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Retreat Description
Meditation as Hibernation
The Medicine of Seclusion and Stillness
In the depth of winter, nature turns inward to rest and renew, offering us inspiration for our own practice. This retreat invites us to embrace the healing qualities of stillness and the wisdom of seclusion. Through guided meditations, dharma reflections, and practice, we will explore how turning inward can nurture resilience, clarity, and a deep sense of ease. Join us for a day of mindful rest and replenishment, supported by the quiet of winter and the warmth of community.
This day will include instruction, dharma reflections, deep practices of rest and nourishment, and community practice. Everyone is welcome.
Offered by the Saskatoon Insight Meditation Community
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Retreat Details
When: Saturday, February 28, 2026
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
To support your practice and that of the other practitioners, it is important to arrive on time and commit to the whole day. It is best if you can arrive at least 15 minutes early to give yourself time to register and settle in.
Where: Saskatoon Unitarian Centre, basement hall
213 2nd Street East, Saskatoon
Cost: This retreat is offered through mutual generosity. When you register, there will be an opportunity to pay a registration fee to help SIMC cover our rental and administration costs. During the retreat, we will provide information for those who are able to offer financial support to our teachers.
Teacher dana/donation: The registration fee does not include teacher support - there will be an opportunity to offer dana to our teachers. Click here to read more about the practice of dana on the SIMC website.
Noble silence:
The retreat will be held in noble silence except for discussions with the teacher.
You are encouraged to take care of all errands and personal matters before Saturday so that you can create a quiet mind which will support your retreat.
To support the retreat experience for you and other participants, cell phones should be turned off or left at home.
What to bring:
Straight backed chairs will be available. All other sitting materials must be brought with you. You will likely want to bring a cushion and mat, or blanket, especially if you plan to sit on the floor. Warm, comfortable, loose fitting clothing is best for indoor wear and a blanket or shawl, for extra warmth, as well as outdoor clothing that is appropriate for the weather.
Bring a simple lunch - there is a fridge and microwave on-site. We will have hot water and tea; bring a mug.
Please bring a mat for lying down meditation.
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Scent and Fragrance Free
In an effort to be inclusive and practice compassion, we request that all participants refrain from wearing scented or fragranced products, including essential oils. We respectfully ask that you wear clothing that has been washed and dried with products free of fragrance, and that you avoid using essential oils and/or scented hairspray, shampoos, soaps, deodorants or after-shaves. Our past experience has been that some participants who are highly sensitive to fragrances have had to leave the retreat because other participants have used fragranced products. We therefore truly appreciate the kindness, understanding, and respect that non-use of these items shows toward our fellow-participants.
An increasing number of people have allergies, asthma, or other chemical sensitivity to a variety of common chemicals and fragrances. These individuals often find themselves faced with the choice to stay in a fragrance-rich environment and get sick, or leave and be excluded.
For more information about fragrance free, please see this page from Spirit Rock:
https://www.spiritrock.org/articles/fragrance-free
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Administration fee
The administration fee for this daylong is offered on a sliding scale, with a recommendation of $30, which helps cover the facility rental and other costs that the Saskatoon Insight Meditation Community incurs.
$40 - benefactor rate
$30 - suggested rate
$25 - supported rate
In the spirit of generosity, you will have the opportunity to provide dana to the teacher during or after the session.
Please offer what you can afford. Your generosity above the suggested rate will allow those who are less able to contribute to be able to attend. We welcome all to practice, and no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Thank you for your generosity and support!
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Enter administration fee amount: *
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This is an administrative fee to support SIMC. There will be an opportunity to offer dana for the teacher during the retreat.
Enter 0 if you are unable to offer support at this time.
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How will you pay? *
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Payment by cheque info
DUE TO THE CURRENT CANADA POST JOB ACTION, PLEASE CONTACT US BEFORE SENDING BY MAIL.
Please send a cheque in Canadian funds payable to Saskatoon Insight Meditation Community to
SIMC
c/o Andrea Grzesina
906 5th Ave N
Saskatoon, SK S7K 2S1
In the memo field of the cheque, please include your name and "Feb 2026 daylong" - this will ensure we can match your payment with your registration.
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Payment by e-transfer info
Payment by e-transfer from Canadian banks can be sent to treasurer@saskatooninsight.com.
In the message section of the e-transfer, please include your name and "Feb 2026 daylong" - this will ensure we can match your payment with your registration.
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Payment by credit card info
We will provide a separate link to submit payment by credit card.
Our credit card processing service, charges us approximately 3%, and we request you add an amount to cover this fee.
Suggested amounts:
for $40, use $1.50
for $30, use $1.25
for $25, use $1.00
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Add amount for credit card fee.
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No payment required.
Thank you for registering. We look forward to practicing with you.
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Your background
Please let us know your background to help the teacher and organizers understand who will be attending this retreat.
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Tell us about your retreat experience. (Check all that apply) *
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How did you learn about this event? (Check all that apply)
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The Practice of Dana
In keeping with the tradition of our practice, this retreat is offered through mutual generosity.
In the spirit of generosity, you will have the opportunity to provide dana to the teacher during or after the session.
For more information about this practice, please see the dana page on the SIMC website.
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Volunteer opportunities
This retreat is organized and run by volunteers. We can use your help! Let us know if you'd be willing to assist with any of the following tasks.
Select one or more - and we'll be in touch closer to the event to confirm how the tasks will be distributed.
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Helpers needed for:
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Ride share
We match up people who need a ride with people who offer a ride, as best we can.
We are usually able to make a match, but we cannot guarantee all people who need a ride will get one.
We will let people know a few days before the retreat what arrangements have been made.
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Ride Share
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To contact SIMC
Please email contact@saskatooninsight.com
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After you have a successful registration, you will see a window that says Success! and then receive a confirmation email.
Your registration is not complete until you reach the "Success" page. If you do not get a confirmation email, first check your junk email folder. If you still can't find the confirmation email, please contact us at contact@saskatooninsight.com or text/call Andrea G at 306-202-6608.
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