[ONLINE] Deep Belonging: Connecting with ourselves, each other, and the natural world
With Christiane Wolf, Greg Serpa and Jennifer Cho
April 15 - 21, 2024
A Silent Insight Meditation Retreat
***Retreat Update: Several financial support spots are available for this retreat. Please contact us if cost is a barrier in any way! guestservices@bigbearretreatcenter.org***
A 6-night silent Vipassana Meditation retreat, which meets the retreat requirements for MBSR, MSC, MMTCP and other teacher and facilitator training programs
Monday, April 15th – Sunday, April 21st
Registration closes April 14th at 11:59pm Pacific Time
This retreat is available hybrid (online and in-person). To visit the in-person program page, visit here.
Loneliness and alienation permeate these times of political conflict, climate crisis, and social discontent. Connections to our phones and the virtual world often leads to an increased sense of isolation. And whether you are healthcare providers, family caretaker, or just a human being who feels the constant painful ruptures in the fabric of humanity, finding ways to reconnect are a necessity, not a luxury.
On this silent retreat, lead in the Vipassana (or Insight) meditation tradition, we will explore how being still and opening our hearts again in a supportive environment can connect us back to ourselves and to each other. We are doing this nestled in the beauty of the San Bernardino National Forrest with time to practice outside both formally (with sitting and walking meditation) and informally (with hikes and just spending time outside).
As we practice together, we can let ourselves settle into the arms of nature and community, which are strong enough to hold our sorrows and celebrate our joys. The repetitions of daily retreat life and the simple practices of sitting and walking meditations are the time proven containers to allow the mind and heart to remember its interconnectedness and belonging.
Each day will include guided meditations with a Q&A, silent sitting and walking periods, unstructured time for rest and being out in nature, Dharma talks and small group check-in periods with the teachers. The Dharma talks will focus on Buddhist as well as on Western psychology, using the teachers’ strengths and backgrounds in their respective fields.
This will be a hybrid retreat, so part of the group will attend the retreat online, being streamed into the meditation hall at BBRC for all guided meditations, Q&As and Dharma Talks. The streaming is interactive, so online participants can ask questions and be heard by the whole community. One of the teachers, Jennifer Cho, will be attending the retreat online and will be the main contact person for the online Sangha. She will also holding their small group check-ins.
General Daily Schedule:
- 7-7:45a: meditation
- 9:30a-12p: morning teaching + meditations
- 2:30p-5:15p: afternoon teaching + meditations
- 6:30p-9p: evening teaching + meditations
The final detailed schedule will be sent to participants.
Cost:
*retreat fees do not include donations (dana) to teachers: more information below*
Accessible Rate: $250
Sustainer Rate: $450
Benefactor Rate: $650 or more
Please consider paying at the highest tier in order to support accessibility for the greatest number of people. Your Generosity is appreciated.
Financial support: A limited number of financial support options are available. We ask that these be prioritized for those that identify as BIPOC, of a marginalized community, or in financial need. Contact us at guestservices@bigbearretreatcenter.org for more information.
Teacher Dana:
As part of the Buddhist tradition, many teachers (including the teachers of this retreat) offer the teachings freely with no expectations of fees or payment. As a practice of generosity from the heart, participants are invited to offer “dana” (donations-generosity) to the teachers at the end of the retreat. There are no minimums, expectations, or guidelines. It is not required. Teachers do not receive retreat fees, apart from travel reimbursement support. Learn more here about the practice of dana.
For any questions please contact guestservices@bigbearretreatcenter.org or visit our website bigbearretreatcenter.org
Cancellation Policy: Please visit our website for more on the cancellation policy for this retreat- bigbearretreatcenter.org/cancellation-policy
Online Retreat Cancellation Fee Schedule:
- > 48 hours 20%
- <48 hours No Refunds
Teachers & Facilitators
Christiane Wolf, MD, PhD first encountered vipassana meditation in her late teens. She is passionate about translating ancient wisdom teachings into accessible and applicable modern-day language. She aims to live from the heart informed by the brain and inspires her students to explore the same. Before transitioning full time to teaching the Dharma and mindfulness Christiane trained as an OB/GYN and received an PhD in psychosomatic medicine from the University of Berlin in Germany. She is a graduate of the Spirit Rock/IMS/Insight Meditation Center teacher training and teaches retreats and classes in the US and in Europe. She is a MBSR teacher trainer for…
Learn more about Christiane Wolf
J. Greg Serpa, PhD, is a clinical psychologist for the US Department of Veterans Affairs. He is honored to teach mindfulness to America’s veterans and is the first full-time mindfulness teacher and trainer in the federal system. Greg teaches a national mindfulness certification program for VA clinicians based upon his book, co-authored with Christiane Wolf, The Clinician’s Guide to Teaching Mindfulness. He also serves on a national committee committed to addressing healthcare disparities and the social determinates of health. Greg is a Clinical Professor in the psychology department at UCLA and a visiting clinical scientist at the David Geffen School…
Learn more about Greg Serpa
Jennifer Cho has been a student of meditation for over 20 years. She sat her first silent meditation retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh, where she felt her heart break open in the presence of embodied practice and teaching, and she has been walking the path ever since. She has practiced Zen in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh with the Mindfulness Practice Center of Fairfax, Insight (Vipassana) with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC (IMCW), non-dual with teachers from Open Gate Sangha, and Theravada with the Dassanaya Buddhist Community. She has been a longtime member of the IMCW sangha…
Learn more about Jennifer Cho