Meditation and Non-Duality
A 2-Day Meditation Retreat
Jeff Carreira
with Jeff Carreira
Register Here
Saturday 29th - Sunday 30th, June, 2024
10:00am - 5:00pm / 10:00am - 4:00pm
Balanced Planet Yoga, 795 E Rte 70, Suite F, Marlton, NJ
$180

In this retreat based on the teachings of Ramana Maharshi, you will discover how meditation can bring you into a direct encounter with the unity of all things and the profound recognition of your true self.

Ramana Maharshi was one of the greatest sages of India during the twentieth century. His profound awakening at the age of 16 resulted in several years of silent absorption in the inner light of being. Over time Ramana began to teach the wisdom of Advaita Vedanta from his own deep realization. His simple teachings and purity of realization continues to have profound spiritual effects on millions of seekers throughout the world.

Advaita Vedanta can be translated as "the oneness (non-secondness) at the end of the Vedas." This teaching leads to the final leap beyond separation into divine union.

On this retreat we will explore Ramana Maharshi’s teachings of Advaita Vedanta and discover how the practice of meditation can bring you into a realization of non-dual Oneness. The teachings of Advaita Vedanta begin from the recognition that all is already One and that is who we already are. From this point of view any sense of division, isolation, or separation is seen to be an illusion created by the mind. Ramana taught a simple yet profound form of self inquiry through which our awareness is directed back onto its own source. By engaging with this form of meditation we ultimately realize that there is only one source of awareness and that all of reality is a manifestation of that.

We will also examine and contemplate ideas that unlock the power of spiritual practice. Although our intellectual inquiry will be thrilling, it is important to remember that this is not a class, it is a retreat, and the emphasis of our time together will be on engaging with practice and experiencing non-dual unity for yourself. It is very difficult to disentangle ourselves from the conditioned habits that keep us locked within the viewpoint of separation, but I believe that in just two days of focused practice you can experience a release of these constraints and open to the underlying unity of all things.

If you are new to meditation, this retreat offers a comprehensive and highly accessible introduction to a profound form of the practice. If you are a seasoned practitioner, you will have the opportunity to explore meditation in new ways that allow you to rest effortlessly in the truth of Oneness.

If an immersive exploration of meditation calls to you, please join me for this two day event. If you cannot attend all of the sessions live, audio recordings will be made available to listen to at your convenience.

Sincerely,

Image
Jeff Carreira
Co-Founder & Director of Education, Emergence Education
What We Will Explore on this Retreat
 
Session One:
The Practice of Radical Self Inquiry
In this session we will introduce the essence of Ramana Maharishi’s practice of self inquiry. We will continually turn our attention away from any external object of the mind in order to discover who we are that is aware of those objects. Initially this practice will be a matter of mechanical repetition of the simple instructions, but eventually your efforts will result in a realization of your true self as the source of awareness.
Session Two:
Turiya, The Awareness that is Aware
As your experience of meditation deepens you will begin to move from your ordinary experience of consciousness into what in the Hindu tradition is known as Turiya and can be defined as the awareness that is aware behind all states of consciousness. Ordinarily we experience normal waking consciousness, dreaming consciousness and deep dreamless sleep. When we deepen into the underlying ever-present awareness behind all of these states, we discover the part of ourselves that was aware before we were born and will continue to be aware after we die.
 
 
Session Three:
Living Oneness in the World
Relating our nondual realizations of Oneness to the world that we live in is often a source of confusion and in this session we will explore what Ramana Maharshi taught about the laws of karma that govern worldly affairs. The idea of karma and the necessity of cause and effect can seem to challenge our commitment to freewill, but by examining our experience closely we will discover that true freedom can only be found by surrendering to the way things are and skillfully navigating through the flow of time.
Session Four:
The Unity of Love and Wisdom
In our final session we will examine the two main paths of Hindu spirituality - Bhakti, the path of love and devotion, and Jnana, the path of clarity and wisdom. Advaita Vedanta is a Jnana path, but what we will discover is that in the end the path of wisdom and the path of love lead to the same realization because they are flipsides of the same coin. Ramana felt that this understanding was essential on the path of Advaita Vedanta because only when our efforts are fueled with passion and love can they lead to any true realization of Oneness.
 

