[Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] NOTICE: Spots open for a six-day silent retreat

Hi Downtown Dharma,

I hope this finds everyone well   The Dharma Gates, a 501c(3) dedicated to opening pathways into formal meditation training for young adults ages 18-35, has some spots open for a six-day silent retreat in early April.

Here's a bit more info about the retreat 

• Dates: The retreat will take place from Mon April 3rd - Sunday April 9th
• Location: It is taking place at a retreat center in Charles Town, WV called Claymont Society. It's about 1 hour 20 min drive from DC, and we will be organizing carpools from DC.
• Teacher: This retreat will be led by Beth Upton. She spent five years training in meditation in the Theravada tradition under the guidance of Pa Auk Sayadaw, then a further five years training in other meditation methods and doing long solo retreats. Beth has been teaching meditation since 2014 both in Almeria and in meditation retreats around the world.
• Experience Level & Age Range: The retreat is intended for those that are beginners or intermediate practitioners. For some of the attendees, it will be their first meditation retreat! The retreat is for adults ages 18-35.

Other questions you might have:

• What is the daily schedule like? Click here to see a daily schedule for the retreat: https://www.dharma-gates.org/.../a-beautiful-relationship...
  Everything on the schedule will be optional with the exception of: the morning sutta reading (7:00 am) and the meditation period after lunch
• What does it cost? The retreat is run on a donation basis in the spirit of dana. There is no required attendance fee. We ask that participants give a deposit of $100 in order to claim your place at the retreat. There will be an option to receive this deposit back upon arrival at the retreat.
• What about dietary needs? The food served at the retreat will be 100% vegan. If you have specific allergies or requests, you will be able to submit those to the retreat center ahead of time. You are welcome to bring personal food items if you need to -- there will be a fridge and personal food storage.
• What is the theme or focus for the retreat? On this retreat, Beth will guide us in cultivating a relaxed, beautiful relationship with our object of meditation, with the breath as a default object. Through creating a beautiful relationship with meditation, we can train ourselves in wholesome qualities of the mind which translate into all of our relationships with ourselves, with other beings, and with the world.
  
  Please message me 1:1 with any questions! I'd be happy to chat 1:1 with you via Zoom, or I can answer questions via email / FB messenger, too. I hope to see some of you there.

With kindness,

B.I.

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