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A 2-day weekend retreat on the important fundamentals of meditation practice.Get a glimpse of the instructor, Ranga Jayawardena, in this introductory video!
Unburden your mind, and step into bliss
Meditation Retreat: a program that gives a practitioner time and space dedicated for the practice of meditation. A highly encouraging environment is formed, in which practitioners receive food, shelter, teachings and other resources, helping them let go of all preoccupations and burdens, to experience the innate stillness and joyfulness of a mind undisturbed.
Sometimes, life can feel busy, chaotic and difficult. Meditation teaches us to play with perception, transforming the way we relate to our lives. Suddenly, magically, the things that felt busy, chaotic and difficult can feel relaxed, simply and easy…and perhaps even sacred! If you are new to meditation practice or are looking to take your practice to the next level, there is no substitute for a retreat with a good teacher.
Get away for the weekend or more to a retreat center, where you can learn alongside a group of passionate meditators. Allow your mind to come out of fear, out having already decided what life is all about, back to the here and now. Your spirit, body and family will thank you.
What To Expect
A typical day on retreat involves starting at 8/9am to begin our practice, and alternate periods of sitting and walking meditation throughout the morning and afternoon. Dharma talks and guided meditations will be given to assist your silent practice. You'll also have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with Ranga to discuss your practice. You will enjoy delicious, healthy, simple meals, and tea and coffee will be available throughout the day. At the end, we’ll come out of silence to connect with one another, and share about the experience of being on retreat.
COVID Safety
We'll be implementing the following procedures to help keep everyone safe:
All participants may be required to provide a negative COVID test prior to joining the retreat (PCR or antigen/rapid)
All participants may be required to wear a mask throughout the retreat, except while outdoors or while eating/drinking. This requirement may be lifted if a negative COVID test is shown
The doors and windows of our meeting space will be kept open to increase air flow, weather and outside noise permitting
Meals will be held outdoors or in a private dining room, separate from the meditation hall
If you have any questions or concerns, please email us at [email protected] so we can address them before your register.
How to Prepare
Doing a retreat can seem daunting, if you've only sat for brief periods of meditation before. That being said, if the interest is there, we believe we can all benefit immensely from a meditation retreat. After you register, you’ll receive orientation notes along with some guided meditation practices you can use to prepare.
Who Should Come
If you've been building a meditation practice for just a few weeks, or for several years, you'll appreciate the depth of stillness that comes with retreats.
Refund Policy
Registering for the retreat secures your spot. If you cancel, a refund will only be issued if we can fill your spot.
Questions?
Please contact us at [email protected] with any questions - we're happy to help you decide if this retreat is right for you.
Topics That Will Be Discussed:
-Open-heartedness: Openness of being and learning to open the heart/mind (Citta) is a primary movement of meditation and one of the most important conditions to give rise to bliss. This is often counterintuitive as many believe meditation entails becoming stoic and unmoved by things.
-Playfulness: Meditation is about play. It’s art, it’s poetry–not science. It has to be fun.
-Stop thinking of meditation as concentration: This is SO crucial. Meditation is NOT about developing laser-like focus.
-Malleability: This is one of the most instrumental and transformative benefits of meditation, and most people don’t even know what it is!
-Pleasure: The Buddha taught pleasure. Who doesn’t want more pleasure? Let’s talk about it.
-What is your image of a meditator?: Explore how your view of what an ideal meditator looks like affects your experience in meditation.
-Devotion: What are you devoted to? How does this affect your practice?
-The Hero: Iron Man, Wolverine, Batman, and YOU!
-Ways of looking: All there are, are ways of looking. What does this mean? Let’s talk about it.
-Trust (Sadda): The Buddha taught that with suffering as its cause, Sadda arises. Trust is one of the 5 spiritual powers described by the Buddha.
Guided Meditation Practices:
Time permitting, we will explore the topics discussed through guided meditation practice. This way, we can apply what we’ve learned in the practice of playing with perception.
-Experience open-heartedness firsthand.
-Playfulness; Let’s make meditation fun!
-A session where we completely let go of worrying about how much our minds wander.
-Can we see how the mind already has some malleability, but suggesting things to it and monitoring our experience? This is ambitious but worth a shot.
-Let’s learn to enjoy more. Let’s TURN UP THE JOY.
-How does it feel to practice with a changed image of what a meditator is?
-Let’s explore what devotion feels like, together!
-Change the narrative of who you are, in your head.
-Practice looking at the world through different lenses.
-Practice trusting in awareness, and letting go of our incessant need to finish unfinished business.
Retreat Schedule
*All participants are encouraged to listen to their hearts and bodies and practice in a way that suits their needs. You do not have to attend every meditation session. You can rest and take breaks or intensify practice as needed.
Friday
-6:00pm - 9:00pm: Arrive and get settled
-9:00pm - 10:00pm: Orientation and short Dharma talk
Saturday
-8:00am - 9:30am: Breakfast
-9:30am - 11:30am: Dharma talk and Meditation practice (a mix of guided, silent, sitting and walking)
-12:00pm - 1:30pm: Lunch
-2:00pm - 3:30pm: One-on-one/group coaching sessions with Ranga
-4:00pm - 6:00pm: Meditation practice (a mix of guided, silent, sitting and walking)
-6:00pm - 7:30pm: Dinner
-7:30pm - 9:00pm: Dharma talk and discussion
Sunday
-7:00am - 8:30am: Breakfast
-8:30am - 9:30am: Meditation
-9:30am - 11:30am: Dharma talk, Group Discussion & Closing the Retreat
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
230 Mendham Rd, Morristown, 07960, US, United States
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