BCIMS Residential LGBTQIA2S+ Retreat June 12 - 16 [Jun12beth]

Coming soon!

This retreat welcomes meditators who identify as LGBTQIA2S+. The retreat will be held in noble silence from the first evening until the last day, including a requirement to turn off and put away all electronic devices.

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE REGISTERING.

Registration: This retreat will go on sale February 12, 2025 at 10am PST. We anticipate tickets will sell quickly. We recommend you register as soon as possible once the tickets go on sale. Pease note that the deadline for for financial assistance is January 29 - see Financial Assistance/DEI Financial Assistance section below for details.

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.

Vaccinations: Attendees are strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated, including the boosters, though we will not be requiring proof during check in.

Masking: Masks are optional and encouraged in shared indoor spaces. If a yogi has or develops a cough/runny nose/cold symptoms, they will be asked to take a COVID test and mask while in shared indoor spaces.

COVID Testing: ALL yogis will be asked to take a home-COVID test sometime 24 hours BEFORE arriving at the retreat and indicate they have tested negative at check in.

Room Rates/Fees:

Private Room - $1,195

Shared Room - $950

Commuter (includes meals) - $700

If you are in the position to offer a Benefactor Rate, please consider a donation to (Canada Helps). We are deeply grateful for any amount you are able to contribute to support BCIMS and the sangha, as donations help us to honour requests for financial assistance. Donations via the link above will receive an automatic tax receipt from Canada Helps.

If you select the Shared Room option, please indicate your room-sharing preferences in the order form (ie: wish to share with a partner or friend also registered for this retreat, gender preference, etc.)

Fees do NOT include a financial offering (dana) to the teachers. There will be an opportunity to offer dana to the teachers once you are at the retreat.

Financial Assistance: We are gladdened to offer Financial Assistance for this retreat. You may apply by filling out this , or by emailing [email protected]. For this retreat, we are offering financial assistance any amount up to 50% of the retreat fee. If you require additional assistance, please share your request on the form. DEI Financial Assistance: We also offer financial assistance from our DEI fund (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion). This is intended to offer support to folks from underrepresented and systemically marginalized communities to attend residential retreats. For this retreat, we are offering DEI financial assistance of any amount up to 50% of the retreat fee. If you require additional assistance, please share your request on the form. We encourage folks who identify as BIPOC (black, Indigenous, and/or people of colour), 2SLGBTQIA+, have a visible or invisible disability, or are from other underrepresented and systemically marginalized communities, to apply by filling out this , or by emailing [email protected]. Please specify in your email that you are interested in applying for the DEI fund.

The deadline for all financial assistance applications is January 29, 2025.

BCIMS Cancellation Policy:

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

30 days - 10 days before the 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.

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.

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.

Dana: Registration fees cover retreat organizing costs, accommodations, and meals only. Voluntary donations (dana) for the teachings may be offered to the teachers at the retreat. More information will be shared with registrants.

Anushka Fernandopulle has trained for over 35 years in the Theravada Buddhist tradition in the U.S., India and Sri Lanka and teaches retreats and workshops around the globe. Her teaching is informed by
nature, creative arts, political engagement and modern urban life. Anushka is a Core Teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California and lives in San Francisco. She has also worked a leadership coach and organizational consultant influenced by a BA in anthropology/religion from Harvard and an MBA from Yale. For more info see www.anushkaf.org

Shelly Graf has been practicing in the Insight Meditation tradition and has called Common Ground their spiritual home since 2003. They are a graduate of Insight Meditation Society’s four-year teacher training program and lead residential retreats at IMS and other retreat centers nationally. Shelly currently serves alongside Mark Nunberg as one of Common Ground’s Guiding Teachers. Shelly has an interest in integrating the teachings of the Buddha as deeply as possible into the fabric of our lives and as such, they have a special interest in waking up to whiteness as part of a complete path of awakening. Whatever Shelly’s role may be, they will always be a grateful student of Buddhist Practice first.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Bethlehem Centre, 2371 Arbot Road, Nanaimo, Canada