Meditation Retreat Discussion with Kim McLaughlin, Megan Cowan & Jim Podolske

Meditation Retreat Discussion with Kim McLaughlin, Megan Cowan & Jim Podolske

Sunday, February 21, 2010, 11:15am to 12:30pm

For those who have never sat a retreat, or those who have but are curious about extended retreat practice, experienced practitioners will discuss the following:

• A typical retreat day, retreat “etiquette”, interviews, accommodations, food

• Types of retreats: Vipassana, metta, monastic, study, abroad, self-retreat

• Preparing for a retreat and post-retreat integration

• Helpful hints

Kim McLaughlin has been a student of insight meditation since 1987. Prior to that she practiced concentration meditation and other aspects in the Ananda Marga spiritual tradition for 18 years. She studied with the Venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw in Burma for three months in 2004. She was a participant in the Dharma Practice Program study group with Gil Fronsdal, and a graduate of the Buddhist Chaplaincy course sponsored by Sati Center.

Megan Cowan has been practicing since 1996, mostly in Burma, and including two and half years ordained as a nun. In 2001, she fell upon teaching mindfulness meditation to children and found it to be incredibly inspiring. Most recently, she started the Community Partnership for Mindfulness in Education through Park Day School in Oakland with Laurie Grossman and Richard Shankman. She experiences great joy in offer these tools of awareness and compassion to young people, preparing them to influence peace in our world.

Jim Podolske is a scientist who has been a Vipassana student of Gil Fronsdal since 1998. He serves the Insight Meditation Center sangha both as a volunteer and introductory meditation instructor, and is a former IMC board member. He has sat Vipassana, Samadhi, and Brahmavihara retreats over the last 10 years, including a six week retreat with Joseph Goldstein in 2003. Jim enjoys sailing on the San Francisco Bay.