Programs and Retreats

10 Day Silent Meditation Intensive For Experienced Meditators

“Silence is the greatest teacher.”

The 10 day silent retreat at the Samadhi Center is an opportunity for you to go deep into your meditation/ self inquiry practice, whether you are using a technique or just being choicelessly present. At this retreat we won’t be providing beginner instructions, teachings or group process, and it is assumed that by signing up you are already established in a deep meditation practice. The advanced silent intensive is not suitable as your first meditation retreat. Participants must have already attended at least one retreat at the Samadhi Center, Vipassana style retreat, Zen sesshin or similar intensive meditation retreat. At these intensive retreats one learns to move beyond the bodily tendency to seek comfort and avoid pain, and the egoic mind’s habit to maintain control. Check out the the retreat schedule here.

Those who want to attend this retreat must be committed to attend for the entire 10 days. We will be offering short (15 minute) one-on-one interviews every second day with Dan and Lilla. The one on one interviews are to help those who have questions with meditation and self inquiry or issues arising in their practice and are only by request (there will be a sign-up sheet). Interviews will be in a cabin outside of the main building so as not to disturb the silence.

A daily vegan breakfast and lunch are included. Dinner is tea and fruit only.

Suggested Donation: $1000* Food included.

In the spirit of the ancient traditions, in order to preserve the purity of the dharma, The Samadhi Center does not operate to make a profit. We have many hard costs for these retreats including food, accommodations, cooking, cleaning, support staff, and the ongoing cost of maintaining the Center. We endeavor to make the dharma available and accessible to all and will never turn away someone who sincerely wants to realize their true nature. If you feel a genuine call to this retreat but need financial help please let us know when you apply.

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Personal Retreats

The personal retreats at the Samadhi Center are an opportunity for you to engage in deep meditation and self inquiry, following the daily schedule at the Samadhi Center, while optionally participating in the classes and teachings that we offer. As part of your retreat experience we offer daily check-ins and will provide meditation instruction and feedback on your practice if you would like it. The natural Ontario pine forest setting offers a perfect backdrop for going into stillness and exploring your inner world. The old growth trees on the property are some of the best meditation teachers. The retreats are self-directed and participants are free to follow the daily schedule as best as possible. Meals (vegetarian, with gf/v options) are now included. Daily group sound healing sessions or yoga (alternating each day) are included as part of your retreat.

Cost: Personal retreat price is $120.00 per night, meals included.

Dates Available: We now have dates open between:

Please note we require a minimum of 2 night stay.

Guidelines and Important Information

• Those attending the Center are expected to maintain silence at all times in order to honour the needs of other meditators on the property. Talking is allowed during one-on-one meetings with facilitators, and certain scheduled group activities.

• Retreatants are encouraged to establish and maintain the self-directed daily meditation schedule as much as possible. We have created guidelines to make the personal retreat environment optimal for meditation.

Practice

To gain maximum benefit, participants are encouraged to enter into continuous practice, whether that is in the Zendo, in your cabin or room, or any other silent meditation or self-inquiry practice. Continuous practice on and off the cushion has a cumulative effect and leads to deep rewiring and realization of one’s true nature beyond the thinking and sensing self structure.

The Samadhi Center is not a place to come if you are simply looking for a relaxing getaway or holiday. The Samadhi Center is a place for people to do the inner development work required to purify themselves of conditioned patterns, and to realize their true nature so that they can become free of suffering which is due to identification with the false self.

If other participants are sharing the space with you then you will be expected to observe the times designated for cooking and to avoid making noise in the building during sitting periods.

Each participant will be responsible for setting their own alarm and falling into the meditation schedule as they want. As your retreat is self-directed, there is no morning bell during typical personal retreat periods.

Showers are permitted only during non-meditation periods.

