The greatest gift is the
gift of the teachings
 
Retreat Dharma Talks at Spirit Rock Meditation Center

Insight Meditation Winter Solstice Retreat: Embracing the dark and inviting the light

In this retreat, we will emphasize centering ourselves at the time of the holidays and the New Year, quieting our minds, grounding in our bodies, opening up our hearts, and using inquiry to help give energy to our practice. There will be a special emphasis on opening to the darkness, including to our difficulties and challenges, as well as to the coming light — to our beauty, joy, wisdom, and love. The retreat will include complete meditation instructions, sitting and walking meditation, daily loving kindness practice, daily Qigong practice, evening talks, practice discussions, and a Winter Solstice ceremony.

2018-12-17 (7 days) Spirit Rock Meditation Center

  
2018-12-18 Practicing at the Winter Solstice: Embracing the Dark, Inviting the Light 64:07
Donald Rothberg
We use six metaphors for darkness to suggest ways to orient our practice, both in general and here at the time of the Winter Solstice. We look at darkness as stopping (like the earth), as being with the difficult and painful, as not knowing (and being with the mysterious), as opening to the shadow, as generative and fertile (like the earth), and as luminous.
Creative Commons License