Coming Home to Our Senses [Online]

This online retreat is open to both beginners and experienced practitioners.

Along the path of dharma practice we make it a habit to connect to the truth of each moment as experienced in the body and through all the senses. By doing so, we can effectively reduce anxiety and confusion, making room for peace and joy.  Meditation can also help balance our nervous system, moving us from fight, flight or freeze to rest and digest. This is profoundly healing. Not only do we learn to notice the habit of getting lost in troubled thinking, we practice creating a whole new relationship to your thoughts.

On retreat, we experience the support of the community, teachers and teachings. Each of these aspects of retreat help us to face the challenges of our lives with a greater courage, peace and equanimity.

Come home to your senses this May with Trudy Goodman, Gullu Singh and Gabrielle Hammond.

Time in retreat allows us to step away from the demands of everyday life and listen deeply to our body, heart and mind. The purpose of this practice is to turn our attention to what brings true peace and happiness in life while cultivating more resilience, compassion and wisdom, both in responding to suffering in the world and in our own hearts.

Most of the retreat is held in silence, with periods of sitting and walking meditation.  Expect guided meditations, teaching talks, qigong practices and a teacher-led practice discussion meeting for each participant.

Retreatants are given guidance to encourage the practice of mindfulness in all the retreat activities, staying with their own present experience as it unfolds, moment to moment.

Registration for this retreat closes on May 13th, 2025 at 11:59pm Pacific Time.

An Online Hybrid Interactive Retreat

This retreat will be an interactive online retreat with the in-person participants and teachers, with camera views of the hall and projected for participants to see you. Please plan to present and actively attend for the entire retreat and all the sessions. This will be offered over Zoom. Please plan to have your video on during the sessions.

At registration you will receive a link with a landing page for the online community that includes the Zoom and schedule information for the online component of this program, along with any other helpful tips before, during, and after your retreat. This link will be emailed to you again 24 hours before your retreat. The retreat recording will be available within 48 hours of the retreat. This program recording as well as past program recordings can also be found in full on BBRC’s YouTube.

What retreat participants have to say about programs at Big Bear Retreat Center

“Big Bear created an online retreat experience that was inclusive, supportive, and responsive. I felt held and cared about throughout the hybrid retreat, as an online participant.” – Bernadine

“I appreciated the way they held space for people in small groups and encouraged authentic sharing within the container of noble silence. I felt that they all skillfully met everyone where they were at, including myself.”  – Joe

Schedule for Online Retreatants

Below is a general sample schedule to support in planning ahead. All times PST and subject to change.

Opening Day
12:00 pm  Zoom room opens (optional for testing connection)
7:00 pm     Retreat Opening (all please attend)

Full Days of Retreat
6:30 am     Wake Up
7:00 am – 9:45 pm Full day of retreat, please plan attend (meals at 7:30a, 12:30p, 5:30p)
*throughout day expect periods of seated and walking meditations in addition to teacher guided sessions and talks

Closing Day
6:30 am    Wake Up
7:00 am    Sitting
8:00 am    Breakfast
9:30 am    Closing Program
11:30 am   Retreat ends

RETREAT FEES AND TEACHER DANA

Teacher compensation is dana-based, the registration fee does not include teacher compensation. Learn more about the practice of dana here.