Typical daily schedule:

4:00am-8:00am – Open Meditation Period
8:00am-9:30am – Breakfast (kitchen open)
9:30am-12:30pm – Meditation period
12:30pm-2:00pm – Lunch (kitchen open)
2:00pm-4:30pm – Meditation period
4:30pm-5:30 – Meditation or scheduled Sound Journey
5:30pm-7:00pm – Dinner (kitchen open)
7:00pm-11:00pm – Meditation period or other scheduled events

Meals

The Samadhi Center now offers daily meals (included in the cost of your stay). We offer simple vegetarian food with gf/v options (eggs, cheese, meat and fish are served separately). Participants with special dietary needs are expected to advise us upon registration. There will also be a variety of herbal teas and fresh fruit available during the day. You are welcome to bring food to supplement your meals. The food you bring should not require kitchen prep, as our kitchen is small. You can keep food in the fridge in the dining area and the freezer.

Please do not bring food to outdoor cabins as it will attract wildlife. Meals will be eaten in silence.

Support and Other Services

Most classes and sessions take place at the hilltop studio (a 5 minute walk through the forest on the property) unless otherwise posted.

Some of the ways we can support your practice include:

Free Services
(included in the cost of your stay at the Samadhi Center)

Other scheduled events and sessions
(From the facilitators at the Samadhi Center)

Arrival Time for Personal Retreats

• If you have been to the Center before then you will not need an orientation. You can arrive on any day between the hours of 12:30 and 2:00pm* and settle yourself in. We will let you know your sleeping arrangements by email prior to arrival so you can take your luggage directly to where you will be staying. 

• The arrival time falls during the lunch break for those participants who are in retreat. Please do not arrive outside of this window of time, as it can be disruptive for those using the zendo for formal practice.

• If you have not visited the Samadhi Center before, we ask that you try to arrive as close to 12:30 as possible and we will give you a tour of the building and logistical intro talk without interrupting the other participants, as this is the scheduled time for lunch.

Accommodations

Once you complete the application form we will advise you as to whether the requested dates are available. After your application form is reviewed we may contact you to arrange a brief phone/skype or zoom meeting in order to address any issues and to ensure that the Center can offer you the space and experience you are looking for.  Once we’re all good to go, we’ll move on to request and process payment.

Upon approval we will send you a request for payment to hold your requested accommodation.

We have various accommodations available on a first come first served basis (or based on medical or other needs):

• Cabin Private

• Bunkie

• Dorm room

• Private Room in the Center

Cancellation Policy  

In the event you need to cancel your attendance at a personal retreat you have paid for, as long as it is more than 48 hours in advance of your arrival date  we will provide a 100% refund. If you cancel after that we will refund 50% of the booking.

Additional Services
(additional cost per session)

Nahel Aouane

2022-09-29

Eye opening retreat, Jenn, Jerome and Daniel were part of that amazing experience, I would recommend this center to anyone in search of themselves, inner inquiry, and empty the mind. We will come back for sure, coming back to reality after spending time there is difficult. We wanted to stay !! Love & Light ❤️✨

Michael Piernitzki

2022-09-22

My 10 Day Silent Retreat experience was powerful. The distinctions of the teachings were presented creatively with competency and compassion. Dan, Lilla ,Jenn, John and Jerome entered into relationship with us coming from a deep commitment to serve our evolution as practioners. There was abundant humour as well as a disciplined approach to practice. I had a very cosy little cabin that became home for the 10 days. The food was absolutely amazing, creatively prepared with Love. At the conclusion of the retreat all of us were in deep rapport and in deep appreciation of each other as well as having a deep appreciation of Dan, Lilla , Jenn, John and Jerome and, of course the cooks (-: A Magical, Mystical 10 days well spent. Michael Piernitzki

Annelene Sillet

2022-09-15

This is a place for transformation. I was held with love in a safe space to be able to just focus my attention on going within! I have been here twice and both experiences have been life changing! Food, staff, green areas, common areas are amazing! Bathrooms are clean. Gracias gracias gracias!

