*Both In-Person & Private Live-Streaming Attendance Options are available
Especially for those of us who tend to carry the world on our shoulders, training ourselves to look for joy in a world that’s experiencing a lot of chaos and suffering can often feel self-centered, or maybe like we’re sticking our heads in the sand.
But so often, these kinds of beliefs tend to stop us from looking for joy altogether.
As the Buddha so wisely reminded us, if we only focus on the difficult situations in our lives or in our world while overlooking or maybe even depriving ourselves of the beauty and goodness that it also contains, it’s only going to cause us to pull back from life … which means we aren’t going to be very helpful for anyone — including ourselves.
During this daylong meditation retreat, we’ll explore some of the Buddha’s more profound teachings on joy, how we create obstacles to it, and how we can bring even more happiness into our lives and our world.
ABOUT THE VENUE
We’ll be gathering for our retreat on Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m in the beautiful St. Francis Episcopal Church in Great Falls, VA. The peaceful interior is filled with large bright windows overlooking the great lawn and a canopy of trees. The expansive grounds include a special labyrinth, and many natural places to sit and walk. *There are many open spots on the carpeted floor of the sanctuary if this is your preference for sitting; please let us know of your interest in one of these in the form below.
The format will include both guided and silent meditation, a dharma talk, and walking meditation both inside and on the lovely, spacious church grounds. Lunch will be in silence, and participants are asked to bring their own.
Please note: These daylong retreats usually fill with a waiting list about 3 weeks prior to the day of retreat. Meditation experience is recommended, but not required. These retreats are not recommended for those under age 18.
New to retreats? Read: What Is A Retreat Like?
TESTIMONIALS
“As a newbie, I was unsure if I would be able to hang in … When it was over, I didn’t want it to end and was in deep, deep gratitude for the experience; I know it will marinate within me for a very long time, and the impact will be shared forward and outward. The cadence of the meditations was wonderful, and I surprised myself when tears flowed at various times – such a gift to sit quietly and emote naturally. I look forward to attending again, and again …”
“Shell, thank you for a beautiful and powerful day. This retreat was transformative for me, truly a day of awakening. Thank you for your loving and compassionate guidance.”
“Thank you for leading such a beautiful retreat. I felt completely wrapped up in the comfort, safety and structure of the day. It was pitch perfect.”
“As always, it was a pleasure to experience another one of your retreats; each one is a gem and I cherish them. I really feel blessed to have experienced so many hours of your excellent teaching, you really are an expert at what you do and I truly admire the way you hold the space for us as you lead class and retreats.”
“Yesterday was awesome! Seven hours of silence and meditation, just what I needed!! Great leader, great people, great view, great day!! I feel so refreshed! Looking forward to doing it again in the future! Thanks so much Shell.”
“Thank you again for the fabulous experience, and for your expertise that you are imparting to curious minds such as mine. I am grateful for the exposure, and realize I have much to learn about the art of meditation. Thank you for making my first experience pleasurable.
OUR RETREAT LOCATION
St. Francis Episcopal Church, 9220 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, VA 22066
REGISTRATION:
Fee: $85 In-Person Registration; $40 Private online streaming.
*THIS RETREAT IS NOW FULL
Late registration is unavailable the day of retreat. Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive detailed instructions, suggestions, and directions.
Cancellation Policy: The administrative fee for cancellations made up to two weeks prior to the retreat is $35. Full payment is forfeited two weeks prior to the retreat, and we can no longer offer refunds for any reason, without exception. We also cannot offer credit or transfers, including transfer to live-streaming. If you register for online attendance, we are unable to transfer your registration to in-person.