The Dharma of Belonging: An Insight Meditation Retreat for Experienced Practitioners
Jaya Rudgard & Susie Harrington
Sunday, January 10 – Saturday, January 23
Description:
This intensive two-week retreat with four daylongs and daily support, will include dharma talks, guided and unguided meditation, Q&A, inquiry exercises in dyads and other small groups, and mindful movement (qigong). There will also be small group and individual practice meetings with the teachers. You will be able to choose whether to do this as an integrated daily life retreat or to structure a more intensive retreat practice as your circumstances allow.
Theme:
At this time, we are all being called and compelled to open our hearts to the truth of our interconnectedness. The reality is that we all inhabit multiple interwoven circles of belonging, and yet we still often find ourselves longing to belong. Resting into the deep and steady current of the Buddha’s wisdom, we will seek to rediscover our sense of our own and each others’ true belonging, and replenish our capacity for a joyful and empowered participation in our challenging and ever-changing world.
This retreat will include dharma talks, guided and unguided meditation, Q&A with teachers, inquiry exercises in dyads and other small groups, and mindful movement (qigong).
Prerequisites:
Participants are required to have completed at least two previous residential meditation retreats of five days or longer.
There will be small group practice discussions with the teachers. Morning and afternoon sessions involve a variety of practices, not all in front of your screen.
For this course, sliding scale fees are $320, $420, $500, or $800. We also offer a scholarship fee of $160, and no-fee enrollment for those who request a fee-waiver. Our “Pay What You Can Afford” system supports the cultivation of a dynamic and inclusive community and contributes to the health and vibrancy of the sangha. Select the rate of your choice when you register. Email imsonline@dharma.org for more information or to request a no-fee enrollment.
A note on dana (generosity)
Most IMS teachers—like insight teachers around the world—rely on the generosity of students for their livelihood, and receive no compensation from course fees. All IMS online teachers receive a modest dana advance from IMS to guarantee a minimum level of financial support. (Click here to learn more about the dana practice.) There will be an opportunity to offer a contribution to your teachers at the end of this course.
REGISTER HERE
Daily Schedule – all times listed in Eastern Daylight Time EDT:
Note: all sessions (Except Group Meetings and Q&A) will be recorded and posted so you can view it later if you miss one.
Sunday, January 10
10 am – 1 pm – Morning Session & Opening
2:30 pm – 5 pm – Afternoon Session
Monday to Friday, January 11 to 15
10 am – 11:30 am – daily
(noon – 1:30 – small groups and individual sessions)
Saturday & Sunday, January 16 & 17
10 am – 1 pm – Morning Session
2:30 pm – 5 pm – Afternoon Session
Monday to Friday, January 18 to 22
10 am – 11:30 am – daily
(noon – 1:30 – small groups and individual sessions)
Saturday, January 23
10 am – 1 pm – Morning Session
2:30 pm – 5 pm – Afternoon Session & Closing
REGISTER HERE
Teacher Bios
Jaya Rudgard began meditating in the 1980s and lived as a nun in the Thai Forest Tradition in the UK for eight years with Ajahn Sumedho. She lives in Oxford England and teaches mindfulness, meditation and dharma in the local community and at retreats internationally. She also studies and teaches qigong.
Susie Harrington teaches meditation nationwide and is the guiding teacher forDesert Dharma, which serves many communities in the Southwest near her home in Moab, Utah. She has trained in the Insight tradition since 1989, and in 2005 was invited into the teaching role by Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, and Guy Armstrong. She has also received teachings from many others, including Tory Capron, Adyashanti, and Tsoknyi Rinpoche. She often offers retreats outdoors, believing nature to be a profound teacher, and a gateway to our true self.
Her teaching is deeply grounded in the body and often emphasizes the expression of mindfulness in speech and daily life. Susie brings the skills of inquiry, relational dharma, and the psychological/spiritual interface to her teaching, informed by her ongoing study of the Diamond Approach by A. H. Almaas and as a graduate of Hakomi Therapy (a somatic psychotherapy modality). She offers a two-year intensive program, Dharma in Daily Life, through which she delights in mentoring the innate qualities of heart and wisdom in everyday practice. Her practice is rooted in periods of long retreat both indoors and outdoors, which offer nourishment and inspiration for her teaching. She was an outdoor professional for over 30 years, including years as a river guide, mountaineering guide, and back-country ranger, and now finds her greatest delight in sharing her love of the dharma and the natural world.
Guidelines For Your Home Retreat
