We have regular Saturday Sits on the third Saturday of each month (except for the months of our weekend retreats, usually May and October). The inspiration for these day-long retreats is to provide an opportunity to deepen our practice, time and space to engage in longer meditations and dhamma study, and to strengthen the community we share.
The retreats are held in the Meditation Room at the home of Sangha members Joan Oakland and Johan Vellekoop. The quiet neighborhood, centrally located in Port Townsend, and a large tranquil garden for walking meditations make for a peaceful day of silence and rest from our busy lives and a noisy world.
A typical retreat day begins at 9am with a guided meditation, extended meditation practice interspersed with light exercise (e.g. yoga, qigong) or walking meditations and possibly a taped dhamma talk. A shared lunch is taken in silence, followed by an afternoon of more extended meditations, dhamma practice and group discussion. The day finishes at 5:00 pm. Occasionally a visiting dhamma teacher will facilitate the retreat or we will have a Skype session with one of our regular teachers.
There is no charge for retreats, and dana is encouraged if there is a visiting teacher. Participants are requested to hold the intention of committing to the whole day when they register. This helps to strengthen and stabilize the group energy throughout the day. Please bring something to share for lunch and any meditation items (cushions, shawls) that assist your meditation practice. Chairs will be provided.
The retreat theme and schedule will be sent out (via the Sangha email list) and posted on this website at the beginning of each month. Contact details will be provided for registration. As there is a limited number of spaces (max: 12), early registration is recommended.
The 2013 Saturday Sit retreat schedule is as follows: