April 28 - 30, 2024
Dharmakaya Center for Wellbeing, Cragsmoor, New York
Overnight and commuter options available.
I spent many years in Israel studying Jewish mysticism while I was organizing and teaching Nonviolent Communication trainings. Some of my favorite discoveries were the end-of-Passover rituals of shvii shel Pesach and Moshiach Seudah. In Jerusalem we stayed up all night on the seventh night of Passover, shvii shel Pesach, for study, ritual and discussion of what seas we wanted to cross, what portals to split open, the rebirths and openings we were ready to risk in our lives. The next day we closed the Passover week with a special feast, seudah, called Moshiach seudah. The meal we taste in a new consciousness of freedom.
To all this we add a focus on loving kindness, or chesed in the Jewish mystical tradition. Through Passover, for a total of 49 days, we pass through what I think of as a Jewish bardo, a liminal period where we are in the process of freeing ourselves from bondage, preparing for another level of revelation. For 7 nights during Passover the mystical tradition offers steps to elevate our practice of loving kindness. This is known as counting the omer. It is a deep gradual process of awakening that leads to the holiday of Shavuot, the sudden revelation at Mount Sinai.
At this spring retreat I will be joined by musician, artist, and Woodstock Jewish Congregation Clergy Team leader Reb Karen Levine. On the Dharmakaya mountain we will create ritual space and practices to journey from Passover into a new level of freedom together.
Retreat Highlights
- Ritual experience crossing from our narrow places through the birth canal of the sea
- End of Passover Mystical Feast for integration of liberation consciousness
- Interactive Nonviolent Communication practices for cultivating loving kindness linked to Passover themes
- Jewish mystical teachings including the splitting of the sea on the seventh night of Passover and the rhythmic movement of the sacred Hebrew calendar, from Passover to counting the Omer
- Intimate setting with personal access to the teachers and small group discussion
- Integration of Buddhist mindfulness and Jewish practices
- Interactive sessions with question and answer periods
- Personal and guided meditation sessions
- Delicious all-vegetarian meals with locally sourced ingredients** See note below about Passover food observance
- Option to extend stay for a personal retreat
- Extensive library of spiritual books for your enjoyment
- Expansive wooded grounds with beautiful flora and fauna for walking meditation and contemplation
Through this retreat, participants will have the opportunity to rest, relax, and recharge, connect to their spiritual core, cultivate a deeper understanding of themselves, and foster personal growth.
Open to all
This retreat is designed to offer insights and experiences that nourish and deepen the practice of participants at every level—beginners just embarking on a spiritual journey, professionals seeking to integrate contemplative practices into daily life, and “old hands” wanting to continue practicing and deepening their understanding and connection. Our teachings are rooted in timeless wisdom, yet presented in a manner that resonates with modern seekers. Whether you’re familiar with Jewish, Buddhist or Nonviolent Communication teachings or are encountering them for the first time, you’ll find a welcoming space to explore, reflect, and grow.