending an in-person workshop
- CIMC is a refuge. Out of compassion for those with chemical sensitivities, please avoid using scented products like lotions, deodorant, after-shave, hair products, perfume, clothes laundered with scented detergent or dryer sheets—before you come to the Center.
- Please arrive at least 15 minutes early to check in and to find a comfortable place in the meditation hall.
- Parking at CIMC is limited; we suggest taking public transportation to the Center whenever possible.
- All phones, pagers, beeping watches, and other electronic devices must remain completely turned off while you are at the Center.
- Please leave your shoes on the shoe shelves on the first floor and keep your valuables with you.
- Lunch will not be provided. Participants are invited to bring a vegetarian meal to the Center or may buy lunch in the neighborhood. A list of local restaurants and food stores will be available.
- No food or beverages, including water, are allowed in the meditation halls.
- We strongly recommend that you dress in layers since the temperature in the meditation hall varies throughout the day. The hall thermostat is set to a comfortable temperature range; however, we recommend you give yourself a range of clothing options, as individual preferences for warmth or coolness differ widely and cannot be accommodated.
- Masks are optional. Some masks are available at the entrance of the Center.
- CIMC provides zafus (round cushions), zabutons (large mats), meditation benches, blankets, and chairs. At the end of the program, we request that you brush off your zabutons and plump up your zafus. All other items should be returned neatly to where they belong.
- Hearing Assistive Devices are available in the Meditation Hall. The wireless receiver has a standard headphone jack, and we provide headphones and neck loops.
Attending an online workshop
- We will use Zoom for this workshop. 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 use Zoom during your workshop will be covered initially; however, we cannot provide technical support.
- 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 significantly from your full presence and careful attention.
- Join each session of the workshop a few minutes early. This supports the teachers and your fellow participants.
- Ideally, power off phones and smartwatches for the entire time scheduled for the retreat each day. Please don’t check your devices during breaks. We suggest you put an “away” message on your email and voicemail and leave your devices in another room during workshop hours.
- Please keep your video on during our time together as much as possible. This supports a sense of connectedness and sangha.
- You will receive a welcome email from CIMC that includes the Zoom link, retreat schedule, and further information a day or two before your workshop.