The Mind Illuminated Retreat

This retreat will take place in the beautiful surroundings of Cochise Stronghold at Dharma Treasure Retreat Center where the book was written.

Practitioners are welcome to join regardless of where they find themselves within the TMI stages. The retreat aims to pragmatically explore what this model of meditation has to offer and build resilience in your personal practice of it.

About the Retreat

The retreat will be held in Noble Silence, meaning that there’s very little talking, activity, or distraction. During the retreat, we will not use phones and internet, and you will be able to maximize the amount of time each day that you spend meditating while at the same time participating in a community of practitioners and receiving support from teachers. Dharma talks will be held in the evenings, and you will have daily access to the teachers. Vegetarian meals will be provided as part of the registration fee. Additional dietary restrictions can be accommodated upon request. Lodging is also included as part of the registration fee, and costs vary by lodging option. Details can be found below.

The retreat is offered on Dana (a Pali word meaning generosity), which means the registration prices are at cost and don’t include the cost of the teachings. Upali and Henrik will teach on Dana in an effort to make retreat as accessible as possible. You will be asked to give Dana at the end of the retreat, so please take this into consideration as part of your attendance.

If you’d like to attend, but the costs of this retreat prohibit you from attending, full and partial scholarships can be applied for at Open Dharma Foundation.

If you’re curious about retreats in general, including more info on Dana, check out this retreat FAQ.

Schedule

6:00 am Practise

8:00 am Breakfast

9:00 am Practise and instructions

12:00 pm Lunch & Hike

2:00 pm Practise

5:00 pm Dinner / tea

6:00 pm Practise

7:30 pm Dharma chat

9:00 pm Solo practise

The schedule is subject to change

About Dharma Treasure Retreat Center

Dharma Treasure is a non-profit retreat center located in the Dragoon Mountains of southeast Arizona. This wilderness retreat has long been considered sacred — first by the Chiricahua Apaches and later by hundreds of meditators grateful to practice in this quiet canyon. While being the birthplace of TMI, the Mind Illuminated method, the retreat center welcomes spiritual sojourners from all traditions, while providing support aimed at spiritual awakening, rooted in the teachings of the Buddha.

Cochise Stronghold, the specific site where Dharma Treasure is located within the Dragoons, is a magnificent natural wonder. Granite peaks rise to the east, south and west, spotted with chromatic, lichen-covered boulders, precariously balanced rocks, and charismatic formations that take on a life of their own. An evergreen juniper and oak forest grows in the valley, providing shelter for abundant wildlife including javelina, deer, and hundreds of species of birds. A seasonal stream flows from mountain top pools down through the canyon. Sharing a border with the Coronado National Forest, the retreat center is surrounded by hiking and horse trails that snake up into the mountains for miles.

The retreat center is located 90 minutes from the Tucson Airport, 45 minutes from Benson and Willcox, and 20 minutes from the small village of Sunsites. While remote, we are part of a close-knit rural community.

The Teachers

Upasaka Upali's (aka Paul Peterson) path to teaching began with exposure to an online 20 page PDF called "Progressive Stages of Meditation in Plain English." The document, written by Culadasa, is what eventually became the book The Mind Illuminated. This Shamatha-Vipasana style of practice provided Upali with benefits he never imagined possible from meditation. With encouragement and support from Sangha and Noble Friendship, he was led to pursue a livelihood of imparting the benefits he received to others. He is currently a full time Dharma teacher based out of Chattanooga, Tennessee. He teaches online and also teaches multiple in-person retreats internationally each year. Upali took his Upasaka vows in 2015, received transmission in Culadasa's lineage, and studied formally under Culadasa for 3 years. Upali was also a founding member of the Open Dharma Foundation and served as its founding Executive Director. He is currently the co-host of the podcast Teaching Meditation.

Henrik A. Norberg has meditated in the mountains of Sri Lanka, the jungle of Thailand, and led forest monks on Tudong in the Mountains of Norway. He is a cave yogi, wanderer, and mind explorer interested in early Buddhism and samadhi practices, and is a certified TMI/ Mind Illuminated instructor.