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The Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh and monastics of Plum Village, Deer Park Monastery, Blue Cliff Monastery, and Magnolia Village will hold a residential meditation retreat and a public lecture in Vancouver, August of 2011:

Retreat: “Awakening the Heart”

• Dates: August 8-13, 2011
• Location: UBC Point Gray Campus

Lecture: “Open Mind, Open Heart: Touching the Wonders of Now”

• Date: Sunday, August 14, 2011
• Time:   3:00 – 5:00 PM
• Location and Address:  Orpheum Theatre, 884 Granville Street

More info http://www.tnhvancouver2011.org/

• June 3 – 5 Residential Weekend Metta Retreat with Heather Martin on Salt Spring Island   Details:  http://ssivipassana.org/?cat=12

• June 27 – July 2: Vipassana Retreat in Nanaimo with James Baraz and Adrianne Ross (5 nights)

  Details:  http://www.bcims.org/retreats/residential
• July 3, 7-9 pm VVC Sunday night sit with James Baraz  – Location currently TBA
•  August 7 VVC One-day Retreat.   Teacher to be determined.  Registration will open one month before this retreat
• August 8 – 13: Mindfulness Retreat at UBC (5 nights)   Awakening the Heart Mindfulness Retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh and the Monks and Nuns of Plum Village at the University of British Columbia  Details:  http://www.tnhvancouver2011.org/retreat
• August 13 – 20  Week Long Residential Vipassana Retreat on Salt Spring Island with Gil Fronsdal, Heather Martin and Patricia Galaczy (Yoga)   Details:  http://ssivipassana.org/?cat=12
• August 14  Public Talk:  Open Mind, Open Heart: Touching the Wonders of Now with Thich Nhat Hanh   Details:  http://www.tnhvancouver2011.org/talk
• August 27 + 28 , VVC Non-Residential Retreat with Ajahn Sona  Registration will open one month before this retreat
• March 2012, VVC  Non-Residential Retreat with Pascal Auclair   Registration will open one month before this retreat

2-day Retreat
Saturday & Sunday, May 28 & 29, 2011
9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

With Heather Martin
at
Goward House
2495 Arbutus Road Victoria, BC

This non-residential weekend retreat is being offered for those new to or familiar with meditation practise. The focus will be on Metta or “Loving Kindness”. This practise cultivates interpersonal harmony and opens the heart unconditionally. The Buddha suggested the use of metta as an antidote to fear.

The weekend will include periods of instruction and practise with ample time for questions. Heather will describe both the “how” and “why” of this simple yet profound practise, which benefits us in many immediate ways.

Heather Martin has been meditating since 1972 and has been practicing Vipassana since 1981. She teaches up and down the West Coast of the US and Canada and is the guiding teacher for the Victoria Vipassana Community. Her approach is encouraging, accessible and practical. Heather lives on Salt Spring Island. Prior to being a dharma teacher, she was a midwife for 20 years.

Cost: The Buddha’s teachings are considered to be priceless. In keeping with the teachings and spirit of generosity or dana, we offer this retreat on a donation basis. The suggested donation for this retreat is $40 to cover the cost of facility rental, and other organizational expenses. A basket will be placed at the registration table for your donation. Any money collected above the costs of the retreat will go towards other VVC programmes.

No one will be refused for lack of funds; please give whatever is affordable given your means.

We will also set out another basket for you to offer dana for the teachings and the teacher who has shared them with us. We will speak about the practice of dana for the teachings during the retreat.

To register see http://victoriavipassana.org/?page_id=926

In this daylong for students with prior mindfulness, or vipassana (insight) meditation experience, we will practice in silence with periods of sitting and walking.  As well there will be some teachings and experiential exercises about current neuroscience understandings of the brain.  We will look at how these findings can support the Buddhist understandings of release from suffering and increased happiness and wisdom.

We will meet from 9:00 am until 4:30 pm at the Activity Centre of the Queen Alexandra Hospital, 2400 Arbutus Rd., Victoria, B.C., on Sunday, March 20, 2011.

Prerequisite:  Some previous experience with mindfulness, or vipassana meditation

Beth Trotter has practised vipassana meditation since 1983 and has also been influenced by other traditions including dzogchen and the diamond approach.  She is a therapist in private practice in Victoria and is particularly interested in making the dharma accessible to our western minds.  Beth was instrumental in establishing the Victoria Vipassana Community, and has taught retreats for VVC in the past.

Cost:  The Buddha’s teachings are considered to be priceless.  In keeping with the teachings and spirit of generosity or dana, we offer this retreat on a donation basis. The suggested donation for this retreat is $20 to  cover the cost of facility rental, and other organizational expenses.  A basket will be placed at the registration table for your donation.  Any money collected above the costs of the retreat will go towards other VVC programmes.

No one will be refused for lack of funds; please give whatever is affordable given your means. 

We will also set out another basket for you to offer dana for the teachings and the teacher who has shared them with us.  We will speak about the practice of dana for the teachings during the retreat.

Once you have completed the Registration Form you will receive more detailed information about the retreat, including what to bring.

To register for the retreat:

http://victoriavipassana.org/?page_id=927

Awakening Joy Victoria, a local group will meet the second Thursday of each month (First meeting will be Thursday, February 10), 7:00 – 8:30 pm at the Fairfield United Church, 1303 Fairfield Road (at Moss St.).  Through reflection, conversation and play, we will integrate the practices for awakening joy into our lives.  Everyone is welcome!   Drop-in  (Donations to cover costs); It is highly recommended that you sign up for the on-line course but it is not a prerequisite to attend this group.

For more information about the local group see

http://awakeningjoyvictoria.conscious-choices.ca