A Gesture of Awakening — A Retreat with Paramananda

A Gesture of Awakening — A Retreat with Paramananda; August 22, 6pm to Aug 29, 2:30pm (Weekend Option Aug 22, 6pm to Aug 24, 3pm)

According to myth, the Buddha confirmed his enlightenment by making the gesture of touching the earth. We can extend this idea of "mudra" to the whole body where the posture expresses our intention and affirms our faith.

In this longer retreat, we will explore how meditation can be understood and practiced in a psycho-somatic way, emphasizing our physical experience instead of our conceptual experience.  

Along with sitting, the retreat will include some gentle bodywork and will take place largely in silence. The retreat will also include ritual practice. 

Led by: Paramananda has been teaching meditation and leading retreats worldwide for over 30 years and is also a poet and author of four books on meditation: Change Your Mind, A Deeper Beauty, The Body and The Myth of Meditation.
Paramananda will be supported by Paramabodhi, who is currently based at the London Buddhist Center. Paramabodhi lived and worked with Paramananda for many years, mainly in San Francisco.

Image detail: Mandala of the Thirteen Buddhas (Jūsan butsu mandara) Muromachi period 1392–1573), Momoyama (1573–1615), or Edo (1615–1868) period; Japan

This retreat is residential and meals/housing are included in the price. Please see the note below about donations for teachers.  You can access helpful information about attending retreats at Aryaloka here.
 

As of May 1st, 2025 we are no longer requiring covid testing to attend overnight events at Aryaloka. You may consider testing on your own initiative but we will not be asking to see a negative test. We will continue to run air purifiers in common spaces during all events at Aryaloka. 

We will be maintaining a few health related requests as follows:

• If you know you have been exposed to Covid-19 or if you have had Covid-19 within a five day period of the event’s start-time, we ask that you not attend in-person.
• If you have cold or flu symptoms, we ask that you do not attend in-person.

Zoom options are available for some events. Transfer of fees or refunds are also available for illness or illness-preventative related absence. Please email info@aryaloka.org if you have any questions, or health related concerns.
 

A Culture of Generosity and Support
In the tradition of passing on the Dharma freely, our Dharma retreat and workshop facilitators offer their work without charge and are not paid. We recognize the value in what they do and want to thank them for their time, energy and wisdom. A financial gift can help support our facilitators to afford them the opportunity to lead. Please consider making a donation towards their support. There is often a cash collection and a thank you card that is passed on the retreat, though one can also make a donation directly to facilitators with a check, and some use money transfer services such as PayPal or Venmo. Thank you for your generosity.
 

At Aryaloka, we strive to make our programs available to everyone regardless of their financial circumstances. Our fee structure allows you to pay according to your means. 

The Event Rate is our actual fee for the event. It is for people paying their rent or mortgage, and who can afford occasional or regular leisure expenses such as dining out. Any payment above the advertised fee is a tax-deductible donation. 

The Mid-Level Reduced Rate is for those who are paying their mortgage or rent, though experience a consistent tightness in budget that makes extras like leisure activities or unexpected expenses difficult or impossible. 

The Base-Level Reduced Rate is for those without an income or with an income low enough that making ends meet is a challenge. 

Those whose circumstances are not included above can email the office to make other arrangements including reduced rates, payment schedules, volunteer opportunities and scholarships. info@aryaloka.org