Start Again, Finding Ground
Winnie Nazarko & Annie Nugent
Friday, January 1 – Thursday, January 7
With the start of a new year, there is opportunity to re-ground, to begin again with a revitalized heart/mind. The teachers of this retreat will orient participants towards returning to the moment, and learning to rest there.
On each of this retreat’s full days there will be three sessions: a morning set of meditation instructions; a mid-day interactive session; and an evening Dharma talk.
This retreat will be livestreamed from the IMS Forest Refuge in Barre, Massachusetts. It is offered for students with some meditation experience, and will build upon that previous knowledge. Both Winnie and Annie are core members of the IMS Three-Month Retreat teaching group, and regulars on the Forest Refuge schedule.
Prerequisites:
Applicants are expected to have attended at least one four-week structured and teacher-led insight meditation retreat, or four similar one-week retreats.
For this course, sliding scale fees are $240, $310, $390, or $600. We also offer a scholarship fee of $120, 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.
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Daily Schedule – all times listed in Eastern Standard Time EST:
Note: all sessions (except afternoon interactive sessions) will be recorded and posted so you can view it later if you miss one.
Friday, January 1
1 pm – 2 pm – Opening Session, Refuges & Precepts, Sitting – Winnie & Annie
Saturday, January 2
10 am – 11 am – Morning Session – Winnie
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm – Afternoon Interactive Session – Winnie
4 pm – 5 pm – Dharma Talk – Annie
Sunday, January 3
10 am – 11 am – Morning Session – Annie
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm – Afternoon Interactive Session – Annie
4 pm – 5 pm – Dharma Talk – Winnie
Monday, January 4
10 am – 11 am – Morning Session – Winnie
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm – Afternoon Interactive Session – Winnie
4 pm – 5 pm – Dharma Talk – Annie
Tuesday, January 5
10 am – 11 am – Morning Session – Annie
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm – Afternoon Interactive Session – Annie
4 pm – 5 pm – Dharma Talk – Winnie
Wednesday, January 6
10 am – 11 am – Morning Session – Winnie
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm – Afternoon Interactive Session – Winnie
4 pm – 5 pm – Dharma Talk – Annie
Thursday, January 7
10 am – 11 am – Closing Session – Winnie & Annie
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Teacher Bios
Winnie Nazarko attended her first meditation retreat in 1981, after a co-worker convinced her that it would be interesting. And it was interesting, just not in the way she expected. After that long weekend with Stephen and Andrea Levine, she knew she had touched something deeply truthful, although she couldn’t quite describe it. It did, however, seem to do with transparency of being, equanimity, and lack of fear.
This was the beginning of a period of intensive dharma search and practice, bringing her into connection with many outstanding teachers. Among these have been Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg, Steve Armstrong, Kamala Masters, and Jack Kornfield. From their diversity of teaching styles, she came to appreciate the very individual ways the Dharma is expressed through the prism of specific personalities and life experiences. While the truth is universal, the expression of that truth is personal and uses the language of direct experience.
Winnie’s own orientation to practice is rooted in a background of human service work and the desire to relieve human suffering. After years of work with issues of violence, and hunger, it became apparent that the largest single impediment to collective human progress is the level of development of the average human mind.
In 1998, she was asked to teach the Dharma by Joseph Goldstein. She does so to help people open their full potential, in the interest of their own happiness and well-being and for the benefit of others who their lives affect.
Winnie’s teachings are rooted in the Eight Fold Path taught by the Buddha, with particular emphasis on aligning motivation with the student’s highest and wisest aspiration. Letting go (renunciation) and self-compassion are taught as essential, foundational attitudes supporting practice. Meditation instructions draw on a variety of approaches, and emphasize grounding, embodiment, and equanimity which can be carried into daily life. When appropriate, students are given customized instructions which work with the actual experiences they are having, rather than insisting one method of practice works in all cases. The emphasis is on “skillful means”, understanding that students come to meditation from many different circumstances and experiences.
Annie Nugent has practiced since 1979 and was an IMS Resident Teacher from 1999 to 2003. She has been part of the teaching team for the annual Three-Month Retreat for a number of years and has taught at the Forest Refuge since 2004. Her teaching style aims to reveal how all aspects of our lives can help us come to a clear and direct understanding of the Truth.
Guidelines For Your Home Retreat
