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Retreat Description
An non-residential retreat with Adrianne Ross and Jeanne Corrigal
Steadying the Heart and Mind
The Five Spiritual Faculties in Practice
This meditation retreat offers a grounded, practical exploration of the Five Balancing Faculties (indriyas) – five qualities taught by the Buddha that support awakening.
These faculties provide a framework for practice and can be cultivated in a natural progression: faith gives rise to energy, which supports mindfulness. Mindfulness develops concentration, and concentration supports wisdom. They also work in complementary pairs, balancing one another, and help to diminish the hindrances. As faith and wisdom, energy and concentration become balanced with the support of mindfulness, they become Five Spiritual Powers that can lead us towards clear seeing and freedom from suffering in our lives, enabling us to live in the world as it is, with all its challenges.
This retreat is suited for both beginner and experienced practitioners who are looking for a practical framework to deepen their practice, work skillfully with the hindrances, and bring greater stability to their meditation and daily life.
Friday night is open to the public – friends and family are warmly welcomed to join us. (There is no need to register if you are coming just Friday evening.)
When: November 6-8, 2026
Friday, 7-9 pm
Saturday, 9 AM to 5 PM
Sunday, 9 AM to 3:30 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: In-person - St Andrew's College, 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 the start of the retreat 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.
Retreat Preparation and Commitment:
Dedicating to a weekend of silence is a special commitment to yourself, and a precious gift. Please be prepared to refrain from podcasts, and extensive reading or journaling, so that you can settle into the inner journey. It is helpful to arrange to be quiet at home, and be able to attend full days of practice.
Participants are asked to make a commitment to:
1) Arrive on time (ideally a few minutes early)
2) Be on site from the time you arrive until the end of the day.
3) Ensure a supportive home environment to return to at night.
These commitments will greatly support your retreat practice, and also the practice of the group.
If you have any questions about any of these guidelines, we will be happy to chat with you.
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. There may be periods of lying down meditation, so it will be useful to have a mat, blanket, and pillow available for that practice.
Offered by the Saskatoon Insight Meditation Community
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In case we need to reach you quickly.
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Please check if we may add you to our email list for upcoming events (retreats, programs, classes).
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Registration fee
We are offering this retreat on a sliding scale. Please select the highest rate you can reasonably afford to help ensure retreats are available to all.
This does not include compensation for the teachings. There will be an opportunity to offer donations to the teachers at the end of your retreat.
Benefactor: $150 - provides support for others to attend retreats
Sustaining: $120
Supported: $90 - subsidized
We understand that finances can sometimes be a barrier. Please know that everyone is welcome, regardless of ability to pay.
You are warmly invited to offer what feels appropriate and sustainable for you. If the options presented are not within your means, select "Other" and enter an amount that works for you.
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How do you wish to participate? *
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Other amount *
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Enter 0 if you are unable to offer support at this time.
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Cancellation Policy:
The full fee is due upon confirmation of registration, and your spot will be reserved once payment is received.
Cancellations made within four weeks of the retreat start date are not eligible for refund, as this allows us to plan responsibly and support the teachers.
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How will you pay? *
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Payment by cheque info
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 "Nov 2026 weekend" - 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 "Nov 2026 weekend" - 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 $150, use $4.75
for $120, use $4.00
for $90, use $2.25
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Add amount for credit card fee. *
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Health and Wellness Protocol
As an act of care for our community, especially since some of our retreatants have immune deficiency issues, we will try to be sensitive to everyone’s needs. While mask wearing is optional, if you have any respiratory or flu symptoms (coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath, runny nose, fever, or sore throat), no matter what you think the cause for these symptoms might be, we are asking you to wear an N95 or KN95 mask and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer.
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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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Parking
We will have a limited number on-site parking passes available and expect about more participants than there are spaces available.
Parking passes will be allocated in priority to:
• Participants with mobility needs
• Those traveling from out of town
• Those who are carpooling (also see carpooling, below)
Other options include:
• Having a friend or family member drop you off
• Using public transit
• Parking on nearby residential streets and walking a short distance
• Paid parking in a nearby parkade
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Please indicate your parking preference: *
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Prior retreat experience
Please provide some preliminary information about your retreat background. If your registration is confirmed, you will be asked to complete a more detailed form.
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Have you previously attended a silent Insight Meditation retreat? *
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Have you previously attended a retreat organized by SIMC?
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Phone, Email, and Internet Free Zone
To allow the full potential of meditation practice, it is important to give the mind a break from all phone, internet, and email usage. To support everyone with the challenges of disconnecting from these technologies, this retreat is phone, internet, and email free. In registering, you agree to avoid using these devices. You will be provided an emergency phone number so others can contact you if necessary.
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The Practice of Dana
The fees paid at the time of registration cover the costs of renting the facility and other incidental expenses.
In the tradition of our practice, the teachings are offered by mutual generosity. There will be an opportunity to offer support for Adrianne and Jeanne during the retreat.
For more information about this practice, please see the dana page on the SIMC website.
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Supporting the community
Ride share and billeting
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.
We will likewise match up billet requests as best we can. Again, we can't guarantee a match. We will let people know as soon as possible what arrangements have been made.
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Ride Share *
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Billeting *
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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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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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