New Year 8- or 5-day Socially-Distanced Residential Retreat
With Achan Da and Michael Bresnan
The Centers for Mindfulness & Insight Meditation in Redding, CT, and Wenham, MA, will team up to hold an eight-day Mahasati insight meditation New Year retreat from Thursday evening, January 5, to 1:00 p.m. Thursday, January 12. Meditators may choose to attend for just five days instead, from 7:00 p.m. Thursday evening, January 5, to 1:00 p.m. Monday, January 9.
The retreat will be led by Thai Forest monk and meditation master Achan Da and Psychologist Michael Bresnan at the Wisdom House Retreat Center, which is situated on 54 acres of meadows, woods, and brooks in the beautiful northwest hills of Connecticut.
Achan Da
Achan Da is an ordained Thai Forest Monk and Abbott of our center in Redding, CT. He practiced under Thai meditation master Luangpor Teean Jittasubho.
Michael Bresnan, PhD
Michael Bresnan is a licensed psychologist who has been practicing insight meditation for over 25 years. He is the founder and Executive Director of our MA and CT centers.
The retreat leaders practice and teach Mahasati Insight meditation, which is a form of Vipassana meditation originating from Southeast Asia. Mahasati meditation’s objective is to eliminate mental and emotional suffering by clearly seeing and understanding the body and mind in the present moment. The practice is based on the teaching of the 20th-century Thai insight meditation master, Luangpor Teean, and uses attention to the movement of the body as an anchor for mindfulness and insight practice.
About the retreat
This retreat is open to all levels of practitioners and is an excellent opportunity to deepen one’s meditation practice by cultivating self-awareness for an extended period without distraction. While the retreat will be conducted mainly in silence, there will also be Dharma talks and question-and-answer periods. As is the tradition with meditation retreats, all attendees will have a private interview period with Achan Da as a further aid to their practice.
About Wisdom House
Wisdom House provides an excellent atmosphere for meditation. Wholesome and delicious meals are served, including bread and desserts baked on the premises by the Wisdom House staff chef. Meals will be served in individual boxes for each participant to maximize safety. In addition, each participant will have a private room, though bathrooms are shared.
Registration
The base cost for the entire eight-day retreat is $915. The base cost for the five-day option is $525. These base fees only cover our out-of-pocket costs for the facilities. If you can afford an additional contribution to help offset our ongoing operations, that would be appreciated, though by no means required.
Conversely, scholarships are available if you cannot afford the base cost, and we do our best not to turn anyone away. Registration fees are completely refundable up to two weeks before the start of the retreat.
Our Covid Policy
While we are doing our best to follow expert guidelines for making the environment as safe as possible, the spread of the virus is ultimately beyond our control, so you should make your own determination as to whether it is appropriate for you to come.
Advance Registration is Required
Because social distancing means limiting the number of people in the meditation hall at one time, you must sign up in advance to attend. You may register weeks in advance or right before a class, but you won’t be able to register if we’ve already reached our maximum.
Face Coverings
Facemasks are not required but are recommended when social distancing is not possible. Please follow the Centers for Disease Control and Connecticut state guidelines.
Maintain Social Distancing
Attendees are asked to mindfully maintain their distance from one another while on the property.