About this IMS Online Livestream Retreat

Tuesday, April 27, 2027 - Tuesday, May 4, 2027

The Buddha's teaching on mindfulness of the body in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta offers a profound and often overlooked doorway into direct experience: contemplation of the four great elements (mahābhūta) of earth, water, fire, and wind as they manifest in this very body. In this silent retreat, we will turn our attention to the elemental nature of embodied life—the solidity and heaviness of earth, the fluidity and cohesion of water, the warmth and temperature of fire, and the movement and pressure of wind. Through this practice, we will discover how these qualities arise and pass in every moment of felt experience.

Drawing on the Buddha's original instructions and the rich commentarial tradition which maps specific bodily sensations to each element in fine detail, we will develop a precise and intimate awareness of the body—not as "mine", but as a living process of elemental activity. Through guided meditation, periods of sitting and walking practice, and dharma talks, we will explore how this contemplation softens our habitual identification with the body, cultivates samādhi, and opens the heart to a deeper understanding of impermanence and not-self.

This online experience will be a livestream of the This Living Body retreat with Devon Hase and Cara Lai. Meditation instructions and dharma talks will be live-streamed from the IMS Meditation Hall. Please note that there is no direct interaction with the onsite teachers during this online retreat.

This course is open to everyone.

This retreat begins on Tuesday, April 27 at 7:15 pm ET and concludes Tuesday, May 4 at 10:45 am ET. A full home retreat schedule and instructions will be offered. 

Click here to view an example home retreat schedule.



This registration page is for the online version of this retreat. If you would like to register for the in-person version of this retreat, click here to view the Retreat Center schedule.

Choose your enrollment fee

Meet Your Teaching Team

A portrait of teacher Devon Hase in front of a green background.devon hase has practiced intensively in the insight and vajrayana traditions since discovering meditation in 2000. After a decade of bringing mindfulness to high school and college classrooms, she entered several years of silent, solitary retreat in the mountains of Oregon. She now teaches at the Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock Meditation Center, and the Forest Refuge, and serves as co-guiding teacher of the online dharma community Refuge of Belonging. Devon supports practitioners in both long and short retreats, as well as through personal mentoring, with an emphasis on relational practice and connection to the natural world. Along with her life partner, nico, she co-authored How Not to Be a Hot Mess and the forthcoming This Messy, Gorgeous Love: A Buddhist Guide to Lasting Partnership (2026).


A portrait of teacher Cara Lai in front of a brown background.Cara Lai has spent most of her life in pursuit of meaning and happiness, which landed her on a cushion for much of her adult life. Throughout many mind-body adventures including many long-term retreats, she has explored the concentrated mind, chronic illness, the value of pleasure, the power of maternal energy, and connection to the earth. In the past, Cara has worked as an artist, wilderness guide, social worker and psychotherapist. Now she finds herself intently focused on the dharma path, practicing both on and off the cushion in unconventional ways, and using intuition as her guide. She tries her best to teach from the most authentic and vulnerable place she can muster, and is still learning about the contentment of simply existing.

More Information

  • Equity Pricing Model

    As one part of our ongoing effort to expand access to the teachings of the Buddha, all IMS Online programs feature equity-based registration fees, including the opportunity to self-select a low-cost scholarship rate. No-fee enrollment is available for those who request a fee-waiver at [email protected], no questions asked. Our system supports the cultivation of a dynamic and inclusive community and is made possible by our generous donors and those who choose to support other students by contributing at the “Benefactor” level.

  • Registration Deadline

    Registration for this program closes on April 27, 2027 at 5:00 pm ET.

  • Program Recordings

    This program will be recorded and made available for on-demand viewing after the live sessions. On-demand videos will be available to registered participants only for 90 days.

  • Refunds

    IMS Online offers full refunds through the last day of a live program. Refunds for this program can be processed until May 4, 2027. Refunds can only be applied to the card that was used for the purchase. Please reach out to [email protected] with any refund requests. 

  • Additional Questions

    If you have additional questions please contact us at [email protected].