Schedule of Retreats and Daylongs

What might you expect at a Residential Retreat?

What might you expect at a Daylong?

Heather's 2023 Teaching Schedule 

Sunday January 8 ONLINE, from 10am - 3:30pm PT, hosted by Sacramento Buddhist Meditation Group
Calling In and Letting Go: Teachings from the Thai Forest Tradition
https://sbmg.org/event/online-daylong-meditation-retreat-calling-in-and-letting-go-teachings-from-the-thai-forest-tradition-with-heather-sundberg/

WEEKEND Friday February 10 - Sunday February 12 ONLINE, hosted by Barre Center for Buddhist Studies
Topic:  MahaSati, Introduction to Awareness of Emptiness
Registration Now Open: https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/course/mahasati-an-introduction-to-awareness-of-emptiness-practices/
** Attending this retreat will allow a person to choose to apply for the 2024-2025 MahaSati Training with Heather after the retreat if they want to.  It's also a great retreat for those already in MahaSati Training to have their interested dharma friends attend.

WEEKEND May 19 - May 21 (Friday - Sunday, 3 Full Days) ONLINE Emptiness Retreat Intensive with Heather and Leigh Brasington
Join Heather and Leigh in a Deep Dive Practice long weekend retreat, in which each of them will offer cutting edge teachings and practices on Emptiness/Essence of Mind.  Heather will offer explorations into Pure Awareness, Emptiness, and Atammayata (the nondual) informed by the MahaSati lineage she teaches out of the Theravada Thai forest tradition.  Leigh will offer explorations into Emptiness as taught in the early Suttas, and approaches to Emptiness Practice from the both the Suttas and later Buddhism. 
** Attending this retreat will allow a person to choose to apply for the 2024-2025 MahaSati Training with Heather after the retreat if they want to.  It's also a great retreat for those already in MahaSati Training to have their interested dharma friends attend.
For those currently in MahaSati Trainings:  If the retreat grows large in size, groups with Leigh and 1:1's with Heather will not be offered for you during your weekend retreat, in order to leave space for those who do not have regular practice check in support.  However, you are still welcome to join the retreat for the practices and teachings offered.
Registration will open April 3, 2023.  Contact Juliana at juliana@julianasloane.com to register on or after April 3rd.
Registration closes on May 10th. 

MahaSati Retreat ONLINE Sunday June 4 - Sunday June 11 (7 nights) for those in MahaSati 2020 Training 
This retreat is designed for the MahaSati 2020 Training, using Year 4 Curriculum.
Registration will open Feb. 8, 2023.  Details will be sent to the training group at that time.

DAYLONG Saturday June 24 ONLINE from 10am - 3:30pm PT, hosted by Sacramento Insight Meditation
Topic: The Bahiya Sutta:  Taking the One Seat in Awareness to Release Reactivity
Registration: https://sactoinsight.org/event/retreat-jun-24/

MahaSati Retreat ONLINE Sunday July 16 - Sunday July 23 (7 nights) for those in MahaSati 2022 Training
This retreat is designed for the MahaSati 2022 Training using Year 2 Curriculum.
Registration will open April 3, 2023.  Details will be sent to the training group at that time. 

November 11 - 12 (Saturday - Sunday) Emptiness & Suchness Retreat ONLINE for experienced practitioners - Hosted by BCBS
Description & registration: https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/course/deepening-into-emptiness-and-suchness-from-the-thai-forest-tradition/

November 13 - 16 (Monday - Thursday); Online Householder Retreat with Daily Teachings through Nirodha Sangha in Finland
Teachings and practices to deepen in daily life activities
Heather will lead a teaching and guided meditation once a day from 9 - 10:15am PDT (Noon - 1:15pm EDT).
Juha (teacher from Finland) will lead a teaching and guided meditation once a day at approx 9pm PDT (Midnight EDT).
Registration info and specific topics for practice will be posted closer to the time of this special event.

December 17 - 23 (Sunday - Saturday) HYBRID RETREAT - Heather offering Opening/Closing Programs + Check In Groups for ONLINE participants only
Spirit Rock Winter Solstice Retreat will be held in person, with an online live stream option for those wanting to attend from home.
Heather will be supporting the online retreat participants with Two Check In Groups during the retreat period.
Meditation instruction and teachings will be offered by Oren Sofer, Dawn Scott, and Devon Hase.  
www.spiritrock.org

What might you expect at a Residential Retreat?

Attending an annual or biannual insight meditation retreat can be a wonderful support to deepen and enliven your practice. Residential retreats range from 3 – 10 days, and a few retreats are 30 days or more. Retreats are appropriate for both beginning and experienced meditators. A typical daily schedule starts at 6am and ends at 9:30pm, and is spent in silence with alternating periods of sitting and walking meditation. To support your practice and learning there are daily meditation instructions, time to ask questions and dharma talks. Every couple of days there is time to meet with the teacher, either individually or in groups. Meals are vegetarian and are prepared with health and nutrition in mind. Being supported by the group, the schedule, the silence, and meditation instruction are helpful for calming the mind, opening the heart, and deepening in insight.

Alternatively, Online Retreats are a wonderful way to deepen your practice at home or a local rented accommadation. Generally, Heather teaches at 9am, 2p, and 4pm Pacific Time. The rest of the time you will be supported to meditate in all 4 posutres, in all acitivites.  Individual check ins are offered to longer retreats, small groups for weekend retreats.  From 2020-2022 Heather has only taught retreats online.  

What might you expect at a Daylong?

Attending a monthly daylong provides you with a day of quiet time for yourself amidst your busy life.  Daylongs typically begin at 10am and last until 5pm (until 3pm if Online). Alternating periods of sitting and walking meditation with instruction, dharma talks and discussion allow you to connect more deeply with the teachings and meditation practice.