About this IMS Online Retreat

Friday, November 22, 2024 - Sunday, November 24, 2024

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We invite self-identified Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) who have been practicing mindfulness for three years and have sat at least two silent residential Insight Meditation retreats of at least 4 days in length to join us for this special online concentration retreat.

In today’s world, it is vital that BIPOC people have access to the Buddha’s empowering teachings on the capacity of the mind/heart to experience deep stillness, tranquility, and one-pointedness.  Wise concentration strengthens the mind, opening it to liberating insight and stabilizing it so that we can meet and effectively respond to life’s challenges. 

The instructions and offerings on this retreat will explore the factors of mind that support concentration, including the jhanic factors, renunciation, seclusion, tranquility, and joy.  We will cultivate concentration both through mindfulness of breathing and lovingkindness meditation, and we will explore the different types of concentration accessible to us through these practices. 


Choose your enrollment fee

Schedule

This retreat begins on Friday, November 22, at 7:00 pm ET and concludes Sunday, November 24, at 12:00 pm ET. A full home retreat schedule and instructions will be offered. The live session schedule with the teacher is as follows:

Friday, November 22, 2024

7:00 pm - 8:30 pm ET 

Saturday, November 23, 2024

10:00 am - 12:00 pm ET 

2:00 pm - 4:00 pm ET 

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm ET

Sunday, September 22, 2024

10:00 am - 12:00 pm ET 

Meet Your Teachers

Tara Mulay

Tara Mulay’s teachings stem from the lineage of Mahasi Sayadaw. She has gratefully drawn influence from many other teachers within and outside of the Mahasi lineage, including Howard Cohn, Kamala Masters, Gil Fronsdal, Joseph Goldstein, Sayadaw U Tejaniya, and Ayya Anandabodhi. Tara practiced criminal defense law in California for over 20 years. She was a leader of Mission Dharma in San Francisco, and in 2016 she co-founded the San Francisco People of Color Insight Sangha. She remained a core teacher with the group until the spring of 2019, when she relocated to Western Massachusetts. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Insight World Aid. Tara is of South Asian (Indian) descent. She felt initially drawn to dharma practice upon encountering the Buddha’s teachings rejecting social caste as a measure of worth and of capacity for awakening. She believes classical Buddhist practices, designed to cultivate compassion, non-greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion, are uniquely potent vehicles for empowering people in marginalized communities and effecting social change.

Devin Berry

Devin Berry has been meditating for over 20 years. His practice is primarily informed by the classical teachings of early Buddhism and the Insight Meditation tradition. He has undertaken many periods of silent long-term retreat practice. Devin completed the Dedicated Practitioners Program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, where he is a visiting teacher and is a graduate of the 2017-2021 Insight Meditation Society Teacher Training Program. Devin served as a core leader with San Francisco POC Insight Sangha. He is a community teacher at East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland, CA where he co-founded the teen sangha and the Men of Color sangha. Devin currently serves on the Board of Directors of Insight World Aid. He has recently relocated to Western Massachusetts and teaches nationally.

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 November 22, 2024 at 6 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.

  • Additional Questions

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