Retreat Description, Important Information, and Schedule
During this 5-night, 6-day live online retreat, we will come together as a community of mindfulness practitioners to explore the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. The retreat runs from July 28, 2024, at 4 pm EST, to August 2, 2024, at 12 pm EST.
Taking the time in a supportive retreat context to slow down, deepen your understanding of these Foundations, and tend to the mind, heart, and body with care is a priceless gift of true self-care. As Parker Palmer writes, “Self-care is never a selfish act -- it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer to others. Anytime we can listen to true self and give it the care it requires, we do so not only for ourselves but for the many others whose lives we touch."
Amidst these tumultuous times, engaging in retreat practice leaves us better equipped to show up to life with clarity, compassion, and wise action.
During this retreat, we will cultivate an experiential understanding of each of the four foundations as outlined in traditional Buddhist texts:
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The first foundation, mindfulness of the body, includes awareness of the breath and all bodily sensations. Cultivating awareness of the body supports our capacity to stay present and centered in our daily lives.
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The second foundation, mindfulness of feeling-tones, involves exploring our response to pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral sensations and experiences. Developing awareness of feeling-tones and our reactions to them aids us in becoming less reactive to the highs and lows of life.
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The third foundation, mindfulness of mind, invites us to become aware of our thoughts, emotions and mind-states. Because our thoughts, emotions and mind-states act as the flavor of our life experiences we often identify with them and are unaware of our reactions to them. Becoming mindful of these aspects of our mind can help us see their impersonal nature and we can learn to be less reactive to them.
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The fourth foundation, mindfulness of phenomena, further encourages us to recognize the impersonal nature of all that we experience. This foundation supports us in looking more closely at the nature of suffering, and allows us to develop an understanding of the ways we get hooked and the ways we can become free.
Retreat Details/Frequently Asked Questions
This meditation retreat is for anyone who has had prior experience with meditation and wants to deepen their practice in the context of a supportive community. Whether this is your first meditation retreat or your fiftieth, we're looking forward to co-creating a compassionate communal space. All are welcome.
If you are attending the retreat as fulfillment of the MMTCP retreat requirement, it is important that you are able and willing to participate in the full retreat.
For those of you who have expressed interest in using this retreat as an exploration of an integrated retreat experience, we encourage you to alternate between participating in the retreat and engaging in your daily life responsibilities with mindfulness. You are warmly welcome to join us if these are your circumstances, and if you are not aiming to fulfill the MMTCP retreat requirements.
What do I need to do to register?
You can register here. Once you click "Checkout", you'll be taken to some registration questions followed by payment options. You will notice that some of the registration questions collect demographic information. We will use this information to ensure the small groups are diverse since that will enhance the retreat learning experience.
After you register, you will receive a confirmation email. Soon after, those who are fulfilling this retreat as one of the MMTCP pre-requisites will receive an email from the teaching team that includes this form to complete.
In the month prior to the retreat, the One Moment at a Time teaching team will send you additional pre-retreat details via email.
What is the registration deadline?
Registration is rolling until June 1, unless the retreat fills before then.
What is your cancelation policy?
If you contact us to let us know you can no longer participate in the retreat and it is more than 2 weeks ahead of the retreat's start date, meaning prior to 11:59 pm on July 13, $250 will be refunded to you. Less than two weeks before no refunds are applicable since we will likely not be able to fill your spot.
Can you tell me more about the teaching team?
Yes! Please go to the Teachers Page to learn more about Dalila, Rae, Alison, and our wonderful retreat manager Shawn. Dalila, Rae, and Alison are all mentors in the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program (MMTCP), and Shawn is a graduate of the program.
Does this retreat meet the requirements for the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training Program (MMTCP)'s retreat pre-requisite?
Yes.
How will we spend each day?
This retreat is structured similarly to how you would participate in a meditation retreat if we were going to be in person together at a retreat center. Please see the schedule below.
