Join us for SIM’s Residential Retreat at the beautiful Mercy Center in Auburn, CA from Sunday, August 28, 5:00 PM through Sunday, September 4, 2022, 11:00 AM. Please read through the information below and then purchase your ticket to register. We will update this registration page as further details are announced.

Retreat Theme: Awareness, Wisdom & Love

Awareness is a natural capacity of the mind that is available to all of us in any moment no matter what is happening in our experience. When the mind is relaxed and at ease, this natural awareness can be recognized and integrated into our lives. When we combine a receptive, kindhearted attitude with relaxed yet diligent effort, we create the conditions for insight, wisdom, and compassion to arise naturally.
Through this process, we see directly for ourselves what leads to well-being and freedom and what leads to suffering, both in our own life and in the world around us. As our understanding deepens, we begin to live our lives from a place of greater balance, integrity, confidence, and connection.
This silent retreat will include instruction in both Insight and Loving-kindness meditation, meetings with the teachers, and an optional daily period of mindful movement. It is suitable for both beginning and experienced students of meditation.
We encourage you to consider the following questions before registering:

• Do you have a regular practice?
• Do you have a home sangha or group that you sit with?
• Have you sat at a residential retreat before?

If you have questions about whether this retreat is appropriate for you, please contact us, click here.

Our retreat teachers this year will be Senior Teacher Greg Scharf and Teacher Neesha Patel.

GREG SCHARF, an Insight Meditation Society guiding teacher, has practiced with Western and Asian teachers in the Theravada tradition since 1992. He has been teaching residential retreats since 2007, including the annual Three-Month Retreat at IMS. Greg’s love of nature and the outdoors deeply informs both his practice and teaching.

NEESHA PATEL, PhD is deeply grateful for the liberative teachings of the Buddha. She has been fortunate to have practiced in both Asia and the US. Her practice has been influenced by the guidance of many wonderful teachers including Sayadaw U Tejaniya and Thai Forest Tradition teachers. She teaches mindfulness meditation at UC Davis and is a participant in the 2017-2021 Insight Meditation Society Teacher Training Program.

(Retreat teachers biographical info)

Registration

This retreat accommodates 31 registrants.

Beginning Wednesday, April 20, this webpage will accept online registration payments. Before making any payment, click here to review the terms of use for this website. Pay the registration fee online using the “Get Tickets” section at the bottom of this page. Specify the number of people you are registering to this retreat and click the button “Get Tickets”. You’ll be automatically directed to a secure webpage where your payment can be made by credit card as a guest (no PayPal account required) or payment can be made by PayPal after you sign-in to your PayPal account if you have one. After you’ve paid the fee, you’ll receive an email with the subject “You have tickets!” (but no need to print the ticket on paper). If registering with partial payment, watch for follow-up emails a couple of days later which include directions/links to pay the remaining balance via “Invoice”.

Cost

The registration fee will be $900 with an opportunity to later make a donation to support the retreat teachers. The registration fee covers the costs of accommodations, meals, and administration. You can opt to pay the fee in full or make a deposit to hold your spot and pay the balance by June 15th.

Scholarships

We encourage you to pay the full registration fee if your finances allow you to do so; however, in recognition of the challenging year many have had, partial scholarships are available if needed. To request a partial scholarship, pay a $225 deposit fee after registration opens and before May 20th. Then watch for a follow-up email from the retreat registrar. SIM has a limited number of partial scholarships available based on need. If the $225 deposit payment is currently not possible, contact the retreat registrar to apply for a scholarship with other options.

Scholarship Donations

If you’d like to contribute into the scholarship fund to help someone else be able to afford this special dharma opportunity, enter the amount you’d like to donate in the box below. Donating into the fund won’t register you for the retreat.

Cancellations

• Through May 20th, full refund if requested by this date.
• May 21st through June 15th, deposit will be retained by SIM; balance paid is refundable.
• On or after June 16th, deposit will be retained by SIM. Balance may be refundable if the spot is filled by a wait listed person. Otherwise, the balance will not be refunded. A waiver of this policy will be considered in limited circumstances based on request demonstrating financial hardship.

Schedule – Summary of Dates

• April 20, 2022 – Registration opens; online payments accepted.
• May 20, 2022 – Last day to request full refund (see cancellation policy listed above).
• May 20, 2022 – Last day to request a scholarship (see scholarship details listed above).
• June 15, 2022 – Last day to request refund of balance paid (see cancellation policy listed above).
• June 15, 2022 – Registration payment in full due.
• TBD – Registration closes, date to be announced.
• August 28, 2022, 5:00 PM – The retreat begins (check-in starts at 3:30 PM).
• September 4, 2022, 11:00 AM – The retreat ends (check-out at 11:00 AM).

COVID-19 Protocols

Our priority is to protect the wellbeing of everyone who attends the SIM Annual Retreat. The SIM Board will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and required and recommended safety measures from federal, State and local health agencies, and the Mercy Center, with consideration of our Sangha demographics.

At a minimum, we will require proof of vaccinations and boosters (if eligible) for COVID-19 at least two weeks before the retreat, along with proof of COVID rapid testing within 24 hours prior to attending and a second rapid test two days into the retreat (SIM will provide tests if needed).

Additional protocols will very likely include masking when indoors with others, and social distancing as space allows.

SIM will update the protocols to reflect the situation in the summer.

Questions for the Registrar?

If you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions, click here.

Retreat Audio Dharma

If you attending this retreat, click here to access some recordings of the dharma talks.

Get Tickets