Retreat Details:

You will receive materials that provide all the information you need to support you to create a true retreat experience during these 4 days.

These materials will include:

  • Detailed instructions for setting up your retreat space.
  • Information for using the video conferencing platform.
  • Guidelines for making the best use of the virtual format.

This is a full virtual retreat conducted live with Jeff Carreira for 8-hours each day.

Each day will begin with meditation, followed by an hour of spiritual instruction and guidance that will create context for that day’s practice.

Each day will end with a 30-minute session when you can engage with Jeff about your experience of practice and ask any questions that come up for you.

The rest of the day will be spent in silent practice with a 90-minute lunch break.

Recordings
Each morning teaching and each evening Q and A session will be recorded and made available to retreat participants in the protected online portal.
Schedule

Saturday

  • 10:00am to 1:00pm: Session One
  • 1:00pm to 2:00pm: Lunch (byo or plan to eat locally)
  • 2:00pm to 5:00pm: Session Two

Sunday

  • 10:00am to 1:00pm: Session Three
  • 1:00pm to 2:00pm: Lunch (byo or plan to eat locally)
  • 2:00pm to 4:00pm: Session Four
Image
Image
Image
Image
What past retreat participants said about their experience...

"The impact for me was most profound. On integration day an awareness of the Truth arose in me and left me totally flummoxed. Just what I have been working for, for so many years. I am truly a different person than the one who started the retreat last Friday. Profound gratitude to Jeff and the team."

~ W. Francis.

"The daily teaching, Q&A's and and meditation sessions were so powerful, they brought such calm and flow to me and in turn to my family. Jeff's teaching enabled me reach greater depth in my meditations as each day passed."

~ T. Bird.

"Jeff’s instructions and felt his passion to lead us into a available view of the world and ourselves. My life is so completely different. I’m looking out with Cosmic Eyes now... Wow So simple and so wonderful. Thank you."

~ N. Torrence.

"This retreat was a wonderful and profound experience of sinking into the depth of Being. Experiencing blissful happiness and liberation, just abiding there, without needing anything. Even in the face of challenges from outside, like a noisy neighourhood."

~ J. van den Bogaard.

"The retreat came at the perfect time in my life. It was the calm at the end of an internal and external storm that led to deep insights and deepening Awareness of my True Self. Jeff has an ability to transmit deep truths that find a home in soul."

~ M. Earlenbaugh.

"The retreat was eye opening and life-changing, giving me a new understanding of me as a soul, and deepening my relationship with it. Giving all day to meditation for a few days, rather than an hour a day for a prolonged period, has brought changes in me that are indescribable. I did not want it end!"

~ J. Aebi.

Registration
In-Person Option
Register - $180

($150 per person for Balanced Planet Yoga members who can register through Balanced Planet Yoga).

Virtual Option
Delivered by audio recordings at the end of each day.
Register - $130
All sales are final. No refunds will be available if you choose to cancel.
Registration

The registration fee is $180 per person.

Register Here
All sales are final. No refunds will be available if you choose to cancel.
Jeff Carreira
Jeff Carreira
Jeff Carreira is an author, mystical philosopher, artist and meditation teacher. Thirty years ago he dedicated himself entirely to the focused pursuit of spiritual awakening. He began teaching meditation and awakening fifteen years ago, and today supports people from around the world to share the fruits and blessings of their own spiritual path. He is aware that many people today have established their own deep connection to the spiritual source of life and the unlimited creative potential it holds. He calls these people Artists of Possibility because they have so much to share with the world. He remains completely committed to teaching meditation and awakening, and in addition has dedicated himself to helping others gather their own tribe and share their own deepest realization. He wants to support you to create a platform to share from. That means deepening your awakening, learning to articulate it effectively, and setting up the means to reach people all over the world.
Learn More