Into the Mystic, a Semi-silent Dharma Artist Retreat, at Dharmashire

600 Edgewood Avenue,Mill Valley CA 94941

25 August, 2022

Description

Play. Make. Meditate in the beauty of Mill Valley and Dharmashire. Walk soft among redwood trees. Compose. Write. Draw. Improvise. Feel joy. “In art, the basic sense of delight and spontaneity...can provide wonderful rainbows and thundershowers and gusts of wind...”. Excerpted from: “Joining Heaven and Earth,” in True Perception: The Path of Dharma Art by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche ~~~ From Thursday evening at 5:30p ~ Saturday afternoon at 1:00p, Aug. 25-27, up to 15 participants, all levels, come as you are ~~~ Aug. 25: the beginning ~ evening talk, sharing circle, ~ 5:30pm to 8pm, *semi-silence* *hot tea and snacks* Aug. 26: the middle ~ 10:30am ~ 6pm, Contemplative Creative Practice in the morning, Rest, Scores/ making in the afternoon, *bring lunch* August 27: the ending ~ Sunrise walking, Rest, Scores/ making ~ 1:00pm (sharing circle starts @11:30am) , *bring a food offering to share with the group* Some parts of this retreat will happen *outside*. Ideally each person will have a cushion spot inside, or ground cloth/ cushion outside. *Bring your own cushion/ pillow/ blanket.* ~~~ Locals come and go. Out of towners may stay at nearby partner hotels with a Dharmashire discount code. Please reach out for more information, and plan your stay in advance, because this is a sweet area, and rooms book quickly. ~~~ Into the Mystic Flow: Thurs., August 25 6:00pm – 8:00pm ~ arrive, make a nest, begin a fade into observing *silence*, introductory talk: Brief Intro. to Dharma Art ~ history, methods & philosophy (Heaven~Earth & Human), invitation for each person to say *hello and to share their intention for our time together. Parameters: it is okay to make sound during our Creative Playtime sessions, there will be two “Open Space” sessions in which there’s an invitation to interact. At times during the retreat we are in parallel play, and so if you’d prefer not to interact that’s okay. Consider that while we work alone we can create, but then all of us in parallel play also create something akin to a score, a little life performance, solo, but perhaps also collaborative. These practices are kind, but pleasing your own process is most important. Fri., August 26 10:30am Sanctuary ~ arrive observing *silence*, save light verbal instructions from Mary, *water & tea available*. (*Bring your own mug, utensils, plate & napkin*). Background music, e.g., Satie’s, The Gymnopédies, or *live* acoustic guitar, or soft drumming, or natural sounds. The invitation is to move, breathe, find stillness, anything that helps you arrive. Floor space will be provided. 11:00am – 12:45pm 5-element yoga to cleanse & warm, interspersed with breathing (outside; barefoot option) You will easily memorize this practice if you want to bring it home with you, and Mary will provide a handout as well. Brief Meditation (cozy cushion spots for meditation & also some mellow stretching) Creative Play Time ~ each participant chooses their medium, e.g., write, dance, compose, etc. *Option to bring sketch pad, journal, water colors. *Option also to meditate, sleep, go into light movement/ personal awareness practice Brief Meditation 1:00 – 2:00pm ~ nourishing lunch, *still observing silence* *bring your own lunch* contact us if you need food support please. *tea and water will be offered* 2:15pm ~ 4:00pm Sacred Napping to digest (with light instruction on breathing & invitation to position restoratively) Walking meditation, Warrior in the World Praise Walk (outside; barefoot option) Creative Play Time~ each participant still chooses medium, keep silence (unless reading out loud or something, may bring text to do so), but can *interact* (look at someone’s drawing, dance/sing a duet, dance a pedestrian trio, whistle... The village view, the eye & ear practices, plus well wishing ~ guidance for witnesses and being a warm audience Crossing the Threshold, a guided visualization in preparation for the sharing circle Brief Meditation 4:15pm ~ 5:30pm Sharing Circle into Dedicating the merit of the work. Invitation to offer/ show work. *Silence broken for the sharing circle* Sat., August 27 Sunrise – 7:30am ~ arrive, sanctuary, make a nest and also do personal awareness practice *it is okay to arrive late if sunrise is too early 8:00 ~ 9:00am element yoga followed by sitting meditation, followed by walking meditation with the option to go barefoot 9:15 ~ 11:15am Creative Playtime, Alone and Together 11:30am -1:00pm Sharing Circle and We End