Interweaving Metta and Vipassana

with Dave & Shannon Smith

Residential Retreat at Camp Mimanagish
Sept 4 – 8

During this silent retreat, we will interweave metta and vipassana: practices that unite the heart and the mind. By combining the Four Foundations of Mindfulness with the practice of Metta, we learn to balance moment-to-moment awareness with the qualities of kindness, care, joy, and equanimity. As your body and mind start to settle, a natural, intuitive wisdom begins to emerge—a process that helps shift your energy toward a sense of wholesome intention and genuine contentment.

The retreat offers a supportive space grounded in a field of kind awareness. The teaching style is a hybrid of two traditions—the “Progress of Insight” and “Natural Awareness”—giving you a well-tested framework for practice. The program includes meditation instruction, Dharma teachings, and small group discussions for processing whatever arises in practice.

About Dave Smith

For nearly 30 years, Dave Smith has held a practice rooted in the Insight Meditation (Vipassana) tradition. He was empowered to teach through the Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society, is a certified teacher for Cultivating Emotional Balance (CEB) which combines contemporary emotion based scientific research with contemplative practices and psychology drawn from Buddhism and has studied Buddhist psychology at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies (BCBS).

In 2016 he founded the Secular Dharma Foundation to foster the advancement of emotional and psychological well-being through the education and integration of mindfulness, psychology, and various therapeutic modalities. Dave has brought dharma and meditative interventions into a variety of settings including jails, prisons, youth detention centers and addiction treatment facilities. Dave lives in rural Colorado with his wife, Shannon, and their two sons.

Abouth Shannon Smith

Shannon Smith began practicing the Dharma in 2004. Over the last decade she has been sitting and studying in the Theravada tradition integrating Dharma Practice and addiction recovery practices resulting in more than 25 years of sobriety. In 2014, she stepped out of a long and successful career to have her first son and to become a Co-Founder to a Buddhist-based Recovery Treatment Center working with recovering addicts and their families. During this time, she also graduated from a four-year teacher training program with Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society. Currently, she has relocated to Paonia Colorado to focus on cultivating a more sustainable lifestyle with her husband, Dave, and their two sons. Shannon has taught meditation, led Recovery groups and co-facilitated Year-to-Live groups since 2008. She founded the Secular Dharma Foundation with Dave Smith.

Venue

Camp Mimanagish is located within the boundaries of Custer-Gallatin National Forest 40 miles south of Big Timber, Montana, and Interstate 90. The camp has rustic facilities and no cell or internet service. It sits at about 5700+ feet in elevation. Please bring layers and outdoor gear (e.g. warm socks, boots) in order to stay comfortable as we practice outside. We encourage you to check out the venue website before registering.

Check-In & Check-Out

Please arrive between 2 and 4:30 PM on Friday, September 4. Lunch will be served at noon on Tuesday, Sept 8th and we need to leave Camp M. by 2PM.

Meals

Vegetarian meals will be provided by the camp hosts. Options for gluten free and dairy free are available. No other dietary restrictions are able to be accommodated.

Scholarships

If you would like to apply for a partial or full scholarship, please fill out this form before completing registration. Scholarship grantees are asked to offer dana to the guest teachers and may be asked to take on more yogi responsibilities. Scholarship applications must be received by August 14th.

Fees & Teacher Dana

The registration fees for the retreat cover the basic costs of putting on the retreat such as the facility rental, meals, and bathhouse cleaning. None of the fees go to Dave who spends much time and energy preparing for retreats. Please consider supporting Dave with dana (financial generosity) so that he may continue offering the teachings in the future. Please factor in dana when considering what level of accommodation works for you. Please bring cash or a check for dana. There is no cell service or internet at the camp and we will not be able to offer dana to Dave online while at the venue.

Cancellation Policy

We understand that life happens and you may not be able to attend the retreat. If you are able to let us know more than two weeks before the retreat starts, we are happy to provide a full refund to you minus a $10 admin fee. If you cancel less than two weeks before the event, we can offer a 50% refund (no less than $10 withheld). If you have to cancel two days before the retreat, we appreciate you letting us know but are unable to provide a refund. If you have to cancel, you have the option to donate your partial or entire registration fee to the BDC scholarship fund. This would be much appreciated and help us make sure no one is turned away from BDC retreat’s due to lack of funds.

Questions?

Please contact Sandy Kindt at sandy.kindt@gmail.com for questions.