Weekend Silent Meditation Retreat with Kynan Tan

Registration via Eventbrite

About this event

This 3-night meditation retreat allows practitioners to settle into stillness and quiet. The retreat becomes a container and supportive environment to go deeper into meditation than is typically possible with the busyness and complexities of daily life.

This is a student-centred retreat, which means that there is no set curriculum to follow but rather each student will continue their own meditation practice and all talks and interviews will be responsive to students’ needs and interests.

Retreat Schedule

The schedule will mostly alternate between seated and walking meditation. Each day there will be a dharma talk, a 1:1 interview with the teacher, three meals, and time for exercise or walking outside.

We will observe noble silence from Thursday night until Sunday noon. This means only speaking when it is necessary and avoiding eye contact (except with the teacher or the retreat manager). Retreatants will be asked to completely refrain from communication devices (there will be an emergency contact if someone needs to reach you).

About Kynan Tan

Kynan Tan is a meditation teacher who takes a collaborative approach to helping students achieve their meditation goals. He came to meditation after struggles with stress, anxiety, and depression and found the practice to be transformative. He believes that meditation has enormous potential for creating positive change and opening up new ways of relating to our experience.

Kynan draws upon a number of different modern and traditional techniques of contemplative and introspective practice. He is a longtime practitioner of The Mind Illuminated, Rob Burbea’s insight meditation techniques, nondual awareness, and brahmavihārā practices (mettā, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity).

Kynan studies meditation with Dr. Tucker Peck. He teaches the Pragmatic Dharma Club at the San Francisco Dharma Collective, has co-taught retreats with Tucker Peck and Michael Taft, and teaches students 1:1 as well as through online meditation courses. Kynan has sat a number of retreats, including a month-long solo retreat in 2021.

Venue and Cost

Vejjasala, located just outside the village of Wingello in the Southern Highlands of NSW, is the retreat centre of the Association of Engaged Buddhists (AEB). The name, Vejjasala, means a place for healing.

Tickets are assigned strictly on a first-come, first-served basis via Eventrbite.

This retreat is catered with three vegan meals per day. Please indicate if you have any allergies or dietary requirements. We may not be able to accommodate all requests.

The cost for the retreat is $400. Members and Friends of the Association of Engaged Buddhists should use the Promo code AEBMEMFRI to receive the member price of $320. This cost covers food and accommodation. Payment to the teacher is traditionally made by donation after the retreat. This is suggested to be both sustainable to you and generous for the teacher.

To join AEB visit: our membership page. The annual membership fee is $60.00

Full details about Vejjasala, directions, and information about what to bring can be found on the website: https://engagedbuddhists.org.au/vejjasala-retreat-centre/

Vejjasala is a safe and inclusive space for LGBTQIA+ people.

COVID

• We are requiring that all attendees conduct a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) within 24 hours of attending the retreat. Take a photo of your result and email to office@engagedbuddhists.org.au in order to be able to attend the retreat.
• All attendees must be fully vaccinated and send a screenshot of vaccination status along with RAT test results per the above. This is to ensure the safety of all members attending the retreat.

Adequate social distancing, hand-washing and other sensible measure should be followed by all attendees.

It should be noted that participants attend these retreats entirely at their own discretion and should consider their own risks and responsibilities in regard to COVID. While reasonable efforts will be taken in regard to providing a safe environment, the Association takes no responsibility for individuals’ behaviour or health consequences arising from attending a retreat. Obviously if you are experiencing any symptoms, please do not attend the retreat and notify the organisers at office@engagedbuddhists.org.au.

Enquiries

If you have any questions about the retreat, please contact Kynan – kynantctan@gmail.com