Annual Vipassana Meditation Retreat at Sea to Sky
with Michele McDonald and Linda McDonald

Note: The 2012 dates are not yet confirmed.  Registration for the 2012 Sea to Sky retreat wil open March 1, 2012. The likely dates are September 20 - 26.

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• Thursday, September 15 to Wednesday, September 21, 2011 (6-day Vipassana retreat)

Click here for a retreat poster for the Six-day Sea to Sky retreat Sept 15 - 21, 2011.

Michele McDonald has been practicing Vipassana since 1975 and has been teaching worldwide since 1982. She is deeply interested in exploring the relationship between intensive practice, daily life practice, and psychotherapy, in preserving the ancient teachings, and in finding ways of expression that make them more accesssible and authentic for us in this time. She is particularly drawn to the teachings on liberation - the very real possibility of freedom from greed, hatred and delusion in this life.

Linda McDonald has been practicing Vipassana meditation since 1987. A graduate of the Insight Meditation Society teacher training program, she has been teaching meditation since 2001. Her teaching interweaves her psychotherapy training and Christian mystic roots, while emphasizing lovingkindness, the awakening heart of bodhicitta, and unshakeable trust in the unfolding of our experiencing.

Cost

• September 15 to 21, 2011 retreat (six days): $595 (Canadian funds) plus dana

Dana is a Pali word meaning generosity. Since the time of the Buddha, there has existed an interdependence between those who offer the teachings and those who receive them. The teachings are given freely since they are considered priceless. Fees for this retreat cover room, board and administration costs. None of your registration fee goes to the teachers. The teachings are supported in much the same way they were 2,500 years ago, through donations. There will be an opportunity to give financial support to the teachers at the end of the retreat.

Scholarships
Please contact meditation@islandnet.com if you wish to apply for a scholarship or if you wish to provide scholarship money to help others attend.

Registration and Cancellations
Complete and mail a registration form with full payment of $595 by cheque or money order in Canadian funds, payable to Vipassana Metta Vancouver; or provide a deposit of $200, with remainder due August 1. If you are sending a deposit, please include a post-dated cheque for the remaining amount.

Further retreat information will be sent to all applicants. Registration is by mail only. Online registration with credit card is not available for this retreat. Retreat fees will be refunded (less a $50 handling fee) for cancellations on or before August 1, 2011. Retreat fees will NOT be refunded for cancellations made after August 1st.

Retreat Location
The Sea to Sky Retreat Centre (SSRC) is located just south of Whistler, BC on a secluded 40 acre site of extraordinary natural beauty in British Columbia’s coastal mountain range. This beautiful and remote centre was founded in 1993 by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. The main lodge includes three rooms and an open loft providing comfortable shared accommodations for intensive meditation practice. The more secluded Retreat House, includes five rooms with double occupancy. There are also three kutis, accommodation in the mid-level cabin, and a few tenting spaces in the platformed tents provided by SSRC.  SSRC's elegant 700 square foot pavillion situated away from the lodge amid the trees will be used as our meditation hall. Unfortunately, this site is not wheelchair accessible. The buildings are quite spread out, on hillsides with rugged walkways, making it difficult for anyone with mobility problems.

There will be a strong emphasis in this retreat on teacher support for your practice through individual interviews. The retreat is open to both new and experienced meditators.

For further information about the retreat centre, please visit the SSRC website.

Travel Information

By car
The turnoff to the centre is located approximately 33 km north of Squamish. Don't miss the turnoff. You turn immediately after you cross the Rubble Creek bridge. Then you pass one road on the left and the second road has a red sign on a tree. That's the way into the centre on the 3 km entrance road.

Here are the formal instructions:

• Take the Sea to Sky highway 99 north. The turnoff to the centre is located approximately 33 km north of Squamish.
• The turnoff is announced on Hwy 99 with 2 signs for Garibaldi Lake/ Black Tusk Trailhead (the first is 2 km before the park road turnoff and the second 400 metres before the turnoff). The Park turnoff road comes immediately after a small highway bridge over Rubble Creek. Turn right into this road. (You know you have missed the Park Road turn-off if you see a hydro dam on your right hand side, and further along, you pass Pinecrest and Black Tusk Village.)
• Proceed for approx. 0.7 km.
• Turn left (after approximately 0.7 km) onto the gravel road that is marked by a small red sign (on a tree) which says: "SSRC". This turnoff into the SSRC road marked by the sign on the tree is the second road you will pass. (If you have gone more than 1 km, you missed it.)
• The centre is located at the end of this gravel road. (Approx. 3 km). Please drive slowly and mindfully. You may encounter a vehicle coming from the other direction.

By Bus
Sometimes we have participants from Squamish who will meet the Greyhound bus in Squamish and drive participants into SSRC, so please indicate on your registration form if you plan to come by bus. Ride coordination will be arranged by August 1st.

The Greyhound bus from Vancouver to Whistler will stop on the highway nearby to SSRC. If you are coming by bus and we do not have a participant meeting you in Squamish, then you need to purchase your ticket to “Pinecrest” and embark on the Greyhound Coach Lines bus at the Vancouver downtown Pacific Central Station at Main and Terminal Streets. We will arrange for someone from SSRC to pick you up at the designated place on the highway to then drive you into the centre. Please arrange your departure time for the 1 pm bus if you will need to be picked up by someone from SSRC. If this is not possible, please notify the retreat registrar at meditation@islandnet.com.

You will also need to purchase a return ticket from the North Squamish Bus depot for the 2:35 pm bus on retreat departure day. We will arrange for someone to drive you after lunch on the departure day from the Sea to Sky centre to that bus depot.

• The bus schedule is subject to change every season. For updates to any changes in bus schedule please phone 1-800-661-8747 or visit www.greyhound.ca
• The Greyhound bus to Whistler can be in great demand. Greyhound bus now operates on a first come, first serve basis so it is advisable to lineup for bus boarding at least 20 minutes prior to departure.
• For connecting with bus to the Vancouver International Airport please phone 1-800-668-3141 or 604-946-8866 or visit www.yvr.airporter.com
• Please note that you can transfer between these two buses at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver located on Georgia and Burrard, downtown, Vancouver.

If you have questions not addressed on this website, please email meditation@islandnet.com.

To REGISTER, please download, print and complete the VMV Retreat Registration form, and mail it with your payment.

Click here for the pdf registration form for the September 15 - 21 retreat.

The registration form is in adobe acrobat PDF format and will require the adobe acrobat READER to be installed on your computer to view it. You can get the Adobe Acrobat READER for FREE by clicking this link.

Please note: There is no online registration for this residential retreat. Registration is by mail only.

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