Insight Meditation Retreat
with James Baraz
How present are you for your own life? Most of us spend more time worrying about the future, replaying the past, or lost in fantasy, than experiencing what life is offering us right now. The present moment is where we can most directly be intimate with our life - touched by beauty and intimacy, while learning through the difficult lessons how to open our hearts.
Mindfulness or Vipassana/Insight Meditation is the practice described by the Buddha for developing wisdom, compassion and peace by learning to be mindful of what is actually happening the present moment.
This weekend is a traditional Insight meditation retreat, done primarily in silence, with the practice theme of opening to the true happiness and peace that is available within ourselves. The Buddha was called The Happy One. The primary aim of his teaching is to point people to the highest happiness. There will be systematic meditation instructions, silent sitting and walking meditation, dharma talks and opportunities to meet with James.
Suitable for both beginning and experienced meditators.
About James:
James Baraz is a founding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center. James started the Community Dharma Leader program, the Kalyana Mitta Network, is a teacher-advisor to the Spirit Rock Family program and leads the Heavenly Messenger Training Program. Since 2003, James has taught the popular online Awakening Joy course based on the book Awakening Joy: 10 Steps that will put you on the road to real happiness, co-authored with Shoshana Alexander. In recent years, James has been focusing on Dharma and Climate Change and is an advisor to OneEarthSangha a website devoted to Buddhist responses to Climate Change.
Thank you,
Margo McLouglin, Registrar