----- Laudato’ Si: Care of our common home with Winton Higgins with Michael Whelan Dates: 4 Thursday mornings: 10am – 12 noon, August 1, 8, 15 & 22 Location: Level 5, Aquinas Academy, 141 Harrington St, The Rocks, 2000 Cost: $150
The Pope’s 2015 ground-breaking encyclical about the current ecological crisis, Laudato Si’, sought a wide readership both inside and outside the Catholic Church. Not only has it succeeded in this endeavour, it has received strong praise from influential commentators from many diverse backgrounds. For instance, Robert Manne – one of Australia’s leading public intellectuals and a secular Jew – calls it ‘one of the most important documents of our era’.
----- The Earth is our Great Body with Subhana Barzaghi and Lizzie Turnbull Dates: 9-15th August Location: Sangsurya, Byron Bay
In this retreat we will follow the ancient wisdom within our own personal bodies and attune to the extraordinary interconnectedness with the Earth, our Great Body, our precious source of everything. Through meditative inquiry, creative writing, art making and mosaic tiling we can explore a wise relationship between our lived bodies and the earth’s abundant wild intricate beauty? The retreats rhythm of silence and creative expression allows the body of feeling, movement and imagination to become a creative act of joy, love and healing. In this time of environmental crisis it is so very important to nourish our souls, strengthen our capacity to bear witness and respond with compassion and courage.
Reflective Meditation Retreat: A Refuge for Independence and Dependence with Linda Modaro and Bavara Dates: Friday Nov 8 – Wed Nov 13 Location: Byron Bay, NSW Australia – Gondwana Sanctuary
During this residential retreat, we will explore an open awareness meditation practice that is followed by reflection. The roots of this practice are to be found in the Buddha’s early teachings and are based on learning to trust the ways of knowing that develop in meditation. This enables you to be more trusting, responsive, and present in your life. For more information: click here.
----- Spring Reflective Meditation Retreat with Linda Modaro and Mary McIntyre Dates: 21-24th November Location: Brahma Kumaris, Wilton NSW
In this secular retreat, we will be emphasising being present to what arises in your meditation practice, without trying to focus on anything in particular. What arises then, is an intimate experience of seeing into how your mind operates moment to moment. We will support this exploration by encouraging you to recollect your sittings through journalling and to explore this with a teacher individually or in small groups.
----- Insight Dialogue Residential Retreat: Living the Six Tenets of a Whole Life Path with Gregory Kramer Dates: 5 - 9 Dec, 2019 During this retreat, with the support of Insight Dialogue and silent meditation, we will explore six tenets that will help us to craft a whole life path rooted in early Buddhist teachings, and one that suits our character and circumstances. The Buddha provided extensive and specific guidance for monastics as to how to live a life inclined towards awakening, but guidance for westerners wanting a life fully rested in the Noble Eightfold Path, needs to be fleshed out. This retreat will empower us to touch the suttas as living teachings, and to participate in a community dedicated to the development of meditative qualities and wisdom. We will come together to practice Insight Dialogue, an interpersonal process that brings together meditative awareness, the wisdom teachings of the Buddha, and the power of relationship to support insight into the nature, causes, and release of human suffering. In solo silent meditation, and meditating in dialogue with one another, we will cultivate inquiry into this shared human experience and touch the possibility of awakening alone and together. This retreat welcomes Insight Dialogue practitioners and people with insight/vipassana and mindfulness meditation experience. Location: St. Joseph's Spirituality and Education Centre, Kincumber NSW For More Information: click here.