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Take a Tour ~ view our slideshow below
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Welcome to IMS! As you approach our two retreat facilities - the Retreat Center and the Forest Refuge - you'll drive along the aptly-named Pleasant Street, through the quiet New England countryside that surrounds the town of Barre, Massachusetts.
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The IMS Retreat Center, suitable for both new and experienced meditators, first opened its doors in 1976. It is nestled amidst some 200 secluded acres of maple, oak and beech woods.
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An old colonial mansion built early last century, the Retreat Center entrance bears the word 'Metta' on its portico. The practice of Metta, taught by the Buddha himself 2,500 years ago and offered today at IMS retreats, cultivates our natural capacity for an open and loving heart.
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On arrival for a Retreat Center course, you'll be greeted here and directed to registration. Notice boards in this foyer contain all sorts of important information about your retreat. The stairway leads to rooms where periodic interviews with the teachers about your meditation practice take place.
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The Retreat Center meditation hall, renovated in 2006, is a light, open space that encourages mindfulness and quietude. This is where you'll have many opportunities to sit together with other participants in silent practice, learning to deepen awareness and develop insight.
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Nourishing vegetarian meals are lovingly prepared each day by the IMS Kitchen staff. They are served and enjoyed here in the Retreat Center dining room. |
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Accommodations at the Retreat Center are in the Annex dormitory (shown here), or in a wing of the main building fondly referred to as the 'Catskills.' Bedrooms are small single or double rooms, simply yet comfortably furnished. |
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IMS courses include alternate periods of sitting and walking meditation. During walking meditation sessions, retreatants can make use of the Retreat Center grounds. Beauty abounds, no matter the season or what weather unfolds!
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All activities throughout the day are opportunities for mindfulness and presence.
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For many retreatants, a favorite walk involves a visit to nearby Gaston Pond, where a moment of quiet reflection can be relished. |
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In the spring and summer, the gardens around the Retreat Center overflow with perennial blooms.
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There are miles of trails through the woods surrounding IMS. There, participants can discover the natural world and be reminded of the interconnectedness of all life. One such path leads to the Forest Refuge, our meditation center for personal retreats.
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Open since 2003, the Forest Refuge offers experienced vipassana meditators the chance to explore freedom, with support. Personal retreats are more independent and less structured, and stays can range from one week to periods of a year or more.
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The atmosphere in the beautiful Forest Refuge meditation hall is one of calm abiding and tranquility, and helps meditators settle effortlessly into greater depths of practice.
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As the seasons turn here at the Forest Refuge, flowers bloom, hearts open and minds awaken.
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The Forest Refuge offers a delicious and balanced vegetarian cuisine. Meals can be eaten in the dining hall (shown here) or enjoyed outside on the deck or lawns. |
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Under the guidance of recognized senior vipassana teachers, a personal retreat at the Forest Refuge can strengthen faith, self-reliance and practice confidence. Teachers offer two dharma talks and two interviews each week.
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Regular interviews with teachers about practice take place here in the Forest Refuge counsel house.
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The 2-story accommodation building at the Forest Refuge provides 30 single rooms, with shared bathrooms and laundry facilities on each floor. Bedrooms are tastefully furnished, each with a twin bed, sink and ample closet space, and are designed to support in-room meditation practice, when preferred.
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With covered walkways and dedicated walking meditation areas, the Forest Refuge provides an ideal space for concentrated practice. |
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The quiet environs of the Forest Refuge become all the more serene during winter months. Yogis like to linger in the still, snowy woods, meditate in the hall, or simply sit by the window with a warm cup of tea. |
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