Online Retreat for People of Color
Teachers: DaRa Williams, JoAnna Hardy, Devin Berry
Assisting: Andrea Castillo, Nolitha Tsengiwe, Yong Oh
Movement: Sabra Saperstein
Thursday, June 18 – Monday, June 22
Cost is sliding-scale: $120, $220, or $400, your choice. Paying at a higher rate helps IMS to offer ongoing support to teachers and staff during this period of closure. Scholarships ($20) are available, simply choose the scholarship rate when you register.
REGISTER HERE
The current widespread difficulties and challenges of the Coronavirus pandemic and the significant impact on BIPoC communities along with the racism that continues to fuel acts of terrorism often resulting in death for black folks as well as the rise of anti Asian racism directs us to the importance of drawing on our inner strength, connection to the dharma and strengthening community.
These challenging conditions have touched and impacted all beings and our communities have been particularly hard hit. Death, destruction, loss, grief, sadness, confusion, chaos, anger, rage, dissociation, anxiety, depression, hurt, and a sense of isolation and fear for what is happening have proliferated.
Gathering together as a community, held by the ancestors and resting in the wisdom of the heart we create a space of refuge, of ease, safety and support to nourish self care, to meditate and to cultivate inner freedom and liberation.
IMS is honored to offer the annual retreat for People of Color — in an all new online format. This online retreat will offer an in-depth opportunity to engage the Buddha’s teachings on mindful awareness, as well as practices to cultivate the Brahma Viharas of lovingkindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity toward self and other living beings.
These times require us to come together, create sangha and pause at the moments of joy that feed our capacity to hang in there with hope and love. We will engage with the practices and deepen the wisdom that support forward movement to peace and liberation.
Those without previous meditation experience are encouraged to participate.
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 teacher at the end of this course.
Daily Schedule:
**all times are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
Note: all sessions will be recorded and posted so you can view it later if you missed one. Group Meetings will NOT be recorded.
Thursday, June 18
4 pm to 6 pm – Opening Session – DaRa, JoAnna, Devin, Andrea, Nolitha, Yong and Sabra
8 pm – 9 pm – Meditation with Guidance – Yong
Friday, June 19
10 am to 10:45 am – Brahma Vihara Meditation with Guidance – Nolitha
12:30 pm – 2 pm – Dharma Reflections – DaRa or JoAnna. Meditation with Guidance – Devin
4 pm – 5 pm – Dharma Reflection – Nolitha
6 pm – 7:30 pm – Group Meetings or
6 pm – 7 pm – Movement with Sabra
8 pm – 8:45 pm – Review of Day / Meditation with Guidance – Yong
Saturday, June 20
10 am to 10:45 am – Brahma Vihara Meditation with Guidance – Nolitha
12:30 pm – 2 pm – Dharma Reflections – Devin. Meditation with Guidance – DaRa or JoAnna
4 pm – 5 pm – Dharma Reflection – Yong
6 pm – 7:30 pm – Group Meetings or
6 pm – 7 pm – Movement with Sabra
8 pm – 8:45 pm – Review of Day / Meditation with Guidance – Yong
Sunday, June 21
10 am to 10:45 am – Brahma Vihara Meditation with Guidance – Nolitha
12:30 pm – 2 pm – Dharma Reflections – DaRa or JoAnna. Meditation with Guidance – DaRa or JoAnna
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm – Movement – Sabra
4 pm – 5 pm – Dharma Reflection – Andrea
6 pm – 7:30 pm – Group Meetings
8 pm – 8:45 pm – Review of Day / Meditation with Guidance – Yong
Monday, June 22
10 am to 10:45 am – Brahma Vihara Meditation with Guidance – Nolitha
12 pm – 2 pm – Closing Session – DaRa, JoAnna, Devin, Andrea, Nolitha, Yong and Sabra
REGISTER HERE
Teacher Bios
DaRa Williams is a trainer, meditation teacher and psychotherapist. DaRa has been a meditator for the past 25 years and is a practitioner of both Vipassana and Ascension meditation. She is a graduate of the Spirit Rock/Insight Meditation Society Teacher Training Program and is a guiding teacher at IMS. She is the program manager and a core teacher in the current IMS Teacher Training Program. DaRa has been a clinician and administrator in the field of mental health for over 25 years and currently maintains a private practice in Manhattan. She is a certified trainer and practitioner of Indigenous Focusing Oriented Therapy and Complex Trauma. DaRa integrates these skills, understandings, wisdom traditions and world views in her intention for contributing to the ending of suffering for all beings.
JoAnna Hardy has practiced in multiple traditions since 1999, and in 2005 her practice landed on the Theravada Insight tradition. She teaches retreats, online courses and one on one. Her greatest passion is to teach meditation in communities that are dedicated to seeing the truth of how racism, gender inequality and oppression go hand in hand with the compassionate action teachings in Buddhism. To learn more visit joannahardy.org
Devin Berry has been meditating for over 20 years. His practice is primarily informed by the classical teachings of early Buddhism and the Insight Meditation tradition. He has undertaken many periods of silent long-term retreat practice. Devin completed the Dedicated Practitioners Program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, where he is a visiting teacher. He is currently in the 2017-2021 Insight Meditation Society Teacher Training Program. Devin served as a core leader with San Francisco POC Insight Sangha. He is a community teacher at East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland, CA where he co-founded the teen sangha and the Men of Color sangha. Devin currently serves on the Board of Directors of Insight World Aid. He has recently relocated to Western Massachusetts and teaches nationally.
Andrea Castillo has practiced insight meditation since 1998, under the guidance of Gil Fronsdal and Andrea Fella. Since 2009, she has taught a weekly Dharma in Spanish group at Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA.
Nolitha Tsengiwe is a Dharma teacher and board member at Dharmagiri Sacred Mountain Retreat Center, in SA that was founded by Kittisaro and Thanisara Weinberg. She has practised from 1997 under Kittisaro and Thanissara, who are of Ajahn Chah ‘s lineage. In her first retreat with these beloved teachers she discovered silence as a refuge and has never looked back. Nolitha completed the Community Dharma leadership program (CDL4) under Spirit Rock in 2014 and is at present a teacher trainee with IMS. Nolitha is a Psychologist in private practice and is trained in Karuna ( Group psychotherapy based on Buddhist principles) and Somatic Experiencing (SE). She is an executive coach and facilitator in leadership development. She offers in SA under Dharmagiri Race Work for reconciliation using Insight Dialogue principles. She has recently been appointed by Spirit Rock as a mentor for the TTCP program.
Yong Oh – Yong’s initial doorway into the Dharma was through Soto Zen. His love for Vipassana began with his, then and now, primary teachers Kittisaro and Thanissara. He is currently a Dharma Council teacher at the Durango Dharma Center, teaches for the Chattanooga Insight Meditation group, and is currently on the Leadership Council for Thanissara and Kittisaro’s Sacred Mountain Sangha.
Yong is a graduate of Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s Community Dharma Leaders program and is currently a participant in the 2017-2021 Insight Meditation Society Retreat Teacher Training program as well as the Sacred Mountain Sangha Dharmapala program. Yong is also an acupuncturist, loves the outdoors and bringing the practice of meditation into nature, and aspires to support practitioners of color in the Dharma.
