Victoria Zen Centre: Intensive Preparation course

Saturday mornings, 9:00-11:30 AM
February 18 & 25, 2012
Victoria Zen Centre – Sooke, BC
Open to VZC Members and Associates who have completed the Orientation course

If you have successfully developed a stable daily practice of Zen meditation, and are wondering how to go further with our Sangha, this course is your next step. Participants will be introduced to the subtleties and differences involved in intensive training, and will receive an orientation to, and experience of, practices that are specific to intensive training in the Zen tradition. The Intensive Preparation course is the gateway to deepening your practice.

For Full members of the VZC, the course fee is included as part of membership dues. For Basic members the course fee is $95 and for VZC Associates the fee is $195. Course fees includes a course manual and materials.


For further information about this course or to register: visit our website or email registrar@zenwest.ca

Introduction to Meditation

Victoria Insight Meditation Society

2-day Non Residential Weekend Retreat

January 28 & 29^th, 2012

with Heather Martin

at Goward House, 2495 Arbutus Rd. Victoria, BC

This non-residential weekend retreat is primarily aimed at those who are new to meditation. “New to meditation” is defined as anyone who has only taken up to 1 weekend retreat to date. Forty five of the 60 retreat spots will be reserved for those new to meditation practise for the first 2 weeks of registration. That means 15 spots will immediately be available to anyone with more meditation experience. For the last 2 weeks of registration, as space allows, more spots will be available to anyone who wishes to register. Preference will be given to those who can attend both days of the retreat. We will meet from 9:00 am until 4:30 pm each day.

Heather Martin will lead this retreat using a workshop format. She will teach Mindfulness Meditation (also known as insight or vipassana meditation). The weekend will include shorter periods of instruction and practice, with ample opportunity for questions and clarification.

Heather Martin has been meditating since 1972 and has been practicing Vipassana since 1981. She teaches up and down the West Coast of the US and Canada and is the guiding teacher for the Victoria Vipassana Community. Her approach is encouraging, accessible and practical. Heather lives on Salt Spring Island. Prior to being a dharma teacher, she was a midwife for 20 years.

Cost: The Buddha's teachings are considered to be priceless. In keeping with the teachings and spirit of generosity or dana, we offer this retreat on a donation basis. The suggested donation for this retreat is $40 to cover the retreat costs and other organizational expenses. A basket will be placed at the registration table for your donation. Any money collected above the costs of the retreat will go towards other VIMS programmes.

No one will be refused for lack of funds; please give whatever is affordable given your means.

We will also set out another basket for you to offer dana for the teachings and the teacher who has shared them with us. We will speak about the practice of dana for the teachings during the retreat.

Two to three days after you have completed the registration form you will receive more detailed information by email about the retreat.

Thank you,

Brian Chapel, Retreat Registrar

Link to Retreat Information and Registration Form: http://victoriaims.org/?p=2450