Awake and at Ease: A Spring Weekend Retreat (in VA and online)

Practical Information
This is a non-residential weekend retreat, dates and hours are:
Friday March 20, 7:00 – 9:00 pm (ET)
Saturday March 21, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (ET)
Sunday March 22, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm (ET), we’ll close with informal social time, from 3:00 – 3:45 pm (eT) (optional)

Location – Hybrid: Living Water Community Center, 1000 Westover Hills Blvd, Richmond. (Google Maps). And online via Zoom.
Cost: This retreat is fully dana-based (donation-based), see below for more information
Suggested donation to help us cover the cost of renting the space: $60 – $150 (sliding scale)
Suggested donation for the teachers: $120 – $450 (sliding scale)
Teachers: Marjolein Janssen and Dawn Neal 
Registration: please register in advance by filling out this form. 

Description
During this hybrid non-residential weekend retreat we aim to cultivate relaxation, awareness, and insight. We will explore how open, relaxed awareness can naturally reveal the patterns and conditionings that shape our experience. By approaching our practice with relaxed interest, we create space for experience to unfold simply and naturally, allowing wisdom to emerge in its own time.

Drawing inspiration from the teachings of the Burmese monk Sayadaw U Tejaniya, we will explore how this relaxed approach to mindfulness supports both beginners and experienced practitioners alike. With this approach, wisdom becomes more accessible, helping us to gain deeper insight into our own hearts and minds.

Throughout the weekend, there will be Dharma talks, periods of sitting and walking meditation, and time for questions and sharing.
The retreat will begin on Friday evening from 7:00 – 9:00 pm, offering an introduction to the retreat. On Saturday, we will practice together in sangha from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, followed by an opportunity to continue your practice in daily life at home. On Sunday, we will gather again from 9:00 am through the afternoon, ending the formal practice at 3:00 pm, and we’ll have informal social time, with some snacks, until 3:45 pm for those who would like to stay for that.

This retreat offers a chance to deepen your practice, reconnect with natural awareness, and cultivate wisdom in a supportive community. All are welcome.

Teachers
This weekend will be led by our guiding teacher Marjolein Janssen and we will welcome guest teacher Dawn Neal. Dawn completed the Dharma teacher training with Gil Fronsdal and Andrea Fella in 2025. She serves as the Guiding Teacher for Insight Santa Cruz (CA), and faculty for the Sati Center’s Online Buddhist Chaplaincy Training. Both Dawn and Marjolein have extensive experience with the meditation approach offered by Sayadaw U Tejaniya, sometimes called “open awareness” or “natural awareness”. This approach has enriched their own practice, as well as their teachings.

Non-Residential and Hybrid
This retreat will be Non-Residential, this means that we’ll gather at the indicated times (see above) and you’ll spend the rest of the day/night at home. 

The retreat will be hybrid, this means that you can join in person at Living Water (Richmond, VA) or on online via Zoom. On the registration form you can indicate your preferred way to join.

The Spirit of Generosity
As is stated in the practical information above, this retreat is offered in the spirit of generosity, as a dana-based (donation-based) retreat. IMCR does have costs, like the rental of the Living Water Community Center and a small portion of Dawn’s travel expenses, therefore we’ve created a sliding scale for a suggested donation for both the costs we make (operational dana) and the teachers.

• Suggested donation for operations: $60 – $150 (sliding scale)
  • Note: Those who pay at the higher end of the scale are supporting those paying at the lower end. Any excess funds will go toward supporting IMCR to host fully donation-based retreats in the future.
• Suggested donation for the teachers: $120 – $450 (sliding scale)

Please give as feels appropriate and generous for you. Please delight in your generosity and know that the dharma continues to be offered to you and others through our collective acts of sharing. All are welcome, no donation is required.

At the retreat there will be the opportunity to offer cash donations, or donations by check. You can also donate online to the teachers through Marjolein’s PayPal or Venmo and to the IMCR group for operational expenses through PayPal. Add a note to your donation to the teachers or IMCR that it is for this retreat (e.g. “March Non-Residential Retreat”), so that your donation is processed correctly.

More information about the concept of dana, generosity, in Buddhism.

Logistics

• Please register in advance by filling out this form. 
• Bring your own bagged lunch on both Saturday and Sunday.
• During the retreat we will be in “noble silence.” This means that we won’t be talking to each other. We also recommend staying in “retreat mode” at home. We will also turn off our phones and other devices during the day. This is all in order to minimize external distractions, promote mindfulness and inner stillness, and respect the practice of fellow meditators.

Questions?
Don’t hesitate to contact us.