One Day Retreat in the City

Healing with the Breath

with FOH founder Catherine Jetsun Yeshe

Sunday December 6, 2009 10am to 5pm at FOH.

$90 for non-members, $75 for members of FOH. 

This retreat will focus on healing with the breath, the fundamental basis for all meditation practice.  Experience the power of the breath through a gentle and compassionate approach.  A mind that is free, open and expansive is a mind that is healed.  The classic Buddhist meditation on the breath can take us step by careful step to that place of rest and clarity where all difficulties resolve and full potential can be realised.  A day of silent reflection can help us on that road.

Suitable for all levels.  Please wear comfortable clothing and bring a lunch to share, and a notebook. A special opportunity for a short retreat with Catherine Jetsun Yeshe. 

Try this short retreat to see if you would like to join us for the one-week residential retreat (there is also a weekend option if space permits) with Catherine Jetsun Yeshe July 16 to 23, 2010.

One Day Retreat for Peace and Fundraiser

with FOH founder Catherine Jetsun Yeshe and other teachers

Sunday November 15, 2009 10am to 5pm at FOH.

Please join us for this annual day focussing on heart centred meditations for peace. This is a fundraiser for Toronto's 416 Drop-in Centre, a Tibetan Nunnery, and Friends of the Heart Bursary Fund that enables anyone to attend off-site retreats.  Donations of all sizes gratefully accepted.  All proceeds benefit the charities - no money goes to administration.   We almost reached our goal of $4000 last year - we are aiming for $5000 this year.  Once again the first $1000 of donations will be matched by a donor!   Bring your friends and find sponsors! You may discover that you can meditate continuously for a long period of time and that you personally gain great joy from doing so.  Or drop in for an hour or two and your energy will contribute to a great feeling of openness and deep calm that pervades the space.  Led by FOH founder Catherine Jetsun Yeshe from 10an to 2pm, and other teachers and senior students.

10-11: Movement Meditation for Peace Within (Dakini Dance of Peace)

11-12: Prayers and Lighting Candles for those who have died

12-1: Tonglen (Sending and Receiving) Practice

1-2: Lunch (at FOH) Please bring something to share

2-3: Rest (Meditation for Stress Reduction)

3-5: Various Meditations for Developing Peace within and without (led by teachers &/or senior students)

Weekend Residential Retreats

Friends of the Heart may offer the following weekend retreat, in spring 2010, date to be confirmed:

Heart Opening and Insight Retreat

Weekend only, Friday afternoon/evening to Sunday mid-afternoon.

 

During this retreat, we will explore the integration of Vipassana or insight meditation and Metta.  Metta, kindness for oneself and others can be practiced as a meditation on its own or as a complement to working with the breath in insight meditation.

We will learn the practice of Metta and how it can aid the development of calm abiding as a foundation for investigation of mind in insight meditation.

We will also investigate Vipassana or insight Meditation is a practice that emphasizes the development of clarity and equanimity with awareness.  Vipassana means to see separately or to see clearly, distinctly and with penetration. 

This going deeply with awareness allows for transformation and release from our conditioning.  The ever changing flow in mind and body is experienced with joy, affection and calm as we learn to take ourselves less seriously.  Our retreats look to balance mind and body in our meditation practice. 

We include in the daily schedule, yoga in the morning, formal walking and sitting meditation and time to be with nature. We ease naturally into silence. The reduction of inner chatter supports the outer silence, just as letting go of social chatter and engagement enhances inner silence.

We usually have a small intimate group of 8 to 10 people.  Very suitable for beginners and experienced meditators alike.

Retreats are held at Harmony Dawn Retreat Centre.  $325 includes teacher fees, shared accommodation, and fabulous vegetarian meals.   Registration details below.

Our retreatants say: "Harmony Dawn is just about perfect as a retreat centre!"

"Thank you, thank you thank you. I found this experience to be a wonderful gift."

                          - Lovingkindness spring retreatant, 2007

Comments on our Spring 2007 Lovingkindness retreat

"Despite having never meditated before, I felt very comfortable on this retreat with the instructions, guidance, and the teacher, who was very approachable and went out of her way to give me extra consideration."

"While I originally found the silence discomfiting, I eventually got used to it. Well done and well organized."

"The timing of the schedule was impeccable. Stillness and activity felt perfectly balanced."

Comment on our Fall 2008 Metta retreat

"Thank you both for a wonderful retreat. The gentle environment was just what I needed."

"Nicola's cooking always leaves me feeling wonderfully nourished!"

For information

  If you are interested, here are some sources for advance reading.
For metta meditation:

• Sharon Salzberg - Loving-Kindness The Revolutionary Art of Happiness
• Jack Kornfield - A Path With Heart
• WildMind - Buddhist Meditation

For Tonglen meditation

• Pema Chodron - Start Where You Are

• Lama Surya Das - Awakening the Buddhist Heart
• Sogyal Rinpoche - Tibetan Book of Living and Dying

Registration
Call FoH now at (416) 486-5105, or email us with your questions.  Download the questionnaire t offered in September)

• Meditation Background Questionnaire

Retreat Precepts

At the beginning of retreat and for the duration of the retreat, all participants are asked to undertake a commitment to harmonious living.  We take at least the first 5 Precepts and depending on retreat and teacher, the additional 3 precepts.  These will be explained in depth prior to start of retreat.  If you have any questions, please contact us.  The retreat organizer or teacher will be happy to answer any questions.

• Retreat Precepts

Advance Reading for All Retreats

    Please have a look at our brief guide to approaching retreat meditation at Turn Your Retreat Into an Advance by Catherine Jetsun Yeshe and Joyce Allen. When we do retreat at Friends of the Heart, we are not trying to retreat from anything, but rather advancing toward our aspirations. Daily life does not normally offer us the quiet spaciousness needed to go beyond a certain threshold of calm in meditation. During retreat, we have the opportunity to move through repeated meditation cycles, allowing us to go deeper each time in a safe, quiet, compassionate atmosphere.

Donations and Payments

If you wish to make a payment to Friends of the Heart we have setup a shopping cart that will process your payment through Paypal. You will find here options for audio teachings, memberships, retreats, donations and for other activities of Friends of the Heart.
You can use Paypal to make secure payments in your own currency. The Canadian dollar amount will be automatically converted for your credit card or bank account. We prefer to work through PayPal as it is time consuming for a volunteer organization to handle cheques and email credit card orders.