CLICK HERE TO REGISTER. Then pay sliding scale $125 – $200 to tucker-peck on Venmo.
In partnership with The Alembic, Tucker will be teaching a residential retreat at Hillside School, 1581 Leroy Ave in Berkeley. It starts at 6PM on Thursday June 8, and ends at 2PM on Sunday Jan 21. Attendees must be present and on retreat the whole time. During the retreat, we’ll practice Noble Silence, meaning we will generally not speak, and we will completely refrain from any communication technologies. There will be an emergency contact number if folks need to reach you.
Schedule Most of the day we’ll be doing sitting and walking meditation. There will be three meals, a dharma talk in the evening, and some time for exercise. You’ll have one scheduled meeting with Tucker and another (virtually) with Australian dharma teacher Kynan Tan. Tucker will also hold office hours.
The Heater Works Nows. Our 2023 winter retreat at Hillside was very cold, but this year we’ll have central heating.
Registration & Payment There are two quick steps to register. Please fill out this brief form and send the registration fee via Venmo to tucker-peck (contact me if you don’t have Venmo). It’s a sliding scale from $125 – $200. This only covers the cost of catered food and supplies; it does not pay for teachings. In Buddhist tradition, you’ll pay for these afterwards by donation. There’s no suggested donation; the only idea is to be generous, whatever that means for you. If you want to come and can’t afford $125, you can apply (ASAP) for a scholarship through the Open Dharma Foundation.
Cancellation Policy Registration is non-refundable. However, because this is a low-cost retreat in one of the world’s highest-income areas, Hillside retreats have had a fairly high dropout rate. To control for this, if you sign up for the retreat, do not attend, and would like to attend a future Berkeley retreat, a $300 refundable deposit will be required on top of the registration fee. If you attend that retreat, you can have the $300 back, and if you don’t, it will be donated to the Open Dharma Foundation.
The Facility Hillside School is a very large space whose owner has donated it to us for the weekend! As this is not usually a retreat center, you’ll need to bring all your bedding (eg an air mattress or a sleeping pad, pillow & blanket, etc) and your meditation seat. If you can’t easily do this, the registration form has a place where you can let us know, and we’ll get it figured out (there are a few beds at Hillside). The vibe will be like indoor camping, and you’re actually invited to pitch an indoor tent if you’d like some more privacy! If you’re looking for a fun, sleepover sort of feel, you will love this retreat, and if you’re looking for high-end, luxury accommodations with excellent climate control … probably the “$125 for 3 nights in Berkeley including food” has tipped you off that this might not be for you.