The upcoming months at the Center offer multiple ways to enter into its meditative and daily work, in person or online. There's some information given below, or see the Calendar for a full listing. For those who are looking at the next few months and beyond, you may wish to consider a guest or volunteer stay. A personal month-long retreat can be created by attending the upcoming February retreat, the Quiet Weeks that follow, then the March retreat, for example. Your presence and/or help to keep the Center operating smoothly would be much appreciated. See more information about staying as a guest or volunteer. And see below for a short-term special opportunity to stay as a guest at the Center in one of the staff cabins. 

A reminder that staff offer a daily online meditation some mornings and and evenings. They would love to see you join them.

This retreat is rapidly approaching and brings a unique opportunity. Though some of the Center's teachers may be present and taking part in the daily group dialogue, they will not be giving talks as they normally do. Instead the participants themselves will be able to sign up to speak each day. The retreat will be totally online, though it is certainly possible to stay at the Center as a guest for all or part of it and attend using your own device. See more information about this retreat, and use the button below to register.

This year these Quiet Weeks are enriched with the March 1 In Person All Day Sitting and the March 8 Online Open Meditative Dialogue. During Quiet Weeks part of the building will be in silence during the work day, and the whole building will be in silence after hours and during staff days off (Sunday and Monday). There will be opportunities for group dialogues and to meet privately with the teacher in residence. See more information about Quiet Weeks. 

Bob has been connected to Springwater Center since its inception, and brings a wealth of retreat and meditation experience to share with others. There will be opportunities to engage with Bob in private meetings and with him and others in daily group dialogues. As in all in-person Center retreats, there will be periods of timed and untimed sittings, an hour-long daily work period, vegetarian meals, and plentiful time to enjoy the Center's beautiful natural surroundings with its miles of walking trails. All events on the daily schedule are optional apart from the daily work period and maintaining silence.

In an excerpt from a retreat talk, Bob says: 

Early this morning before light, I was walking in the dining room–I think it was between rounds of sitting. The mind was going on with some story, sort of in sync with the steps: so it’s like story, story, story (sound of steps). This is certainly not the first time that this has been noticed. But what’s amazing is just stopping and suddenly all that story is gone, and there’s just the quiet, the clanging in the pipes and the water–no more story. And again later that morning after breakfast, cold enough that the snow and the dirt is still frozen, walking up past the pond to the fields, and again that same thing. It really seems to be that the steps are in sync or in beat with the story, but then stopping and immediately everything comes into focus, like binoculars where you’re focusing–and everything is sharp. I’m not going to try and imitate a red wing blackbird, but the song of the red wing blackbirds who hang out up by the pond was just everywhere. It seems like sometimes there’s such a thick layer of clouds, and then just the slightest, I don’t know what, and everything is clear.

More information about Bob may be found on his teacher page. Please use the button below to register for the retreat.

While Assistant Administrator Susan Esons is on leave, the cabin she occupies is available until the end of February for guest and stays. Susan will advise us as soon as she can about possible March availability. Unlike the much loved small guest cabin, this staff cabin has indoor plumbing, a full kitchen, bath, and separate bedroom. See the photos below, and please contact Reception at info@springwatercenter.org for availability. 

Warm thanks to everyone who donated to Springwater Center's year-end appeal. With your help the Center is in a good financial position to operate this coming year, and assist those in need to attend retreat. If you would like to support the Center with a donation, a contribution in appreciation for its online programs, or to become a member, please use the donate button below.

www.springwatercenter.org   info@springwatercenter.org