Sofia Cortina

2022-09-14

The 10 IAM retreat was beyond my expectations, what I expressed here will fall short of what it was for me. I'm in complete Awe and gratitude and it has been the best gift I have given to myself to experience the fullness of my being. The space has an amazing vibe, quiet, breath taking landscapes and beautiful sunrise and sunsets. The stay was very comfortable, every detail has been well thought out and harmoniously curated. Dan has been one of the most beautiful beings I have ever met, his practice, teaching and presence are impeccable, he has the perfect compendium to carry out the awakening to your experience. The team John, Lilla, Jerome, Jenn and Chad, each an expert in their area, it has been enriching to meet them and live so many moments together. I recommend it to all people, there is no particular profile, from opening yourself to the experience, the discomfort of the mind, learning to meet great people without the need to know who they are, going deeper into meditation, aha! moments, even the craziest things that comes to mind, what you cannot imagine because it goes beyond what you know or have been told. Thank you Dan for everything, defo will come back for more.

andrew crawford

2022-09-12

The Samadhi Centre is an amazing place to come & discover one’s true self. Warning… The effort that is dedicated to one’s own discoveries will help create experiences that are truly life altering & uplifting. Dan is a fantastic facilitator for the human spirit on this journey through life. Humbled & honoured to be apart of this amazing space & experiences that will carry well into the future. With all my heart: Thank you Dan for having the vision & personal experiences to create such a loving environment. May others come and explore the light within themselves. Namaste

Nick Laperle

2022-07-10

The Samadhi Center 10-day retreat has been nothing short of the most impactful experience along my path. Being in the presence of such a teacher, is a gift, well beyond words..and what to say of the incredible team that surrounds Dan, and the safe environment they all co-create - such a blessing. Thank You.

Monica Soler

2022-07-01

10 Days I am retreat, is Perfectly designed. All activities, schedules, food, Self inquiry and rest times lead me to a state of stillness and freedom to awaken in a loving way. I have witnessed incredible awakenings during the retreat, in perfect synchronicity and harmony. No words to describe my gratitude and Love ! Blessings

Dianne Maltais

2022-06-22

The IAM retreat at this centre is perfect for serious meditation practice and inquiry about one's true nature. Every activity is aligned to provoke "spiritual awakening", and a shift in perception, to discern what is true... from what is not. Serious, beautiful, and loving people. Beautiful setting in a magnificent garden. One could not ask for more.

L Pan

2022-06-16

What a great journey! This 10 days IAM retreat is a gift from GOD , is life changing. I could not say enough of my gratitude. It is an express train bringing you directly to peace, to stillness, towards ultra truth. I enjoy every minutes of it. While the retreat day after day gradually unfolding, I had to exclaim how thoughtful and perfect the retreat was designed ! The schedule of each day, the activities from day 1 to day 10, step by step, bring you to deeper and deeper presence. I had never thought I could witness so many Awaken! Greatly encouraged me on this journey. The destiny of the journey is no longer out of reach. With Samadhi Center being here, holding my hands on the path, I see Awakening is just here. With Gratitude and Love ❤️

Michélè Heath

2022-06-14

This retreat was a life changing experience for me with aha moments every single day. The staff are all so caring and attentive, the meals were phenomenal and the surrounding landscape was breathtaking. No detail is overlooked as you immerse yourself into deep meditation, inner development and self realization. This retreat is the best gift you can give yourself in this lifetime.

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3 Day Weekend Self Inquiry Intensives

The self inquiry process at the Samadhi Center has been evolving over many years. This is the most direct way I know of to create the conditions for awakening to happen. It is in alignment with the self inquiry of Ramana Maharshi, various Zen traditions, and owes a great debt to the Charles Berner self inquiry method as well as the dyad techniques used in modern psychology. This self inquiry method creates conditions of no escape for the ego structure. Working continuously from early morning to late at night, participants alternate roles in dyads (groups of two), where one person is a witness and the other engages in deep inner investigation to realize their true nature. Check out the sample schedule for details. More about dyads.

When we turn attention toward the Self, at first what we see is the false self. The deepest conditioned patterns (samskaras) within the unconscious come up to be purified (witnessed without identification or reaction). The facilitators use various tools and techniques to point participants beyond the conditioned mind towards a direct experience of their true nature.

We can’t make awakening happen with the conditioned mind, but we can put in place the conditions to make it more likely, through surrender and continuous presence. Upon awakening there is a flip such that the sense of “I” goes from being identified with a character, to an unlimited “I”.  This flip is called Kensho in Zen (the word Kensho means seeing essence), Prajna Paramita in Mahayana Buddhism. In Western traditions the terms gnosis or apophaticism refer to the realization of our true or divine nature. 

