2020 Fall Virtual Retreat

Awakening through Unravelling:  

Turning Everyday Experiences into Spiritual Practice

Barn’s burnt down—

Now I can see the moon.

~ Mizuta Masahide

For many of us it feels as if the floor has dropped out and the sky continues to fall all around us every day. How are we to live? The practice invitation in this retreat will be to turn everyday experiences into practice opportunities and to welcome everything and push away nothing. This may seem like an almost impossible challenge. Many of us feel cheated or robbed of what we thought we were promised in this life. We may be overwhelmed by disbelief, grief, confusion, and anger. In our shaky vulnerability, how do we meet what is arising and how do we help each other through the relentless challenges? How are we to awaken through unravelling?

It is possible to discover a kind of fearless receptivity to life as it is and to turn difficult situations into the path of awakening. This journey of ongoing willingness, surrender to what is, and continuous discovery takes us into new and unexplored territory. We are never sure of the outcomes, so it takes courage and flexibility to persevere. Our lives are a shared journey — opening, risking, and forgiving constantly — unravelling the old fabric of our lives and waking to what comes. 

Watching the moon at dawn,

solitary, mid-sky,

I knew myself completely:

no part left out.

~ Izumi Shikibu

Retreat occurred Thursday - Sunday October 22-25, 2020

Retreat Handouts

Post-Retreat Handouts