Holiday Retreat for families and individuals

Join us to experience joy as a spiritual family.  Each one of us takes part in creating the garden of humanity.  Creating joy sometimes eludes us though.  The emphasis of this retreat will be to enhance your practice of planting seeds of joy in yourself and others.

We will use the practices of mindfulness to touch the joy of life in the midst of the mundane. The retreat includes daily teachings on mindfulness and sessions of walking meditation, sitting meditation and eating meditation. We will also have the chance to strengthen our capacities for deep listening and loving speech through the practices of Deep Relaxation, Touchings of the Earth, Beginning Anew, and Dharma sharing. It’s a time to celebrate togetherness with a joyful and supportive spiritual community.

There will also be opportunities to share mindfully and joyfully in the daily tasks of maintaining the monastery through the practice of working meditation. Everyone will work together in small groups―washing pots, gardening, cleaning the meditation hall, and so on.

The retreat is open to all, including beginners, those who have previously attended retreats, and families with children. The nuns and monks will offer separate practice programs for teens (ages 13-17) and children (ages 6-12). The first part of the each Dharma talks is dedicated to children. Parents are welcome to participate/volunteer to help out in the children’s program if they would like.

We at Magnolia Grove Monastery seek to cultivate tolerance, kindness, compassion, generosity and wisdom in turn creating a more peaceful and mindful world. We welcome everyone, regardless of religion, ethnicity, or lifestyle.