The morning sit with instructions, the guided heart practice period, and the evening teaching will all be recorded. These recordings will be posted within 2-3 hours.
How much does participating in this retreat cost?
The Sustainer Rate for this retreat, which represents the per/person cost of offering this retreat, is $450 USD.
The Giver Rate for this retreat, meaning the rate that covers the cost of your participation in this retreat and generously supports the participation of those who have requested a reduced rate, is $500 USD.
If you would like to pay in 2 equal installments, one when you register and one in June, please email us at onemomentretreat@gmail.com and we will provide you with the code to input during registration.
If due to your current financial circumstances, you would benefit from a reduced rate, please email us at onemomentretreat@gmail.com. We are offering a select number of partial scholarships on an as-needed basis.
I share a home with others. How do you suggest approaching the virtual retreat experience?
Please carefully review these Guidelines for a Successful Online Retreat, thoughtfully composed by MMTCP.
I'm going through a very difficult time right now. How do I know if this retreat is for me?
This is an important inquiry to undertake. We particularly appreciate Spirit Rock Meditation Center's response to this question:
Intensive silent meditation retreats can be a beautiful and transformative experience. However, they can also invoke challenging emotional and mental states that are best engaged when physically and psychologically healthy. If you have experienced trauma and suspect that it would be difficult for you to be alone in silence, intensive retreat may not be the right practice for you at the moment. Recent painful experiences such as the death of a loved one can make silent retreat more difficult for some practitioners while others may find retreat healing or comforting. If you are in doubt about whether retreat is appropriate for you at the moment, consult a therapist or mental health professional.
Though our teachers are trained to recognize the symptoms of trauma and severe distress, they are not in the role of therapists or psychological professionals (even if they hold that training professionally). Retreat teachers are unable to give the kind of individual psychological care necessary to care for acute trauma symptoms.
If you are currently under the care of a psychiatric professional, please discuss your attendance with them. Practitioners should be in a stable period of mental well-being and have adequate self-regulatory resources to attend an intensive silent retreat. You will be asked for your mental health professional’s contact information on the pre-retreat practitioner questionnaire.
I have additional questions. Who do I direct them to?
Thanks for asking! Please email us at onemomentretreat@gmail.com and we will respond to your email within two business days.
Retreat Schedule (approximate)
Sunday, July 28, and Friday, August 2, will have shortened, modified schedules since they are the first and last days of the retreat. On Sunday, July 28, the retreat begins at 4 pm EST. On Friday, August 2, the retreat ends at 12 pm EST. You will receive the schedules for these dates once you have been accepted into the retreat.
The Monday-Thursday approximate daily schedule is as follows; it is subject to slight changes. Because we will be showing up from different time zones, please eat, go to the bathroom, and take care of your body's needs during the times that are appropriate for you, even if there is something else scheduled during that time. Please prioritize attendance at the highlighted periods below. Your presence is what makes the retreat powerful for all of us.
7:30-8:15 EST Optional Sit
8:15-9 EST Mindful breakfast (on your own)
9 am-9:45 am EST Sit with instructions
9:45-10 EST Whole group Q & R
10-10:30 am EST Walking meditation
10:30-11 am EST Sit
11-11:30 am EST Walking meditation
11:30-12:30 EST Small groups
12:30-1:15 EST Mindful meal (on your own)
1:15-1:45 EST Sit
1:45-2:30 EST Walk
2:30-3:15 EST Guided heart practices sit
3:15-3:45 EST Walk
3:45-4 EST Break before teaching
4-4:45 EST Teaching offered by one of the teachers followed by a brief silent sit
4:45-5:15 EST Walk
5:15-6 EST Sit
6-7 EST Mindful Meal (on your own)
7:00-7:30 EST Walk
7:30-8:15 EST Sit: Teacher-held
8:15-9 EST Walk
9-9:30 EST Sit
9:30 EST Good night! Rest well and see you in the morning!