The teachings of the Buddha guides us toward a deeper, more intimate understanding of our hearts and minds. In this retreat, we will practice cultivating compassionate responses, soften into the rhythms of life, and nourish the wisdom and joy that arise from both practicing the Dhamma and being in relationship with nature.

This Insight Meditation Retreat, for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), offers a unique opportunity to deepen your practice through foundational Insight Meditation techniques. Set in the serene, forested landscape of the Northern Sierra Mountains, within a peaceful 170-acre retreat center, this retreat provides a beautiful environment to support your practice.

The retreat will be held in noble silence and will include periods of sitting and walking meditation, daily Dharma talks, and individual meetings with teachers to guide your practice and deepen your insight.

Ram Appalaraju (he/him) is a Chaplain and an Eco Chaplain serving marginalized communities in the Bay Area. He is also in the faculty at Sati Center for Buddhist Studies for the Eco Chaplaincy Training. Through Buddhist teachings and Vedanta, he developed a belief in the deeply interconnected and interdependent nature of existence in nature and suffering experienced by a disaggregate view. His work as an Eco and Prison chaplain has deepened the understanding of human suffering, and uses his learnings to serve communities affected by climate change.

Victoria Cary is a Dhamma teacher and leader who co-founded the San Francisco Black Indigenous People of Color Insight Sangha and continues as one of its core teachers. She loves the Dhamma and is interested in supporting people in their practice by focusing on integrating Dhamma into everyday life. Her identity as a queer, bi-racial black woman informs her approach to teaching the Dhamma; she seeks to support a kind internal and external investigation of our complex human experience. She has been practicing and studying Insight meditation since 2006, most recently sitting numerous retreats in the Mahasi/U Pandita lineage with Venerable Sayalay Daw Bhaddamanika, and Venerable Sayadaw U Vivekananda, including 3-month silent retreats at Insight Meditation Society and in Nepal. Her practice has also been informed by volunteering for 3 years with Zen Hospice and exploring how developing a relationship with impermanence and death can bring us more fully alive. She completed Community Dharma Leader training in 2016 and was authorized to teach in 2020 from Spirit Rock and currently teaches retreats, groups and mentor’s students.

You will find detailed information under the heading Our Retreats: What to Expect, How to Prepare, and On Retreat. Thank you!