The Centers for Mindfulness & Insight Meditation in Wenham, Massachusetts, and Redding, Connecticut, will team up to hold a five-day (four-night) insight meditation retreat at the Wisdom House retreat center, which is situated on 54 acres of meadows, woods, and brooks in the beautiful northwest hills of Connecticut.
Retreat offers the opportunity to reduce distractions that hinder the mind, in turn allowing the mind to relax, becoming both attentive and aware. As practitioners have done for thousands of years, while on retreat we reside within the supportive structure of sangha (community) and take as a primary refuge the Dhamma, both its teachings and meditation practices.
Being Free: Winter Residential Retreat will include instructions in the five recollections* as a foundation for insight meditation (vipassana). Dhamma talks and teacher reflections will explore stories of early practitioners from Buddhist literature who found freedom by retreating to quiet places and turning their focus inwards. From their stories and insights we will see both evidence of profound freedom alongside practical suggestions for our own practice.
This retreat is held in noble silence and all participants are expected to remain silent throughout the retreat, with exceptions made for twice daily question and answer periods. Retreat also includes a commitment to the Five Precepts of non-harm.
* The five recollections, sometimes referred to as the “daily reflections”, help orient the mind towards samvega, an expression of aspiration that seeks freedom.
Wisdom House Retreat Center, Litchfield, CT
There are two types of rooms available. The base cost for a private bedroom with a shared hallway bathroom (one shared bathroom for those who identify as women, and one shared bathroom for those who identify as men) for the entire five-day retreat is $600.
A limited quantity of private bedrooms with private bathrooms are sometimes available at a base cost of $760. However, at the moment, there are no more private bathrooms available as they have all been reserved. If you would like to go on the waiting list for a private bathroom, please email max@cfmim.org.
These base costs only cover our out-of-pocket costs for the facilities. If you can afford an additional contribution to help offset our ongoing operational costs, that would be appreciated. Giving more also directly supports others who may not have the same financial means. Conversely, if you cannot afford the base cost, scholarships are available, and we do our best not to turn anyone away. Full refunds are available up to two weeks before the start of the retreat. Refunds will not be possible after that point even in the unfortunate case of contracting COVID. There will be an opportunity to offer teacher dana at the end of retreat.
Please contact max@cfmim.org for more information, or to register.