Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions Below
Coming Soon - FAQ About the following (links now open to related website pages):

Q: I am interested in learning about meditation. Where would you suggest that I start? I read through your courses on the website but left feeling uncertain as to which one would be best for me (group or individual).

Ideally you would start with both a short retreat experience (one day or a weekend) and series of sessions over time, in either order. We offer a variety of ways to do this.

We recommend weekly meditation groups for ongoing support. You might begin with a weekend course and follow up with the weekly meditation group and periodic courses.

Q: I am interested in a meditation retreat. I see that for your non-residentail retreats you meet on Friday evening, Saturday most the day, and a few hours on Sunday. Can you give me some idea of the schedule... what you do during this time?

Friday
The Friday night session is more interactive than Saturday. Friday is beginning instruction to prepare you for the retreat on Saturday. We review the basic insight meditation practice and walking meditation, practices that we do on Saturday. This session is also available by itself free of charge as an introduction to meditation - a chance to try it out.

Satuday
During the actual retreat we alternate guided sitting practice and walking meditation with some other movement meditation and mindful eating. The intention is to first provide a period for supported sustained practice - an immersion experience. With sustained periods of practice transformation is accelerated. This is supported bu the instruction. The guided practice offered is intended to provide experences for continuing on your own. It includes different ways of working with your own mind and greater awareness to the range of experiences that arise in daily life.

The result of a retreat is a deepening familiarity with terrain of your own mind, greater awareness of its workings during normal daily events, and increased capacity to intercede in its processes.

Sunday
Sunday is an optional extension for retreat participants thats includes interactive practice, relational vipassana) and some study of teachings about meditation (dharma study).

You will find that at different times in your life and your practice, varied aspects of retreats will resonate for you. Though retreats are similar in structure, you are different every time you do a retreat. The teacher is also different and brings a unique theme to every retreat.