BCIMS New Meditators Retreat with James Lowe [2026Oct16ssrc]

If you are a meditator who wishes to go on a residential retreat, but you are not sure what it’s all about, this retreat may be for you! This shorter retreat introduces the etiquette and practices of a meditation retreat and gently brings you into a deeper more sustained practice. It takes place in the beautiful mountains only 80 minutes away from Vancouver. Nestled in nature, you’ll learn to manage your thoughts and feelings and get comfortable living and practicing in silence. Let the coastal mountains be your guide as you learn how to practice on a meditation retreat.

For more information about this retreat, please visit James' .

Please read all of the information about the retreat carefully before registering:

Registration: This retreat will go on sale June 16 at 10am PT. We anticipate tickets will sell out very quickly. We recommend you register as soon as possible once the tickets go on sale. Please note that the deadline for financial assistance is June 2 - see Supported Ticket section below for more details.

Room Assignments: Please note most rooms on site are double-occupancy rooms. All registrants are assigned overnight rooms based on needs indicated in the Registration Order Form, and at the discretion of the organizers. For more information, please see "Overnight Rooms" below.

Retreat Fees: A range of registration fees are available. Please choose the highest rate you can comfortably offer:

Please note that your registration fee goes toward retreat costs and BC Insight Meditation Society organizational expenses which allow us to continue offering retreats such as this one. Financial support for the teacher is offered separately.

Teacher Dana: In the Buddhist tradition, teachings are given freely because they are considered priceless; in the Buddhist tradition we also practice dana, or generosity, by making monetary offerings to the teachers. Dana is not payment for goods or services rendered; it is given from the heart. Your generosity is a gift that supports not just the teachers, but also the Sangha, the larger Dharma community, and your own practice. More info on Dana will be shared with registrants.

BCIMS Cancellation Policy:

30 days or more before the start of retreat: refund offered, less a $100 cancellation fee.

Between 30 days to 10 days before start of retreat: 50% refund offered.

Within 10 days of the start of retreat: no refund guaranteed.

Please note, our BCIMS Cancellation Policy applies to all ticket holders, including those with discounted tickets.

About the Retreat Centre: Please read all about the Sea to Sky Retreat Centre including on-site accessibility, wildlife, facilities, and more .

Accessibility Needs: There will be an opportunity on the Registration Order Form to specify any special needs or accommodations, including any needs or requests on washrooms, dietary, and access needs.

We may not be able to meet everyone’s preferences but we will do our best to accommodate needs and make the retreat as safe and accessible as possible. We encourage you to please reflect on the difference between needs and preferences for your stay as you fill out the Form, as this allows us to more easefully accommodate all retreatants.

Overnight Rooms: The Sea to Sky Retreat Centre has buildings for dining, meeting, and sleeping. Most accommodation is in shared double occupancy. Many areas of the property may be designated mixed gender areas. Rooms will be assigned in advance. In shared rooms, people will be housed with others with similar gender requests for housing.

There will be an opportunity to indicate on your order form a preference for sharing a room with another yogi should you be attending with a friend or partner.

Given the complexity of creating a safe and welcoming space for people’s diverse needs, we ask for your understanding and flexibility on room allocation.

Attending with a partner or friend: Attending the retreat and/or sharing a room with a friend or partner can be a rich experience. Discussing ahead of time how you will keep the precepts, including the precept of noble silence, can deepen this experience for you. If you are sharing in this way, please decide ahead of time how you will honour the silence together, especially in your room. This can help both of you relax into the retreat, and support the gift of silence in the community.

Cellphones/Devices: Our time on retreat is precious, and to support this we ask that you renounce your cell phone and other devices. The contact number of the retreat centre may be given to family or friends in case they need to contact you. If you wish, our retreat manager will take care of your devices safely and return it to you at the end of the retreat, or if you need it for emergencies. This renunciation greatly supports both your practice, and the practice of the community. Thank you!

Ridesharing: The information collected during registration regarding ridesharing will be distributed by email to all interested retreatants about four weeks prior to the retreat. Each individual is then responsible for directly making any ridesharing arrangement.

COVID-19: It is anticipated that small gatherings will be allowed by the BC Provincial Health Authority at this time. All health guidelines in place at the time of the retreat for small gatherings will be followed and communicated to attendees.

Attendees are strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated, including the boosters, though we will not be requiring proof during check in. Masks are optional and encouraged in shared indoor spaces.

In 2020 James Lowe became a fully empowered teacher with authorization from Spirit Rock Meditation Center to carry forth and teach the Dharma of liberation. Carrying the sacred trust of meditation masters from the forest monasteries, temples and retreat centres of Thailand, Burma, India and the whole world, James shares the Theravada tradition in a modern community. Trained as a counselling psychologist and adult educator, James shares the practice with pragmatic plain language. He aims to empower yogis to find their own way in the dharma. As a result, he emphasizes skills and practice and the felt sense of dharma in order to move people along the path of liberation.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Sea to Sky Retreat Centre, 1B1, Sea-to-Sky Hwy, Whistler, Canada

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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