Touching the Earth 

This residential retreat will be an opportunity to sit and walk in silent meditation practice in a lush pastoral setting. Looking deeply into the heart of our experience, we will examine the habits of mind that cause us to suffer. When we bring our compassionate attention to moment to moment experience, our hearts and minds relax and we can access freedom, contentment and well-being.

This retreat will take place primarily outside, with camping or bunk house accommodations available. In addition to sitting and walking meditation, there will be dharma talks, meetings with the teachers, chanting and mindful movement. Those new to meditation and those with experience are welcome

Dates & Times

Check-in: 2:30 – 4:30 pm, Friday, 7/26/19

Retreat start: 5:00 pm, Friday, 7/26/19

3-day retreat ends: 4:00 pm, Sunday, 7/28/19
5-day retreat ends: 11:00 am, Tuesday, 7/30/19

Location

Touch of Paradise Camp, 692 8700 South, Paradise, UT

About the Retreat

Type:  Residential, silent, insight meditation retreat.

Meals will be provided and prepared by Keelin Schaffrath. Accommodations will be made for any dietary restrictions you have. You will have the opportunity to note these in the registration form.

Registration is done entirely online. Registration fees cover the operating expenses of the retreat (e.g., site rental, travel expenses of the teacher, food/supplies, cook). Dana for the teacher is extra (see below). Participants must pay in advance. Please choose a payment amount from the sliding scale (based on your ability to pay):

3-day retreat:

$100    – I am unable to pay more.

$120    – I can pay the real cost of the retreat.

$140    – I can financially assist those who cannot pay more.

6-day retreat:

$140    – I am unable to pay more.

$200    – I can pay the real cost of the retreat.

$260    – I can financially assist those who cannot pay more.

Note, $25 of the payment is a non-refundable deposit. Please register as soon as possible as space is limited. Registration closes Friday, 7/10/18.

If for some reason you need to cancel your registration for the retreat, please inform the registrar Jeff Sheen as soon as possible.

Please note that once we are within seven days of the retreat start day we may not be able to provide a full or even partial refund as our commitment to food costs and lodging need to be covered and will have been based on your expected participation. We will always work with individuals who are experiencing extenuating circumstances (e.g., death in the family, etc.) in the spirit of generosity. Please be mindful of the planning efforts that go into hosting a retreat as you make the decision to register and/or cancel your registration.

Dana is a Pali word meaning generosity. In keeping with Buddhist tradition, our teachers offer the teachings freely. They are able to do this because students before you have sustained them through generosity (donations). At the end of the retreat, you will have an opportunity to give Dana so that others may also receive the teachings. There is no expected amount, but you are encouraged to give generously to the extent that you are able.

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Teachers Bio

Susie Harrington teaches meditation nationwide and is the guiding teacher for Desert Dharma, which serves many communities in the Southwest near her home in Moab, Utah. She has trained in the Insight tradition since 1989, and in 2005 was invited into teaching by Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, and Guy Armstrong. She has also received teachings from many others, including Tory Capron, Adyashanti, and Tsoknyi Rinpoche. She often offers retreats outside, believing nature to be a profound teacher, and a gateway to our true self. Her teaching is deeply grounded in the body and often emphasizes the expression of mindfulness in speech and daily life. Susie brings the skills of inquiry, relational dharma, and the psychological/spiritual interface to her teaching, informed by her ongoing study of the Diamond Approach by A.H. Almaas and as a graduate of Hakomi Therapy (a somatic psychotherapy modality). She offers a two-year intensive program, Dharma in Daily Life, where she delights in mentoring the innate qualities of heart and wisdom in everyday practice. Her practice is rooted in periods of long retreat both indoors and outdoors, which offer nourishment and inspiration for her teaching. She was an outdoor professional for over 30 years, including years as a river guide, mountaineering guide, and backcountry ranger, and now finds her greatest delight in sharing her love of the dharma and the natural world.