Silent Meditation Retreat with James Lowe

Rest and reconnect with nature at Johnson’s Landing Retreat Centre. Join us for a six-night mediation retreat above Kootney Lake in the Purcell Mountains.
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Feel the vitality of nature and lose yourself in something bigger than yourself. Feel the stability of the forest and find what is essential to you.

You’ll learn to practice walking and sitting meditation on this Buddhist meditation retreat throughout the day. We’ll start the retreat with a soft focus on nature so you can rest on the land. Then, we’ll open to the vitality of all living beings and sense the connectedness all around. Finally, we’ll abide by something bigger than all of us and feel what nature has to teach us.

About Buddhist Retreats

Buddhist retreats aim to practice moment-to-moment awareness from waking up to going to sleep. We practice noble silence and refrain from talking to develop our mindful momentum. When our energy increases, we practice walking meditation and try to sustain our attention in daily activities like eating and cleaning. As a result, this retreat foregoes yoga classes, writing, reading, and socializing.

Participants can practice personal movement during walking periods, and individual meetings with the teacher will be held. There will also be question-and-answer periods and time to socialize with others at the start and end of the retreat.
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Wake-up is typically 630am, and the first meditation starts at 700am. After that, there will be alternating periods of sitting (outdoors – weather permitting) and walking throughout the day, with meals served at 800am, 1200pm and 500pm. Most evenings end at 900pm.
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Each day, there will be meditation instructions with Dharma talks that explain the Buddha’s teaching. Focussing on nature will be a predominant theme of this retreat.
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The retreat will start with a social dinner Saturday at 600pm. We’ll get to meet each other and get oriented to the facility. Then we’ll move to the Meditation Hall to review the outline of the retreat and start our first mediation. The schedule will include individual meetings with the teacher to support your practice.
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There will be a closing circle Thursday night, and the retreat will end Friday morning after breakfast. Check-out is 10 am Friday.
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Costs for the retreat:

Fees for the retreat go to Johnson’s Landing and covers the facility, lodging and food. Johnson’s Landing also covers the instructor’s food, accommodation, and travel costs. Beyond that, the instructor adheres to the ancient Buddhist tradition of teaching through donations. At the end of the retreat, there is an opportunity to donate to the teacher.