Enrollment is on a first come first served basis.

Recommended donation: $850.00 per person. In the spirit of the ancient traditions, in order to preserve the purity of the dharma, The Samadhi Center does not operate to make a profit. We have many hard costs for these retreats including food, accommodations, cooking, cleaning, support staff, and the ongoing cost of maintaining the Center. We endeavor to make the dharma available and accessible to all and will never turn away someone who sincerely wants to realize their true nature. If you feel a genuine call to this retreat but need financial help please let us know when you apply.

3 Day Self Inquiry Intensive Dates (arrival is between 11AM and 1PM on the arrival date, departure is 2PM on the departure date):

Check out this video on How Self Inquiry Works.

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IAM 9 day retreats 

After 15 years of doing meditation retreats and experimentation we have put together some of the best tools in the world for awakening and the realization of Samadhi. The synergies between the components of the new IAM retreats are a significant step forward in the meditation world for those who want to realize Samadhi as a permanent stage of one’s evolution.

This is a retreat for one who is serious on the path of awakening/enlightenment. We’ve taken the best elements from a variety of different modalities together to custom-build this retreat to help facilitate Samadhi and to free oneself of samskaras (conditioned patterns)which bring about identification with the false sense of “I”. Some elements in the schedule include:

• Self-inquiry: a well-tested methodology using the dyad modality to stimulate a direct experience of your true nature.
• Noble Silence: The container of silence is a time tested way to orient towards the inner worlds and to avoid activating the conditioned thinking mind.
• Group Process: There is much value in sharing and learning what others are experiencing on the path, and there is a specific time in the retreat where you will be able to receive clarification and guidance in any areas.
• Meditation: Every day we have five hours of meditation. This is the foundational practice for realizing your true nature. Meditation and self inquiry are eventually realized to be a singular process of stripping away of illusion.
• Iboga Microdosing: Iboga has been used for thousands of years in the spiritual traditions of Africa as a way to connect to spirit. Iboga is unique in the world of entheogens and may be the perfect meditation tool; it helps to show us the conditioned patterns of the mind and its activities from a place of awareness as we become more conscious of the deeper levels of mind (the samskaras). Iboga can synergize with your inner energy to help heal mind/body imbalances, neurological disorders and other health issues. It creates optimal conditions for deep purification and rewiring. Participants will be under the supervision of Lilla who is trained in the Bwiti tradition (of Gabon) as an Iboga provider.

In addition, there will be sound healing, breath work (“Elemental Awakening” breathwork facilitated by John Cross), ecstatic dance, and an opportunity for all-night meditation to enter deeper states of meditative absorption. There is also an opportunity to experience the God Molecule, which offers a chance for the deepest letting go and the possibility to “die before you die”.

The retreat has been designed to lead to an experience of the state Samadhi, and we offer the insights and integration tools essential for the deep rewiring and purification of the self structure so that Samadhi becomes a permanent stage of development.

Check out a sample schedule

These retreats are limited to a maximum of 16 participants so that the ATW team can provide individual attention. These retreats are not for spiritual tourists or for those seeking some result or benefit in the external world. They are not something to add to your bank of spiritual “experiences”, but are for those at a certain point in the soul’s journey when one is ready to wake up from the illusion of the limited self and realize one’s true nature beyond name and form, and to learn to live a life guided by the spiritual heart.

* In the spirit of the ancient traditions, in order to preserve the purity of the dharma, The Samadhi Center does not operate to make a profit. We have many hard costs for these retreats including food, accommodations, cooking, cleaning, support staff, and the ongoing cost of maintaining the Center. We endeavor to make the dharma available and accessible to all and will never turn away someone who sincerely wants to realize their true nature. If you feel a genuine call to this retreat but need financial help please let Jenn know when you apply.

Refund policy: If a retreat gets cancelled because of a mandatory lockdown we will provide a100% refund. In the event you need to cancel your attendance at an IAM retreat, we will provide a 100% refund if we are able to fill the space. We typically need a t least 2 weeks notice to be able to fill a space.

** Please note that starting in 2023 the I.A.M. retreats will be 9 days long

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