Retreat Description
As a guide to practice, we will examine the following three lines of instructions from the Buddhist tradition. The first two are from The Song of Mahamudra by the 11th century Indian sage Tilopa while the third is the Buddha’s concluding instruction on breathing as recorded in the Satipatthana Sutta:
“Do nothing with the body but relax.”
“Become like a hollow bamboo.”
“As you breathe in, breathe in through the whole body; as you breathe out, breathe out through the whole body.”
As foundation for the practice, we will first work to establish the three primary somatic principles shown to support the posture of meditation: alignment (the upright spine), relaxation (surrendering the weight of the body to gravity), and resilience (the understanding that everything moves). Building on this base, we can then begin to explore the Buddha’s suggestion to merge breath with body.
In support of the deeply body-focused nature of the practice, and as an integral component of the program, participants will receive a session of deep bodywork every other day. As a foil to long hours spent sitting, there will also be a great deal of movement work — from traditional walking meditations to spontaneous movement exercises to dynamic yoga practices.
This program is open to all, from beginners up to advanced practitioners. It is helpful for participants to have some experience with sitting practices, be someone who resonates with a powerful somatic focus to dharma practice, and be ready to dive deeply into the very center of body and mind. While you’re free to speak to the teacher, your bodyworker, and the staff, you are otherwise requested to observe silence during this retreat as this too has been shown to deepen practice significantly.
About the Teacher
Will Johnson has written extensively about the role of the body in spiritual practices. He is the author of The Posture of Meditation, The Spiritual Practices of Rumi, and, most recently, Breathing Through the Whole Body.
Will received his B.A. in Art and Archaeology from Princeton University in 1968. Upon graduation, he lived in New York City where he worked as an art critic for Art News Magazine. Several years later he moved to northern California where he began Buddhist practices and became a Certified Rolfer.
Merging his interests in spiritual practice and Western approaches to the body, in 1995 he founded The Institute for Embodiment Training, a school in British Columbia that views the body as the doorway to spiritual opening rather than the obstacle to it.
Registration
Registration for this program is now closed.
Transportation
For general information about traveling to our retreat center, please see the Getting Here page on the Blazing Mountain website.
Dharma Ocean offers a shuttle service from Moffat to the retreat center for those riding the Black Hills Stage Line from Denver. There are limited seats available, therefore we suggest that you choose this option at registration if you need this service and would like to guarantee a seat. The cost of the shuttle is $30 round-trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Check out our Program FAQ page for other important information about being on retreat at Blazing Mountain. For any further questions please email us at posture14@dharmaocean.org.