‘The Many Dimensions of Annata’

Five-Day Non-Residential Retreat – Offered by Taos Mountain Sangha – Out of town participants please see information on accommodation below.

Dates: Sunday, March 25 to Friday, March 30 2012

Location: ‘I Am That I Am’ Meditation Center, 522 Paseo del Pueblo Norte at the corner of Paseo del Pueblo Norte and Theodora Street.

Cost: $130 non-refundable with deposit of $65 due February 20 2012. Alternatively, you may submit the full cost of the retreat in one check, $130, not later than March 1 2012. Please make your check out to Taos Mountain Sangha and mail to Bob Parker, Retreat Manager, PO Box 893, Taos, NM 87571

Time: Beginning at 1:00PM on Sunday, March 25 and ending at about 2:00PM on Friday, March 30. The normal day will commence at 8:00AM and finish at 8:00PM.

This retreat is an opportunity for persons with previous experience and a practice to explore in depth, ‘The Many Dimensions of Annata; for the transformation and liberation in our daily lives. Aspects of the Buddha’s teaching will be offered in guided meditations, dharma talks and inquiry practices. The emphasis will be on practice that can be carried into our everyday lives; in addition to our foundational sitting practice, we will practice with additional aspects of ‘body, speech, and mind’. While this will be a silent retreat, we will occasionally use verbal inquiry practices to deepen our understanding.

Teacher - Susie Harrington. Susie is from Moab, Utah and has offered many retreats, both in wilderness and residential settings and is an experienced Dhamma teacher of many years. She has studied with well-known teachers including Jack Kornfield, Guy Armstrong, Eric Kolvig and others. Susie has been meditating since 1989, and been engaged in Insight meditation practice since 1995. Teaching since 2005 under the direction of her teachers Guy Armstrong, Jack Kornfield, and Tory Capron, she has also been influenced by Advaita Vedanta and Dzochen teachers. She is a graduate of Hakomi Therapy (a somatic psychotherapy modality). She has been an outdoor professional for over 30 years, including years as a river guide, mountaineering guide, and backcountry ranger.

Retreat Format - Sittings, Dhamma Talks, Discussions, and Interviews. The retreat is principally a non-residential retreat and it is expected that most participants will stay in their homes at night. For those who might be interested in attending from outside the Taos region, a number of reasonably priced accommodations are available in Taos. See suggestions below.

Number of Participants - Limit of 25, First Come, first served upon acceptance of Application. The retreat is expected to fill quickly.

Dana - will be offered and graciously accepted for the Teacher.

Meals - Breakfast will be at your home or elsewhere prior to assembling at the Center by 7:45AM each day. Lunch - bring your own bag lunch. Dinner - simple soups will be offered at the Center. Participants may supplement their meals with their own foods and snacks. Tea, juices and snacks will be available.

Application Forms - Please call Bob Parker, Tel: 575-751- 1963 or email: rpataos@gmail.com for further information.

Cushions - As the retreat is about enhancing our daily practice and own self- sufficiency, participants need to bring their own zafu, back jack, and cushion as well as your own eating utensils. There are plenty of chairs at the Center but no cushions. Bowls will be supplied for the dinner soups.

Accommodations for Participants from out of Town - the following accommodations are offered as an indication of what is available at a reasonable cost and participants are expected to make their own arrangements.

Sharing Accommodation – There may be opportunity to share accommodation with another participant thereby lowering the cost and/or by personal arrangement, and some spaces may possibly be available in local participants’ homes, again by personal arrangement. Please let us know if you would like the contact info for others interested in sharing a room, or for places to stay with locals. We will endeavor to make names and email addresses available once registration begins.

• El Pueblo Lodge - 575-758-8700 Tel; Located at 412 Paseo del Pueblo Norte, Taos, about 2 blocks from the Center. Call for rates and reservations - ~$88.
• Best Western Kachina Lodge - 575-758-2275; Located at 413 Paseo del Pueblo Norte, Taos, about 2 blocks from the Center. Call for rates and reservations - ~$90.

Other Accommodations - There are other accommodations that are less expensive located throughout the southern part of Taos. You can Google Taos, NM Accommodations for further options.

