Weekend and Week-Long Circling Retreat

Join the eight full-time trainees at the Monastic Academy and a small group of guests as we embark on the historic and experimental act of synthesizing formal meditation and circling (interpersonal meditation) during a week-long retreat in late October.

Circling is a matrix of interpersonal practices, principles, and distinctions that allow people to relate with each other far below the content of words. It brings people into direct contact with the dynamics that underlie relationships and invites them to use this rich interpersonal field as a place from which to glean understanding and healing. Often by dropping views and slipping deeper into the immediate experience of relationships a doorway to a world beyond words opens, offering a taste of transcendence.

This provocative, and alternately unnerving and deeply calming practice of circling will be complemented by a foray into traditional practices of mindfulness of breathing and the body. The skills that we learn in working directly with our own minds in turn support sworking with others and vice versa. A rich synergy between personal and group practice emerges.

The Monastic Academy, known for its commitment to training formal meditation, serves as an excellent base for exploring the emerging field of interpersonal meditation. Not for the faint of heart. The days will be rigorous, structured to include many hours of both types of practice.

Timeline:

Friday - Sunday

The week will begin with a weekend-long course that introduces people to the basics of circling including group exercises, guided meditations, and and circling sessions. The weekend is open to anyone interested in meditation and circling.

Monday - Friday

On Sunday afternoon a smaller group will take a dive into five days of deep meditation and circling. This second group will be accepted based on the attached application.

Price:

Weekend $100 - $500 sliding scale

Week (includes the weekend) $700 - $1,400 sliding scale

This price includes room and board for the duration of your stay at the Monastic Academy. This only covers costs. We will also give a dana talk (donation workshop) at the end of the retreat.

Refund Policy:

Weekend: Up until one week before the retreat starts you can get your money back minus a $40 non-refundable deposit. No refunds after October 13th.

Week-long: Up until one week before the retreat starts you can get your money back minus a $100 non-refundable deposit. No refunds after October 13th.