New Year Silent Retreat

Our co-founders, John Bruna and Laura Bartels, will return to Mercy Center Auburn to guide this special meditation retreat. This silent retreat is a rare opportunity to be guided by both of these wonderful teachers! 

The retreat is beginner friendly and will also allow for seasoned meditators to deepen their practice. We will focus on developing the foundational methods and practices to sustain a meditation practice that is right for you. The days will include multiple short meditation sessions, quiet reflection time, guidance, and discussion in the group teachings. 

The primary meditation will be the foundational practice of shamatha (calm abiding) meditation. Shamatha is a universal practice, applicable to everyone, and is the antidote to an obsessive, compulsive, busy mind. It enhances any other meditation practice and provides the foundation for mental and emotional balance.

There will be ample time for journaling, walks, and spaciousness to gain clarity regarding your life and the way you choose to engage in the year that awaits you.  

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John Bruna, a former Buddhist monk and author of The Wisdom of a Meaningful Life: The Essence of Mindfulness, is a counselor, educator, mindfulness, and Dharma teacher. He is the co-founder of the Mindful Life Program and director of the Way of Compassion Foundation.

Laura Bartels teaches mindfulness courses, facilitates mindfulness groups, and gives public talks on living mindfully as one of the certified mindfulness teachers with the Mindful Life Program. She is also one of the instructors for the year-long MLP Mindfulness Teacher Training and Certification program. She serves as the Executive Director of the Mindful Life Program.

Dates:  Begins Monday, Jan 1st Registration: 3:00 to 5:00 Dinner: 5:15pm. Ends Thursday, Jan 4th after Breakfast.

Cost: $350. To Register, Click Here

Mercy Retreat Center: Click Here

Location: Mercy Retreat Center, Auburn, California, USA