These
Teen Retreats offer a profound opportunity for youth meditation
practice
and the exploration of how to live our lives with kindness
and wisdom.
These retreats are a 'don't miss!' for any teen interested
in experiencing
meditation and mindfulness practices, truthful/heartfelt communication,
wonderful mentors, safe community, great food, and a time
to relax and
reflect on the mysteries and truths of our lives.
-Heather Sundberg, Family/Teen Program, Spirit Rock
Follow these links to
receive email notification
of upcoming BPF Youth Program events, to find other resources
for teens interested in meditation, and to check out our online
forum.
1.
Dates and Places for Retreats
2008
June Teen Retreat
4 PM June 15th to 2 PM June 21st (6 nights) Padmasambhava
Peace Institute
Cazadero, California (west of Santa Rosa) Teachers: Tempel Smith, Spring Washam, and
Pascal Auclair
Registration to begin March 15st.
For more info and to receive an application form, email:june.teen@bpf.org
Virginia Teen Retreat
4 PM July 6rd to 2 PM July 12th (6 nights)
Stuart, Virginia (south of Roanoke) Teachers: Marvin Belzer, Erin Hill and Tempel Smith
Registration to begin April 1st.
For more info and to receive an application form, email: joklein@swva.net
October
Teen Retreat
4 PM October 3rd to 1 PM October 5th (2 nights)
Hidden Villa
Los Altos, California (near San Jose) Teacher: Tempel Smith and others
Registration to begin July 1st. For more info and to receive an application form, email:oct.teen@bpf.org
2009
Spirit Rock New Years' Teen Retreat 4 PM December 28th, '08 to 1 PM January 2nd '09 (5 nights) Walden West
Saratoga, California Teachers: Heather Sundberg, Spring Washam and Tempel Smith
Registration to begin August 26th.
April Teen Weekend Dates and Location to be announced Teachers: Tempel Smith and Spring Washam Registration to begin February 1st. For more info and to receive an application form, email:april.teen@bpf.org
June Teen Retreat
4 PM June 21st to 2 PM June 27th (6 nights) Padmasambhava Peace Institute
Cazadero, California (west of Santa Rosa) Teachers: Tempel Smith, Spring Washam, and Pascal Auclair
Registration to begin March 1st.
For more info and to receive an application form, email:june.teen@bpf.org
October Teen Retreat
Details coming in early 2009
Registration to begin July 1st. For more info and to receive an application form, email:oct.teen@bpf.org
2.
Retreat Description These retreats
are an opportunity for teenagers to explore Mindfulness practice
through guided periods of silent sitting and walking meditation,
small group discussions, creative activities, and unstructured
free time. Besides learning the formal meditation practices
there are also times to go for walks, play music, tell stories,
and enjoy a bonfire on the last night. Since meditation practice
may be new to some teens each period of sitting meditation
will be limited to half an hour.
"These
retreats are a wonderful opportunity for any teen serious
about deepening his or her meditation practice."
-James Baraz, Spirit Rock
Tempel
Smith has been practicing Insight and Metta meditation
since the 1989 including a year as a fully ordained monk in
Burma. He is the founder of BASE
House, a collective of socially engage Dharma practitioners.
He is currently organizes the Young Adult programs at the
Buddhist Peace Fellowship,
and is in teacher training at Spirit Rock. Tempel has been
leading retreats for adults and youth for ten years.
Spring Washam
is a spiritual activist, teacher and co-founder of the East Bay Meditation Center. She has practiced insight meditation since 1996 with many renowned teachers. She is considered a pioneer in bringing mindfulness based meditation practices to youth and communities of color. Spring is a Spirit Rock community dharma leader and is in teacher training with Jack Kornfield at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. She currently teaches workshops, classes and retreats for youth and adults throughout the U.S.
Heather Sundberg is the Spirit Rock Family/Teen Program teacher and manager. Having practiced meditation since the age of 17 and having attended annual 1-2 month retreat periods over the last decade, she has taught meditation to teens, children, and families since 1999. She is currently in Jack Kornfield's teacher training program.
Pascal Auclair has been immersed in the Dhamma since 1997, sitting retreats in Thailand, India and America with revered monastics and lay teachers. He is currently being mentored by Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield while working at the Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts and Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California. He has been working with teens for close to a decade now.
Marvin Belzer
has practiced vipassana since 1982, studying primarily with
Sayadaw U Pandita since 1986. He teaches
philosophy and meditation at Bowling Green University in Ohio,
and has helped develop the Teen Retreat from its beginning
17 years ago.
Diana Winston is the Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center. She has been teaching meditation to teens since 1993 and is the author of Wide Awake! A Buddhist Guide for Teenagers. She is a member of the Teachers Council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where she teaches yearly to people of all ages, and is currently engaged in bringing mindfulness teachings to K-12 schools, medical education, mental health professionals, and the general public across the life-span.
Additionally,
facilitators will be available to support teens whenever needed.
Meals are vegetarian and are prepared with tastes and preferences
of young people in mind.
3.
To Receive an Application To receive
an application form, please email the address above connected with
that retreat.
4.
Cost and Scholarships The total
cost of the 6-day BPF Teen Retreats are $495 - $295 sliding scale.
A $100 deposit is needed when the application is sent in,
though only send in $65 with the application if you are applying
for a scholarship.
We have three ways
to help those teens with greater financial limitations. (1) The
first is a payment plan where the retreat can be paid for
over many months. (2) The second is a partial scholarship each
teen can apply for. (3) The third is a small grant to any teens
whom have worked or volunteered in a progressive non-profit
agency in the last 6 months. Please call or email us for more
information concerning financial support.
Follow these links to receive
email notification
of upcoming BPF Youth Program events, to find other resources
for teens interested in meditation, and to check out our online
forum.
