Well Being Retreat Center
"Where Silence Is Expressed"
Well Being Retreat Center Events
November
Don Oakley will present an series online talk (with an opportunity for questions) via Zoom on Tuesday evening November 24th at 6:30 pm EST. We have the opportunity to explore our deeper Nature during this time rather than dwelling entirely in fear and anxiety. We must, of course, take care of our bodies and be prudent to the extent we must venture out in the world, but that still leaves considerable space to venture into the mystery of our own being. With impermanence staring us in the face, motivation may be heightened to find the timeless, the unchanging, that place where fear has no foothold.
Video Recordings of the previous sessions are on Don's YouTube Channel.
More information HERE
Wednesday Nov 25, 2020 online from 2:00 - 3:30 pm EST- "Well Being Shared Space" with Patty Bottari
Patty will host an online Zoom space in which participants in Don's Tuesday evening Satsangs can "meet" to share their thoughts, experiences, realization, challenges, and joys during this time of relative isolation. An invitation will be sent with the Zoom login link.
Please share from your own perspective, refrain from offering advice to others, and listen lovingly. Sometimes it is helpful to say things out loud - it helps to clarify our intentions - even to ourselves. It is also helpful to hear that what may seem like personal struggles may not be all that uncommon.
We are each on our own unique journey but we can learn and rejoice in the company of others. More information here
Have a Joyous and Safe Thanksgiving
December
Dec 30, 2020 - Jan 2, 2021 12th Annual New Years Retreat with Don Oakley & Patty Bottari
This Event will be devoted to exploring deeply into the Nature of our Existence. The retreat will begin with check-in on Wednesday afternoon December 30th and will end mid-day on Saturday January 2nd. All sessions will be held at the open-air Powell River Pavilion with appropriately spaced seating. Electric wraparound stadium blankets and electric foot warmers will be provided for everyone. Well Being will provide breakfasts during the retreat which will also be served at the Pavilion. Please plan to bring and prepare food for your lunches and suppers. All cabins have kitchenettes. Maximum one person per bedroom except for couples. Shared two bedroom room cabins are available for consenting friends. Cost $150. More Information HERE.
THIS RETREAT IS NOW FULL. WAIT LIST ONLY
Year 2021
January
Saturday January 9, 2021 "A Shift of Identity" Retreat with Don Oakley & Patty Bottari
This day-long retreat will be led by Don Oakley & Patty Bottari will be held on Saturday January 10, 2021 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm EST. The event will be held in the Powell River Pavilion, an open-air, covered Powell River Pavilion on the bank of the river. We have electric wraparound stadium blankets and electric foot warmer pads for everyone. We will limit attendance to allow appropriate seating distance. Please plan to bring your own lunch and snacks. We'll provide coffee, tea, and & lemon-ginger water. More Information to follow.
March
March 13 - 20, 2021 Seven-Night Silent Retreat with Paul Peterson (Upali Upasaka)
Upasaka Upali (Paul Peterson) is a Chattanooga meditation teacher from a style that combines ancient meditation techniques with modern cognitive science. He has taught a wide array of meditators, from federal prison inmates to elementary school students. The Pragmatic Meditation Retreat is open to beginning and advanced practitioners alike. The only prerequisite to attend is a history of consistent meditation practice. It will largely be taught in the style of The Mind Illuminated by Upasaka Culadasa (Tucker Peck, PhD), but all traditions and styles of meditation are welcome. More information HERE.
April
IApril 2 - 4, 2021 Opening Your Heart Through Loving Kindness Retreat with John Blackburn
John Blackburn, Ph.D., has practiced meditation for over 45 years, practicing intensively with teachers in the Vipassana, Zen, and Dzogchen traditions. He leads a local meditation group, the Knoxville Community of Mindfulness. He also serves on the board of directors for Southern Dharma Retreat Center in Spring Creek, NC. More information HERE about this retreat.
April 8 - 11, 2021 Embodied Life & Feldenkrais Retreat with Brenda Rasch
Brenda Rasch is a licensed Physical Therapist, Feldenkrais® instructor and Healing Touch Instructor. This popular three-night retreat is a celebration of Embodied Life™ and will include body awareness practices, meditation, some river paddling, a fire ceremony, and much more. Detailed information is to follow or contact Brenda at 865-363-6416 or at brendaraschpt@gmail.com.
April 14 - 18, 2021 Our Essential Thread: A Mindfulness Retreat with Therese Fitzgerald
The retreat will be mostly in silence and is recommended for both beginning and experienced meditators who feel drawn to mindful living, contemplation, and inner work.
Therese Fitzgerald trained for eight years at the San Francisco and Tassajara Zen Centers and then with Thich Nhat Hanh for fifteen years. She was ordained as a Dharma teacher by Thich Nhat Hanh in 1994. Therese lives on the island of Maui, where she is a Dharma teacher and a hospice chaplain.