devon hase loves long retreats. Cumulatively, she’s spent four years in silent practice in the Insight and Vajrayana traditions. Since discovering meditation in 2000, she has put dharma and community at the center of her life: she spent a decade bringing mindfulness to high school and college classrooms and now teaches at the Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock, and other centers around the world. She enjoys supporting practitioners with personal mentoring, and her friendly, conversational approach centers relational practice and the natural world. Along with her life partner nico, devon co-authored How Not to Be a Hot Mess: A Buddhist Survival Guide for Modern Life. She continues to spend a good part of the time in wilderness retreat in Oregon, Massachusetts, and elsewhere. For more, visit devonandnicohase.com
Reflections on emptiness as taught by the Buddha (Bahiya, Rohitassa, Rahula). And how this reveals a deep and abiding compassionate kind of love for ourselves, all beings, and the world. Invitation to the Devas paritta chant with Dawn Scott at the beginning.
Teachings on Liberative Dependent Co-Arising, with a focus on Piti leading into Passaddhi. References to Joseph Goldstein, Mingyur Rinpoche, and Disney's Sword in the Stone.
Instructions and guided practice on meditating with strong emotions - light RAIN with somatic experiencing using orienting, titrating, and pendulating.
Short talk followed by a guided meditation on working with vedana in the mind. How to practice with thoughts and their machinations in the third foundation of mindfulness from the Satipatthana Sutta.
Teachings on how to practice metta for ourselves, including poetry by Jane Hirshfield and a story by Father Gregory Boyle. Guided practice in receiving care and sending love to our younger self.
A brief overview of noting practice as done using sounds, body, or breath as our primary anchor. Description of how to use perception (sañña) as the proximate cause for a moment of mindfulness to arise, followed by a silent 30 min meditation.
A talk focused on Dana Parami and its role in recognizing Nibbana. The discussion highlighted the importance of removing obscurations to reveal awareness, wisdom, and love. Devon explained how Paramis helped clear the way and emphasized the interdependence of giving and receiving. Practical aspects of generosity were addressed, including maintaining healthy boundaries and understanding motivations. Personal stories and reflections were shared to illustrate different types of giving and the long-term benefits of a generous mindset. Devon encouraged participants to practice generosity in daily life and highlighted the profound impact of living with an open heart.
