This nine-day retreat provides an opportunity to explore the Four Noble Truths that form the heart of the Buddha’s teaching. These teachings invite us to examine our relationship to dukkha: stress, distress, unsatisfactoriness, suffering, on deeper and deeper levels. Most of us though, have an instinctive resistance to suffering, so we need to practice working skilfully with the different obstacles that often show up along the path to freedom. As we learn how to release these obstacles, we’re able to live with greater ease, happiness, and peace, and to connect with the wisdom and compassion that are our true nature.

Each day, there will be meditation instructions, dharma talks, guided and silent sitting meditation, some optional relational practice, and small group practice meetings with the teacher.

*** Due to the fluidity of the Covid-19 situation, this retreat will now be held online and is designed to be integrated into your everyday life circumstances.

Each day, there will be three teaching sessions of 1.0-1.5 hours that everyone is asked to attend, plus three small-group practice meetings.

Outside those required sessions, you are encouraged to follow the retreat schedule of formal meditation practice to whatever extent you’re able, within your current life context.

The three teaching sessions are:

• 8:30 am – 10:00 am
• 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm (includes some optional relational meditation)
• 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

All times are Australian AEST time. Check here for other time-zones.

The schedule for small group practice meetings with the teachers will be advised at the start of the retreat, and be every second or third day, at either 10:30-11:15 or 3:45-4:30 pm.

Experience level: This retreat is best suited to people who have done at least one previous residential insight meditation retreat of two days or longer.