This retreat is open for registration. We currently have 17 participants registered, and can accept up to 4 more participants. This will be a very special retreat—a rare opportunity to practice with seclusion and intimacy. Please review the preventative measures taken by the center, and read our new guidelines: Guidelines for Retreat Practice in the Covid-19 Era

Teachings on Sixteen Steps of Anapanasati Samadhi

led by Shaila Catherine

Monday, August 31, 2020 – Thursday, September 10, 2020.

The retreat begins with registration from 2:00 – 3:30 pm on Monday, August 31. The retreat ends after lunch at 1:00 pm on Thursday, September 10.

Partial attendance is possible in some cases, but it must begin on the first day of the retreat and priority will be given to those registering for the full retreat. A limited number of commuter spaces may be available.

This retreat will utilize the breath as the primary meditation object and will encourage the development of meditative skills that lead to deep concentration (samadhi) and insight (vipassana). Daily group instructions will focus on the sixteen steps in the Anapanasati Sutta as a route to jhana and/or liberating insight. Meetings with the teacher in small groups and one-on-one dialogs will tailor the practices to meet the needs and interests of individual students. Some students may choose to emphasize concentration practice throughout the retreat; others may emphasize vipassana; and some may practice both concentration and insight inconjunction with mindfulness of breathing.

This retreat offers a special opportunity to train in concentration and jhana practices with personal guidance from Shaila Catherine. It is one of the very few retreats each year in which Shaila systematically guides students to establish jhana by working step by step with the Anapanasati Sutta. Students who wish to embark on this training in concentration and jhana should read her book Focused and Fearless prior to the retreat. See our Concentration and Jhana FAQ page for more information about developing concentration and the absorption states of jhana.

This silent retreat is structured with alternating periods of sitting and walking meditation, dhamma teachings, and teacher consultations.

Prior to the retreat, please read Focused and Fearless by Shaila Catherine, and the Anapanasati Sutta. You may download the sutta at: https://suttacentral.net/mn118/en/bodhi

Register early! Space is limited. We keep this retreat small (previously under 40 participants) to enable in-depth guidance from Shaila. Update 5/29/20: As a precaution to limit the spread of the coronavirus, the retreat will be significantly smaller than the 40 that we originally planned. Currently attendance is restricted to 22 guests, although this number might change slightly by Aug 31. See the Guidelines for Retreat Practice in the Covid-19 Era document for more information. 

ABOUT THE SITE: Situated in a quiet rural area just outside of Atlanta, the Ingnatius House, a Jesuit retreat center offers convenience and comfort to support deep meditative experience.

TO REGISTER: Download and complete the IH2020 registration and waiver forms, enclose a non-refundable deposit of $250 (payable to Bodhi Retreats), and return via email and/or postal mail to the address below. We are not currently accepting credit card transactions, so please send your registration deposit and fees via check or money order made payable to Bodhi Retreats. If this is not possible for some of our international guests, please contact the registrar for alternative payment arrangements.

Katrina Bergbauer
225 Second Ave
Decatur, GA 30030

retreats

Please complete either the Standard-Printable or Form-Fillable form, and also the Waiver of Liability.
Important: If you use the form-fillable version, download the form to your computer first. Then fill out the form. After completing the form, select to print it, and in the print options select to save the form as a PDF file. Then mail or email the PDF to the registrar.

• IH2020_Registration_Fillable-Form
• IH2020_Registration_Standard_Printable-Form
• IH2020_Waiver-of-Liability

REQUIREMENTS: The 10-night retreat is designed for experienced students. Previous retreat experience in the insight meditation tradition is required, with a minimum of at least two week-long silent residential retreats. If you have less than two week-long silent retreat experience, your attendance requires approval from the teacher.

ACCOMMODATIONS AND MEALS: Ignatius House has been described as a hidden jewel in the Atlanta area. It is situated on 20 acres of lush secluded woodland overlooking the Chattahoochee River. The site boasts 1.5 miles of trail winding up and down through tall pines, along the river, over quaint bridges, and has many places to sit and soak in the serenity of this environment as it nourishes the heart. Seclusion and quietude permeate the environment, while it is conveniently accessible from the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International airport.

All accommodations are in comfortable modest single rooms; each room has a private ensuite bathroom. Three meals a day will be prepared by the center’s acclaimed chef and professional culinary team. The meals will include omnivore and vegetarian options, plentiful salads, and daily desserts. Snacks, coffee, and tea will be available throughout the day. With advanced notice, the culinary team will be happy to work with allergies and special food needs.

The retreat facility is handicapped accessible. If you have mobility limitations, please contact the registrar for details.

Please note that this will be a non-smoking retreat.

COST: 10 nights (includes accommodation and meals) is $2800 – $1750 sliding scale, plus a donation to the teachers at the end of retreat. The estimated actual per-person cost for this retreat (if we used a fixed rate) is $2300. By selecting an amount above $2300, your generosity supports those who need to select a lower rate to attend the retreat. This sliding scale will allow most scholarship needs to be managed by self-selecting an amount lower than $2300.

COMMUTER OPTIONS:

• Commuter option (no sleeping accommodations) for full retreat including lunch and dinner is $2300 ­– $1300 sliding scale.
• Commuter option (no sleeping accommodations) for full retreat including breakfast, lunch and dinner is $2300 ­– $1500 sliding scale.

PARTIAL RETREAT OPTIONS: Registration options for partial retreat attendance are below. Priority will be given to students who are registering for the full 10-nights course. We do not encourage partial attendance, but offer these options for cases when full attendance is not possible, and only if we have space available. Applicants for partial attendance will be placed on a wait list which will be reviewed approximately 2 months prior to the retreat.

• 2 nights (Monday–Wednesday) is $700 – $500 sliding scale
• 3 nights (Monday–Thursday) is $1050 – $750 sliding scale
• 4 nights (Monday–Friday) is $1,400 – $950 sliding scale
• 5 nights (Monday–Saturday) is $1,700 – $1200 sliding scale
• 6 nights (Monday–Sunday) is $2,000 – $1450 sliding scale
• 7 nights (Monday–Monday is the same rate as full retreat $2800 – $1750 sliding scale

DANA: Compensation for the teacher is not included in the registration price. There will be an opportunity to offer donations to the teachers at the end of the retreat.

Co-sponsored by Bodhi Retreats and Insight Meditation South Bay