In Buddhism, we are often instructed to "let go", to simply rest and receive. A lot of us are tired, and this sounds appealing. Yet, in a fast-paced world bent on productivity, actually stopping can feel impossible. When the compulsion to “do” consumes us, it becomes a distraction from the work of getting free.
On this retreat, we will clearly identify the value of rest, investigate the obstacles to getting it, and learn how and why rest is liberating. Indeed, liberation is the ultimate rest! We’ll explore methods for practicing deep resting so that we can experience a spaciousness that helps us sense into the essence of things (including ourselves).
As we explore the shift from doing to being, we see that this transition does not deaden us in the face of a world in need. Instead, we see how deep surrender transforms us so that we can live from a place of profound love and trust rather than one of fear and control. When we open to the world, the world opens to us.
Your teacher will be Zac Ispa-Landa. He is a mindfulness teacher and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Vermont. At the University, he teaches courses on ecology, environmental justice, mindfulness in the Anthropocene; honeybee biology and beekeeping; and sustainability. He teaches mindfulness at Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, Inward Bound Mindfulness, MIT Sloan School, the Burlington Dharma Collective, and Bhumisparsha.
Zac began meditating and studying Dharma twenty years ago, inspired by a vision of personal and collective liberation, and has spent thousands of hours in meditation and hundreds of days on retreat since. He began mindfulness practice with vipassana (Insight) meditation and, in recent years, has been practicing Vajrayana (tantric) Buddhism with Lama Rod Owens, who he’s worked and taught with since 2017. Zac lives Winooski, Vermont with his partner, son, and tens of thousands of honeybees.
Date and Time: On Fri, 15 May 2026 17:00 - Sun, 17 May 2026 13:00
Artists / Speakers: Cara Lai, Zac Ispa-Landa
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