About the Retreat:
Join Dharma Gates for a five-day exploration of the intersections between formal meditation practice, embodiment, and relational states of awareness, compassion, and clarity. This week is not a silent retreat, but a space for participants to build Sangha and explore how we bring our practices into our bodies and the world. Many of us face a lack of community and a sense of disintegration between the values we are cultivating on the cushion and our ability to bring those values to bear on our interpersonal relationships and the institutions, cultures, and social issues we care about.
This retreat is an open inquiry into the (re)integration of on-cushion Dharma and off-cushion life. We will offer structured sessions for relational meditation (drawing heavily on the practices of authentic relating and circling), time for silent meditation, and unstructured time to connect with and learn from other participants.
Our intention is to build skill and connections between practitioners who have a deep passion for these topics. As such, we may prioritize people with a professional or personal background in facilitation, community organizing, mental health, or social justice.
Is there any experience required? No, but there will be minimal formal meditation instruction offered at this event. Instead, there will be silent time in the morning and evenings for solitary practice. Relational meditation can be powerful and we will prioritize folks who have demonstrated a long-term commitment to self
Do I have to be a Buddhist? Nope! This is not a “Buddhist” retreat, although the practices we will be exploring pull on similar principles of presence, authenticity, and direct experience of the body-mind. This is a retreat designed to explore barriers that young practitioners often face such as lack of community and disharmony between our personal practice, relationships, and work in the world.
What is the daily schedule? The daily schedule will be sent our in the weeks prior to the event to all who are registered. You will get plenty of sleep!
Will we be in silence? A portion of the schedule - from around dinner until breakfast the following day - will be in noble silence. The remainder of the schedule will be talking, although the way we connect during this time may be heavily influenced by the practices we will be exploring!
What does it cost? The retreat is run on a donation basis in the spirit of dana, so there is no required attendance fee. You will be asked to give a deposit in order to register, which will be refunded once you arrive at the retreat. At the end of the retreat, you will be invited to give a donation if you would like to.
To pay for a retreat with Dharma Gates, we offer the following suggestions. You’re welcome to take them or leave them, as everybody’s circumstances are different:
We suggest contributing .008% x (Your Annual Income) for our multi-day retreats.
If you would like to cover the cost of your own retreat, pay about $100 per day of the event.
If paying the full amount up front is difficult, you can contribute over several months (or years!) by joining our Supporting Sangha.
Please do not let your finances be an obstacle to attending our retreats!
What kind of food will be served? The food served at the retreat will be vegan. If you have specific allergies or requests, you will be able to submit those to the retreat center ahead of time. You are welcome to bring personal food items if you need to -- there will be a fridge and personal food storage.
What is Dharma Gates’ inclusion policy? Dharma Gates welcomes people of all cultural, ethnic and racial backgrounds. We want to bring formal meditation practice to all young people. We seek support from BIPOC-lead communities and advisors on how we can be a more progressive organization.
Additionally, we welcome all sexual orientations and genders. There will be gender neutral restrooms on-site, and we can provide single rooms if that would make you more comfortable. Please reach out to us for any accommodations that would be beneficial for you.
Facilitators
Sofia-Jeanne Caring
Sofia-Jeanne has been practicing meditation since 2010 and began training in Circling in 2016. She formally trained with Circling Europe, completing their 6-month SAS certification program. Since then, she has facilitated these practices in many formal and informal settings, from organizations to family dinners. Group and interpersonal dynamics fascinate her deeply and she loves to dive below the surface to investigate the undercurrents of relationships. She completed her MA in Organizational Psychology at Columbia University Teachers College and she works as a coach, group facilitator, and organizational psychologist.
Stephen Torrence
My intention is to cultivate embodied mindfulness in life and relationship. I come from a geeky homeschooled background in Austin, Texas, and fed the planet-killing Machine for a while. In 2015, I broke out into the global Ecovillage movement, discovered that to change the world I needed to change myself first, and returned home to Austin humbled and ready to work. I’ve spent the last several years developing the Buddhist monastic path, simultaneously training for thousands of hours in Authentic Relating and Circling (an interpersonal meditation practice). I served as an Authentic Relating facilitator under Sara Ness, and I am currently certifying as a facilitator in the CircleAnywhere Level Up program led by Jordan Myska-Allen and Michael Blas. My leadership invites a meditative, inter-subjective inquiry into the emerging aliveness of our Awareness in connection, as we surf together towards more Truth and Love.