The Convergence of Wisdom and Love [ONLINE]

Open to experienced and new practitioners

Registration closes on March 30, 2026. If joining after this date, please contact us.

For generations, practitioners have stepped away from the intensity of daily life to sit in the quiet of their own hearts. A silent retreat offers us a chance to slow down, listen deeply, and remember what’s always been here.

To be mindful of goodness brings love; to be mindful of pain also brings love. This asymmetry is the miracle of mindfulness. As the attention stabilizes, we begin to sense the poignancy of our wish to be happy. In turn, this love informs how we engage with the world.

This is an all-terrain practice: sitting, walking, eating, or resting, we’ll bring awareness to it all. Through stillness and shared silence, we’ll explore how each moment conditions the next, how mindfulness ripens into wisdom, and how the face of wisdom is love.

The retreat will include periods of sitting and walking meditation, practice instructions, group practice discussions and dharma talks. All are welcome.

HEAR MORE ABOUT THIS PROGRAM AND TEACHERS

I appreciated Matthew’s intelligence and skill as a teacher and brilliant way that he articulates the intensity of the human experience. I appreciate the depth of his own practice, his empathy, wisdom and his humility and willingness to share his own vulnerability. I appreciate his ability to communicate complex and dense concepts about suffering, human behavior, the nature of our minds and nervous systems and what can orient us towards less suffering.

Matthew Brensilver is a special teacher – such a lovely balance of experience, insight, humanity and humility. So much wisdom, shared in such a generous way.

WHAT TO EXPECT ON THIS ONLINE RETREAT

This is a silent mindfulness retreat with alternating sitting and walking meditation, instruction, dharma talks, work meditation, and practice discussion with the teachers.

This will be a hybrid online retreat. The teachings in the meditation hall will be live-streamed for online participants. This retreat will be an interactive online retreat. Please plan to be present for the entire retreat and all the sessions. Presence is important for your personal practice and continuity, as well as the community container of retreat. The online retreat will be offered over Zoom. Please plan to have your video on during the sessions.

Online retreats offer the unique opportunity to deepen your practice in a “real world” setting, where meditation practice and regular life intersect more than in a typical residential retreat. This can be supportive for integrating the practice into daily life.

GENEROSITY: Retreat Costs and Fees

This retreat is offered on a sliding-scale basis to make it as financially accessible as possible. Please consider paying at the highest rate that you can afford: your generosity supports your fellow practitioners who need to pay less.

Registration fees for this retreat support the cost of developing and offering BBRC programs, which include lodging, meals, and staff compensation. Teacher compensation is not included in your registration fees. We price fees to make programs as financially accessible as possible.

As part of this tradition, many meditation teachers (including the teachers of this retreat) offer their teachings without set fees or compensation. There will be an opportunity to offer “teacher dana” (donations-generosity) to the teachers at the end of the retreat. It is encouraged but not required. Learn more about dana here.

Is cost a barrier? Nobody is turned away at Big Bear Retreat Center due to finances. We ask that financial assistance be prioritized for those who self-identify as BIPOC, hold marginalized identities, or are in financial need. For more information, please contact us at guestservices@bigbearretreatcenter.org.

FEEL WELCOME AND INCLUDED: A PLACE TO BELONG

Our intention is to be as accessible as we can, even in ways that we may not be aware of yet. We hope this is a space of inclusivity where people feel welcome and held. For us, it is a practice of consistent attunement, presence and care to our community. However you identify – race, gender, sexuality, disability, mental health, and so on – it is our wish to meet your needs for belonging.

What retreat participants have to say about our online programs

“Big Bear created an online retreat experience that was inclusive, supportive, and responsive. I felt held and cared about throughout the retreat.” – Bernadine

“This was a spectacular experience and one that could be appreciated by novice and experienced meditators and everyone in between. Doing it at home has helped me envision how to live more mindfully throughout my day.” – Deb

I felt very connected to the teachers, the teachings and the other participants, even while being on Zoom.  As a more experienced practitioner, this felt like such a good fit for where I am at and it met a need to bring mindfulness into my day-to-day home life. I felt Big Bear did an amazing job with the technical aspects of making sure we felt our questions were being heard and answered, and it just ran very smoothly.  I’m so impressed.  I feel so fortunate for the experience of getting such a well-curated online/home retreat.  – S.B.

See more of our online offerings on our SoundCloud, Dharmaseed & YouTube channel.