Retreat registration is closed. Please click here to add yourself to the waitlist.
Note: Waitlist priority strongly favors people who practice regularly at our free Indy Community Yoga daily and weekly practices and participate in our community care projects. People who practice regularly at the Indianapolis Zen Center are also given elevated priority.
The more you practice in community, the better your chances of joining our retreat!
Please join us for 3 days and 3 nights of simple, quiet living, mindful movement, and meditation practice under the shade of ancient trees at McCormick’s Creek State Park, Thursday June 27 – Sunday June 30, 2024. We’ll practice in community and prepare our plant-based meals together, mostly in silence.
26 people max attendance. Practice will be 100% outdoors under the roof of the Trailside Shelter.
The park is an approximately 1 hour and 15 minute drive southwest from downtown Indianapolis, located near Spencer, IN.
Arrival – 5pm Thursday, June 27. Late arrival by 7pm Friday, June 28 is possible.
Departure – by 4pm Sunday, June 30
See the full schedule below.
Practice Location
We will hold practice at the Trailside Shelter and prepare and eat our meals at the adjacent CCC Rec Center. The Rec Center has a large kitchen, fridge and freezer, and half bath. Note: It is not air conditioned, but we will have fans and ice in the freezer.
Lodging
Camp McCormick Group Camp: We’re trying something new and have reserved the group camp adjacent to our practice shelter. It includes a fully equipped kitchen and dining hall, two barracks that have 25 beds each, and two smaller quarters that have four beds each. Everyone will have access to a shower facility. All of the quarters have flush toilets and running water, but are not air conditioned. We are limiting attendance to 26 people total, so we’ll occupy at about half the capacity of the quarters and everyone is guaranteed their own bed.
Here’s a link to the DNR pamphlet.
Silent Practice
Thursday and Friday, we will observe silence during seated and walking meditation practices only. From bedtime Friday until lunch on Sunday, we will observe silence continuously at all times. During silent periods, please refrain from speaking, making eye contact, reading, writing, or looking at your phone unless there is an emergency or you become aware of a dangerous situation for yourself or others. Do this not only for yourself but also out of consideration for your fellow practitioners. Practicing sincerely as a group has a supportive effect on everyone around. This is a gift you can continuously offer.
Meals
We will prepare delicious vegan meals together as well as have coffee, tea, and oat milk. We’ll have a full kitchen with a fridge and freezer.
Costs
We estimate that cost of facility rental, group camp lodging, food, and supplies to be about $200 per person.
Anything you donate over our cost helps ensure that we break even. Any extra donations support our work by allowing us to pay our practice leaders fairly and pay for expenses like facility rentals, insurance, software, supplies, and equipment to make our practices high quality, available, accessible, and welcoming.
Indiana State Parks charge a $7 entrance fee for vehicles from Indiana, $9 for vehicles registered elsewhere. Those of you booking hotel rooms will be responsible for those costs in addition ($305 total for three nights). Let us know if this presents a hardship for you.
You’ll pay lodging fees directly to either the Canyon Inn or, for those of you who are camping, Reserve America.
Schedule
Thursday
2:00pm – 5:00pm Arrive, help set up the retreat, and enjoy the park
5:30pm Quiet Seated Meditation
6:00pm Prep, cook, and eat dinner
Friday
6:00am Wake Up
7:00am Arrive and enjoy coffee and/or tea
7:30am Mindful Movement Practice
8:00am Breakfast (prep, eat, and cleanup)
9:00am Retreat Orientation
9:30am Seated and Walking Meditation (5 x 25 min seated/5 min walking)
12:00pm Lunch (prep, eat, cleanup) and Free Time
2:00pm Seated and Walking Meditation (5 x 25 min seated/5 min walking)
4:30pm Break
5:00pm Mindful Movement Practice
6:00pm Dinner (prep, eat, cleanup)
7:30pm Full Retreat Orientation and Group Discussion
9:30pm Bedtime. Full silence begins.
Saturday
6:00am Wake Up
7:00am Arrive and enjoy coffee and/or tea
7:30am Mindful Movement Practice
8:00am Breakfast (prep, eat, and cleanup)
9:00am Seated and Walking Meditation (6 x 25 min seated/5 min walking)
12:00pm Lunch (prep, eat, cleanup) and Free Time
2:00pm Seated and Walking Meditation (5 x 25 min seated/5 min walking)
4:30pm Break
5:00pm Mindful Movement Practice
6:00pm Dinner (prep, eat, cleanup)
7:00pm Seated and Walking Meditation (2 x 25 min seated/5 min walking)
9:30pm Bedtime
Sunday
6:00am Wake Up
7:00am Arrive and enjoy coffee and/or tea
7:30am Mindful Movement Practice
8:00am Breakfast (prep, eat, and cleanup)
9:00am Seated and Walking Meditation (6 x 25 min seated/5 min walking)
Break Silence.
12:00pm Lunch
1:00pm Mindful Dialogue Practice (Dyads)
1:30pm Closing Circle
2:30pm Clean up and depart when finished
More info to come. Questions? Email us at hello@indycommunityyoga.org.
Retreat registration is closed. Please click here to add yourself to the waitlist.
Note: Waitlist priority strongly favors people who practice regularly at our free Indy Community Yoga daily and weekly practices and participate in our community care projects. People who practice regularly at the Indianapolis Zen Center are also given elevated priority.
The more you practice in community, the better your chances of joining our retreat!