Upcoming Retreats

Scholarships and Racial Justice If you need financial assistance to attend, please do not hesitate to ask. Up to full scholarships are available for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) with financial need; scholarships for up to half of the fee for attendees with financial need. Additional funding may be found at opendharmafoundation.org

In a commitment to racial justice LIS gives priority for up to 50% BIPOC attendees. However, in order to guarantee a full retreat, priority space for BIPOC will be held until mid-February, and the final make-up of the retreat may have fewer than half BIPOC.

Accessibility All reasonable accommodations will be made for people with disabilities. Please request any accommodations needed by the registration deadline. At Camp Burton there is one ADA accessible cabin that will be prioritized for those who need it. The dining hall and practice hall are ADA accessible. We will offer sound amplification during the retreat and attendees are invited to bring personal technology to assist with hearing accessibility. In order to support accessibility, we ask all attendees to refrain from using fragrances when attending our events, including refraining from scented laundry detergent, deodorants, and lotions. Because the retreat is taking place in a facility, LIS cannot guarantee that scented products will not be used by the staff.

COVID Protocols This retreat will be held in several buildings, including cabins with 6 occupants, a large hall for meditation practice, and dining hall. Based on the information we have as of this moment, we have adopted the following protocol: we will test for COVID before & daily during the retreat. For the week leading up to the retreat, it is important that everyone try to arrive COVID-negative by avoiding indoor crowds, and using n95 masks in grocery stores, meetings, and doctors’ offices. Depending on the transmission rates at the time of the retreat, we may also request that retreatants mask when in common areas. If you have questions or concerns about COVID protocols, please contact us.

Tradition of Dana Your registration cost covers food and lodging only. According to the ancient tradition of dana those who carry on the teachings of the Buddha are supported through the generosity of the community; thus dana to support Ian’s teachings may be offered at the conclusion of the retreat.

What to expect on Retreat Vipassana meditation (also known as insight meditation) has been practiced in Asia for over 2,500 years. Retreatants are invited to spend the retreat in silent meditation practice with alternating periods of sitting and walking meditation. The retreat will also include guided movement, Dharma talks, group sharing and individual interviews. This retreat is open to beginners and experienced students. Orientation and instructions in meditation will be provided for beginners. Accommodations will be in six person cabins with bunks. Meals will be vegetarian.

More about Ian Challis Ian teaches at Insight Community of the Desert, a Buddhist sangha in Palm Springs, CA where he previously served as guiding teacher, and is now a member of its guiding council. He was certified to offer dharma teachings in 2017 through the fifth iteration of Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s Community Dharma Leaders Program. In 2022, he was formally invited to teach by Arinna Weisman in the lineage of U Ba Khin and Ruth Denison, and since 2017 has co-taught the queer retreat at Dhamma Dena with Arinna, and has been invited to teach at this retreat by Arinna as well. Learn more about Ian.