Description
Freedom of Mind is pleased to offer a Full Intensive Online Retreat using Zoom instead of having students to attend in person. These retreats are to be conducted by Delson Armstrong. This is a little different from the normal online retreat, which can be very casual. This retreat you will do interviews in person and you will be expected to be there every day. There are typically about 20 participants per retreat.
For this retreat you should be very serious about pursuing a TWIM-only approach and sit in meditation for at least six hours each day.
There are donation tiers, starting at $250. Additional funds are considered donations with a tax receipt due to you. Please donate what you can pay — in doing so, you are helping us spread TWIM.
Tier 1: $250
Tier 2: $500
Tier 3: $750
Tier 4: $1000
Payments are refundable until 30 days before retreat starts. Just let us know.
We will accept beginners or advanced students. (Please don't try to do this retreat if you are working, going to school or taking care of small children during this time. You will need to be focused and uninterrupted.)
Interviews: Interviews will be at times posted below. You will be given a time to attend, and you should sign on five minutes before and stand by in the “waiting room.” If you can't attend interviews at the posted time every day we ask you consider a regular online Metta retreat instead, and not do this zoom retreat. Please don't sign up unless you can do interviews no later then 9PM your local time. (You have to get some sleep!)
You will be expected to put this time aside just for the retreat. No family or friend interactions. No TV or internet surfing. Only meditation and retreat videos and some reading.
You will be expected to get in at least six hours total in sittings per day. You should walk 20+minutes between each sitting
Program Schedule
Friday Day 1
Intro Talk at 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm (All times are CST) (required)
Delson will give you a live Orientation on Day 1. You may also watch the other talks listed.
If you didn't get everything, this full orientation video can be watched as well
Start sitting and walking after the video. Sit at least 30 minutes, or longer if it is going well.
Download the Guide to TWIM in pdf or epub on the DhammaSukha Support page. You will receive all documents in your welcome email. Please save them and print them out.
You can also review all the morning precept forms now and print them out and get them ready for Saturday morning.
Download your Brief Lovingkindness Instructions
Optional Materials to Review on Friday or Saturday
Watch the short Video on the 6Rs (4 minutes)
You can listen or read Basic Metta Meditation Instructions
Or read the Lovingkindness Instructions
Watch the Brief Lovingkindness Instructions on YouTube (7 minutes)
Suggested Daily Schedule for Retreat
Adjust to your own needs
6:00 am Wake up and Recite Precepts and Refuges: Take the five or eight full precepts (see Support Page) **
6:30 am Sitting & walking meditation
7:30 am Breakfast
8:00 am Self-directed meditation
11:30 am Lunch on your own until 12:30 pm
1:00 pm Zoom Interviews per schedule (1:00 pm CST)
3:00 pm Self-directed meditation
6:00 pm Tea time (you can have chocolate but without nuts if you’ve taken the eight precepts)
6:30 pm Dhamma talk — Watch Video
8:00 pm Self-directed meditation
10:00 pm Sleep
** You can watch a video reciting the refuges and five precepts, or video reciting the refuges and eight precepts. If you can follow all eight precepts, which includes not eating after lunch, that is preferable. If there is a medical condition where you need to eat something in the evening, then eat only a light meal and don't take the precept about eating after noon.