Cancellation - should weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances necessitating cancellation of the retreat at the last minute, deposits and/or balance of retreat cost will be returned to the participants.

‘I AM That I AM Ministeries’ Meditation Center in Taos on 522 Paseo del Pueblo Norte. The Center is located on the corner of Paseo del Pueblo Norte and Theodora Street, with ample parking off Theodora Street. This is a particularily beautiful space and the retreat promises to be an important one in your practice.

Eric Kolvig, Ph.D., has been teaching Vipassana (insight meditation) since 1985 and has a strong interest in helping build spiritual community in democratic, non-authoritarian ways. He travels throughout the United States to lead meditation retreats, including those specifically for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people. His primary teachers are Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg and Michele McDonald. He lives in a spiritual community in Embudo, New Mexico and has taught for many years at TMS.

The Retreat Schedule will alternate between Sitting and Walking Meditations, Guided Meditations, Dhamma talks, and open Question and Answer time.

Time: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM both Saturday and Sunday, March 10 and 11 2012. Participants are requested to attend both days to maintain continuity.

There is no limit on number of participants and the Retreat is open to all levels of practice experience.

Cost: $50 for the two days - non refundable.

Scholarships: are available for those in need, and no one is turned away due to lack of funds.  See the Scholarship page on the website.

Registration: Registration is now open, and you can forward your expression of interest along with a check for the cost of the retreat to: Bob Parker, Manager, PO Box 893, Taos, NM 87571. Please send an email to Bob at rpataos@gmail.com with your intention to attend.  You may also register at the Sangha.

What to Bring: Please bring your own cushion or bench or back jack and a bag lunch for both days.  There are plenty of chairs at the Center for those who wish to sit on a chair.  Tea and juices will be provided. We are still in the winter season and you will want warm clothing for walking meditation out of doors.

Accommodations: While this is a non-residential retreat, there are two relatively inexpensive motels within a very short walking distance of the Center: El Pueblo Lodge at 412 Paseo del Pueblo Norte, Taos, tel: 575-758-8700, and the Best Western Kachina Lodge at 413 Paseo del Pueblo del Norte, Taos, tel: 800-522-4462.  There are also less expensive motels located elsewhere in Taos. Please Google Taos Accommodations. Out of town participants should make their own reservations for accommodation. CID’S Food Market is located at 623 Paseo del Pueblo Norte, Taos, and carries a wide range of natural and organic foods and lunch items.

There may be a limited number of spaces available in local homes.  If you are interested please let Bob Parker know.

Concentrating the Mind

Walking meditation can be a very powerful practice and is a wonderful way to help concentrate the mind.  It has been used in monastic traditions for centuries and is especially helpful when the mind is restless.  It is often done in conjunction with a rotation of sitting and walking meditations on retreats.

Select a level place, indoors or outdoors, where you can walk in a straight direction for about 100 feet or so.  In conjunction with each footstep, you silently note the count.

For example; the first step is one, the second step is one-two, the third step is one-two-three, the fourth step is one-two-three-four, and so on until you reach the count of ten.  Then, pause for a moment and reverse your direction and the counting. For example; ten, ten-nine, ten-nine-eight, ten-nine-eight-seven, descending back to one.

The practice can be repeated in a walking session for as long as you want. It is a good technique to free the mind from other thoughts and it can be done at a slow or moderate pace.

Bob Parker - 15 January 2010

Weisman, Arinna, and Jean Smith. The Beginner’s Guide to Insight Meditation (New York: Bell Tower, 2001). Clear explanations of the Buddha’s teachings with personal stories highlighting some of the challenges and insights of practice.

Smith, Jean. The Beginner’s Guide to Walking the Buddha’s Eightfold Path (New York: Bell Tower, 2002). An exploration of how the concepts central to practicing the Buddha’s teachings can be applied in daily life in such areas as environmental consciousness and interpersonal relations.

Salzberg, Sharon. Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness (Boston: Shambhala, 1995). This inspiring book by a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, introduces the West to the practice of metta, or lovingkindness, practice.

Salzberg, Sharon. A Heart as Wide as the World: Living with Mindfulness, Wisdom, and Compassion (Boston: Shambhala, 1997). Stories, anecdotes, and brief teachings that show how to live this spiritual practice in the everyday world, by a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA.