This is for a past event – please visit our Upcoming Events page for current offerings.
A Simple, Quiet Day
An in-person daylong retreat with Jeanne Corrigal
Saturday, December 6, 2025 10:00 am – 4:00 pm Saskatoon Unitarians, Saskatoon
Join us for a day of simplicity, stillness, and also kindness, as a way of preparing for what can be a busy or complex season. Together we will practice cultivating the inner refuge of peace that we can carry in our hearts anywhere we go.
This day will include instruction, dharma reflections, deep practices of rest and nourishment, and community practice. Everyone is welcome.
Please bring a mat for lying down meditation.
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 administration costs. During the retreat, we will provide information for those who are able to offer financial support to Jeanne.
Registration
Registration is closed
Jeanne Corrigal is the guiding teacher for the Saskatoon Insight Meditation Community, and a graduate of the 2017-2021 IMS teacher training program. She has trained primarily in the Burmese lineage of Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw, with a great affinity for the Thai Forest Tradition of Ajahn Buddhadasa and for the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh. She is a certified MBSR teacher, is certified with Indigenous Focusing Oriented Trauma Therapy (IFOT), and she has trained with Mindful Schools and Somatic Experiencing. She has taught with Mindfulness Magazine, Lion’s Roar and Tricycle’s online programs, and teaches across North America. She is Metis, and one of her first teachers in loving presence was Cree Elder Jim Settee.
This is for a past event – please visit our Upcoming Events page for current offerings.
An Evening of Social Meditation
Join us for an immersive evening of Social Meditation, where mindfulness meets community. In this introductory session on social meditation, we will explore practices designed to deepen your awareness while engaging with others in a supportive environment. Guided by the principles of mindfulness, this evening offers an opportunity to experience how meditation can be both personal and collective. Whether you’re new to meditation or looking to expand your practice, we invite you to join us for a unique evening of connection and reflection.
Thursday, November 20, 2025 7:00-8:30 pm Unitarian Centre, Saskatoon
This evening is offered on the basis of mutual generosity. There will be an opportunity to contribute towards the expenses of the evening and to support the teacher.
Resgistration is now closed.
Andrea Grzesina is a certified mindfulness teacher with the Mindfulness Training Institute, having trained under Mark Coleman and Martin Aylward in 2021. Jeanne Corrigal has been her teacher and mentor for many years. She was invited into the 2024-25 Buddhist Geeks Teacher Training with Vince Fakhoury Horn and Emily West Horn. Andrea’s passion for the Dharma and continuous learning led her to complete the Intensive Practice Program at UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center, various Social Meditation Facilitation courses, along with many dharma study programs, through centers like Spirit Rock and the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. She has been a dedicated practitioner since 2014, and she contributes to SIMC as a local dharma leader, planning committee member, volunteer, retreat manager, and occasional cookie baker.
This is for a past event – please visit our Upcoming Events page for current offerings.
The Wise Heart Cultivating the Divine Abodes
A weekend non-residential retreat with Jeanne Corrigal
November 7-9, 2025 Saskatoon Unitarian Centre
Friday, 7-9 pm Saturday, 9 AM to 5 PM Sunday, 9 AM to 3 PM
The four heart qualities known as the Divine Abodes are qualities we can cultivate which help the heart and mind to meet and respond wisely to all circumstances of our lives. With the basic good will of kindness, this heart can meet suffering with compassion, abide in joy as a balancer and nourisher, and develop the wisdom of equanimity in the midst of change. All of these qualities lead to liberation of the heart and mind – even in very difficult times. This weekend will offer these practices from the perspective of the early suttas, the 5th century Vissudhimagga, and from contemporary creative approaches – all with the encouragement to develop your own personal style.
This weekend will include instruction, dharma reflections, sitting, walking, and relational practices. Everyone is welcome.
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 administration costs. During the retreat, we will provide information for those who are able to offer financial support to Jeanne.
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.
Registration
Registration is closed.
Jeanne Corrigal is the guiding teacher for the Saskatoon Insight Meditation Community, and a graduate of the 2017-2021 IMS teacher training program. She has trained primarily in the Burmese lineage of Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw, with a great affinity for the Thai Forest Tradition of Ajahn Buddhadasa and for the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh. She is a certified MBSR teacher, is certified with Indigenous Focusing Oriented Trauma Therapy (IFOT), and she has trained with Mindful Schools and Somatic Experiencing. She has taught with Mindfulness Magazine, Lion’s Roar and Tricycle’s online programs, and teaches across North America. She is Metis, and one of her first teachers in loving presence was Cree Elder Jim Settee.
This is for a past event – please visit our Upcoming Events page for current offerings.
Date: October 23, 2025 Time: 6:30-9:30 pm, Saskatchewan (5:30-8:30 PDT, 8:30-11:30 EDT, other time zones) Location: Online (Zoom link provided upon registration) Facilitator: Fresh “Lev” White
Join us for a mindful online gathering to learn about transgender experiences in a supportive and welcoming space. Guided by Fresh “Lev” White – a heart-centered teacher, advocate, and mindfulness teacher – we will practice listening with presence and openness as we explore transgender lives, inclusion, and belonging. Through stories, reflection, and dialogue, we will deepen awareness and celebrate the richness of diversity.
This event is open to all – whether you are part of the transgender community, an ally, or someone seeking to learn more with curiosity and compassion.
Registration Details:
Cost: This event is offered through mutual generosity. When you register, there will be an opportunity to pay a registration fee to help SIMC cover our administration costs. During the retreat, we will provide information for those who are able to offer financial support to Lev.
Administration fee: The administration fee paid at the time of registration helps cover the administrative costs for SIMC.
Teacher dana/donation: The registration fee does not include teacher support – there will be an opportunity to offer dana, to support Lev’s work in the world. See dana information on the SIMC website.
Register Here: Registration is closed.
Let us come together to create a supportive, heart-centered space of learning, connection, and celebration.
Fresh “Lev” White is a love and compassion activist. He offers mindfulness, mediation, and diversity trainings as tools for shifting towards more authentic, conscious, and passionate living. He teaches and writes about how unconditional love and self-compassion are the ultimate gateways to honoring and understanding others; thus, healing our communities and our planet.
As certified coach and Founder of Affirmative Acts Consulting, Lev has supported executives, entrepreneurs, artists, other coaches and teams with achieving their goals. He earned facilitation skills through his coaching certification, and an extensive leadership training program, each through the Co-Active Training Institute (formally known as The Coaches Training Institute) in 2011. He was trained on delivering LGBTQIA+ Ally trainings by CUAV in 2002, and in 2005 became a Certified Trainer through Out and Equal Workplace Advocates.
This is for a past event – please visit our Upcoming Events page for current offerings.
The Whole Path in a Nutshell
An in-person daylong retreat with Jeanne Corrigal
Saturday, October 4, 2025 10:00 am – 4:00 pm Saskatoon Unitarian Centre
Join us to walk through the heart of the Buddha’s Teaching: the Eightfold Path. This day will move progressively and experientially through this core teaching. This is the place to start, if you are newer to the path, and would like a sense of the “big picture”. It is also very helpful for experienced practitioners, as the path is an ever deepening, living teaching.
This day will include instruction, dharma reflections, sitting, walking, and relational practices. Everyone is welcome.
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 administration costs. During the retreat, we will provide information for those who are able to offer financial support to Jeanne.
Jeanne Corrigal is the guiding teacher for the Saskatoon Insight Meditation Community, and a graduate of the 2017-2021 IMS teacher training program. She has trained primarily in the Burmese lineage of Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw, with a great affinity for the Thai Forest Tradition of Ajahn Buddhadasa and for the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh. She is a certified MBSR teacher, is certified with Indigenous Focusing Oriented Trauma Therapy (IFOT), and she has trained with Mindful Schools and Somatic Experiencing. She has taught with Mindfulness Magazine, Lion’s Roar and Tricycle’s online programs, and teaches across North America. She is Metis, and one of her first teachers in loving presence was Cree Elder Jim Settee.
This is for a past event – please visit our Upcoming Events page for current offerings.
Please bring a vegetarian potluck dish Sept 29 at 6:00 pm to celebrate. We will be at Leanne Brunelle’s home a few kilometres outside of Saskatoon, hopefully outside, if weather permits. Thank you so much, Leanne! Directions will be included in the confirmation email to you when you let us know you are coming.
Bring a vegetarian dish to share, along with your own cutlery, cup, and dishes. Tea will be available. If you have a chair, please bring that as well.
Friends, we are delighted to announce that our next 7-month deep dive dharma program opens soon for registration. Living the Dharma in Community (LDC) supports participants to deepen their formal practice and to integrate the dharma into their daily life through study, reflection, and community practice.
Our theme this year will be The Insights of Insight Meditation: The Heart of the Path.
We will delve into the three liberating insights of Insight Meditation: anicca (impermanence), dukkha (unsatisfactoriness), and anatta (not-self).
These teachings illuminate the nature of reality and serve as pathways to ease and peace. We will focus especially on anatta, exploring it through key wisdom teachings. Together, we will investigate how understanding not-self can lead to greater happiness, well-being, and freedom in our lives.
Living the Dharma in Community combines the wisdom of study, reflection, and practice together. The course includes:
7 two-hour monthly-ish sessions (in-person or online) combining dharma talks, small group reflections, and relational practice. Participants have shared that one of the highlights of this course is the relational practice, which truly supports dharma friendship.
Monthly home reflections, including sutta study, reading, audio resources, practice suggestions and reflection questions following each session.
Connecting with dharma buddies.
Optional daily support for integration during the month of January with Andrea Grzesina.
Optional practice talks with Jeanne Corrigal.
More information about the LDC
This program supports a shift from seeing the dharma as something we fit into our lives, to seeing our life through the lens of the dharma: the movement from having a spiritual practice to having a spiritual life.
This is a deep dive and exploration of the heart of the Buddhist teaching. The course is designed in a 6 year rotation through the core teachings. You can join in any year, and deepen through more than one 6 year cycle, coming to the first themes again with lived understanding. This can be a way of really seeing the deepening of our practice, over time. There are in-person and online options.
Is This Program Right for You?
This program is best suited for practitioners with a minimum of two years of Insight Meditation practice. The teachings will build on foundational meditation skills, such as mindfulness and concentration, and explore deeper insights into the nature of reality.
If you have less experience, or if your practice background is primarily rooted in another tradition, we warmly invite you to have a preliminary discussion with a teacher. This conversation will help determine whether the program aligns with your current practice and aspirations.
Dates and times
For online folks, click links for conversion into other time zones.
In person (Thursdays, and one Tuesday) 7-9 pm Saskatoon Unitarian Centre
Online (Thursdays and one Tuesday) 7-9 pm Sask time (links other time zones)
Administration fee: The administration fee paid at the time of registration helps cover the administrative costs for SIMC.
Teacher dana/donation: The registration fee does not include teacher support – there will be an opportunity to offer dana to our teacher Jeanne Corrigal. Jeanne will also share your generosity with our supporting dharma leader, Andrea Grzesina. See dana information below.
Jeanne Corrigal is the guiding teacher for the Saskatoon Insight Meditation Community, and a graduate of the 2017-2021 IMS teacher training program. She has trained primarily in the Burmese lineage of Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw, with a great affinity for the Thai Forest Tradition of Ajahn Buddhadasa and for the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh. She is a certified MBSR teacher, is certified with Indigenous Focusing Oriented Trauma Therapy (IFOT), and she has trained with Mindful Schools and Somatic Experiencing. She has taught with Mindfulness Magazine, Lion’s Roar and Tricycle’s online programs, and teaches across North America. She is Metis, and one of her first teachers in loving presence was Cree Elder Jim Settee.
Local Dharma Leader
Andrea Grzesina is a certified mindfulness teacher with the Mindfulness Training Institute, having trained under Mark Coleman and Martin Aylward in 2021. Jeanne Corrigal has been her teacher and mentor for many years. She was invited into the 2024-25 Buddhist Geeks Teacher Training with Vince Fakhoury Horn and Emily West Horn. Andrea’s passion for the Dharma and continuous learning led her to complete the Intensive Practice Program at UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center, various Social Meditation Facilitation courses, along with many dharma study programs. She has been a dedicated practitioner since 2014, and contributes to SIMC as a local dharma leader, planning committee member, volunteer, retreat manager, and occasional cookie baker.
Some words about the practice of dana
We often have queries about what might be an appropriate range for any financial dana offering to the teachers, that you might wish to make. Before we consider this, it is really important to know that the teaching of dana is a liberation teaching, because it is an intentional opportunity to practice generosity, which can directly erode the habit in the mind of grasping. The Buddha invites us to tune into the joy of dana, the joy of giving, before, during and after… so please, see this as a joy and liberation practice!
One of the gifts of dana is that it is optional, and if people decide to give in this way, they can give according to their means. And at the same time, asking about a range is a reasonable question… in Asia, folks often have an idea of how much is needed to support a teacher’s “requisites”, but in the west, we don’t have the same kind of guidelines, and folks in the west can be left a little bit out at sea in this area.
Offering guidance can be sensitive, as everyone’s circumstances are different. That said, in order to support the teachings, we offer these guidelines as a place to start, and those who wish to give in this way can move up or down on the scale, according to their means.
One guideline is to give the amount that brings you joy, knowing that your dana is supporting the Dharma to carry on (while being aware of not breaking the bank 🙂). One may also seek guidance by looking at the fees that are charged for similar events of workshops in our culture. Movies now cost $15 or more; yoga classes often $20/hour; in addition, workshop leaders are often compensated in recognition of the time it takes to prepare materials, the presentation, as well as their expertise.
Perhaps a helpful starting point for our sessions would be $35 – $65 per class. (This would be a range of something like $250 – $450 for the program). For one-on-one practice talks with Jeanne, a range of $35 – $50 per meeting could be a good range to consider.
Please feel free to offer less than this in order to ensure your participation, knowing that your presence and any financial contribution are valued. Please feel free to offer more, if you are able, and it brings you joy to support others and the program in this precious way. Feel free to offer monthly or once or twice during the course – whatever works for you. And, please know that we are very grateful for both the dana of your presence in the program, and your financial dana; both danas contribute to our capacity to continue teaching. You can feel that your support is supporting the Dharma. Thank you.
If you wish to offer your generosity to support Jeanne and our community, please visit our dana page to find details.
We are sorry to share that this year’s retreat at Zeden Lake has been cancelled.
After visiting the site recently, we saw firsthand the ongoing impact of the recent fires. While the camp is still hosting children’s programs this summer – guided by the beautiful spirit that nature is still here and can still be learned from – we found that the area is not workable for our retreat at this time. Walking trails are limited, rehabilitation work is underway, and smoke from northern fires continues to be a concern. Given the unpredictability of conditions in the coming months, we feel it is best to cancel now.
We will be in touch directly with participants to arrange full refunds.
This moment reminds us again of how deeply the climate crisis is affecting our northern lands. And yet, even in this shifting landscape, we are still held in relationship with the earth. As Robin Wall Kimmerer teaches, it is a sacred task to continue receiving and offering love to the land in reciprocity, in whatever way is ours to do. You might find support in her reflection: Returning the Gift – grateful.org
We will reimagine this retreat for next year and will share updates as they unfold.
May nature continue to nourish your heart and mind, right where you are.
With care and connection, Jeanne and the retreat team
Silent Insight Meditation retreat at lovely Zeden Lake, with Jeanne Corrigal
September 11-16, 2025
Meditating on the lake in 2023 Photo by Andrea G.
When we connect quietly and mindfully with nature, we harmonize with the larger nature body. As we settle into this embodied way of knowing, our earth body can reconnect, remember, and deepen into the wisdom of peace. As Thai Forest Master Ajahn Chah said, we can learn all we need to awaken from nature. This retreat will offer spacious time for this re-connection and re-membering, supported by guidance from the Buddha’s path of awakening in nature. The gifts received from nature can be offered back in a circle of care, much needed in our world today.
The retreat includes dharma talks, practice talks with Jeanne, reflective meditation practices, and gentle paddling each day. For more information, please email the Saskatoon Insight Meditation Community at contact@saskatooninsight.com.
Photo of Zeden Lake, from the St John Bosco Wilderness Camp website.
Retreat requirements
To support the safety and practical aspects of this nature retreat, we ask that participants have:
A minimum of one weekend silent insight meditation retreat, or a conversation with Jeanne to understand more about your experience.
Previous insight meditation practice.
Good swimming and basic canoe skills.
If tenting, basic camping experience.
Retreat Etiquette
We will share the happiness of the community work meditations of on-site food preparation and clean up.
This retreat will be held in silence, except for safety and logistical needs, and for practice talks with Jeanne. This supports the whole community.
Please come prepared to participate fully in the retreat schedule: Day 1: 3:45 pm to 9 pm Days 2-5: 6 am to 9 pm Day 6: 6 am to noon
Please note there is no cell-phone coverage at this location. An emergency number will be provided for you to give to family or friends in case they need to contact you.
Base registration fee: $250, plus a food contribution equaling about $80-$100.
The base fee is for those who plan to camp (bring your own tent, etc.). There are some additional options for accommodation: 1) A bed in a bunkhouse for an additional $55 (total $305 + food contribution) 2) A private bedroom in a cabin for an additional $265 (total $515 + food contribution) 3) A private bedroom with a shared bathroom for an additional $315 (total $565 + food contribution)
Some scholarship support is available, if the registration fee is a barrier.
Registration fees cover the operational expenses of the retreat (site, equipment, fees, transportation, etc.). They do not cover the teachings, which are offered on a dana basis. Dana is a Pali word meaning generosity. In keeping with Buddhist tradition, teachers do not charge for their services but are sustained by the generosity of their students. Dana allows the teacher and retreat manager to continue their Dharma work. There will be an opportunity to offer dana to Jeanne for her teaching. (Ways to offer dana to Jeanne.)
Protocols to safely offer this retreat in light of Covid will be determined closer to the event.
Registration
Registration is closed.
Jeanne Corrigal is the guiding teacher for the Saskatoon Insight Meditation Community, and a graduate of the 2017-2021 IMS teacher training program. She has trained primarily in the Burmese lineage of Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw, with a great affinity for the Thai Forest Tradition of Ajahn Buddhadasa and for the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh. She is a certified MBSR teacher, is certified with Indigenous Focusing Oriented Trauma Therapy (IFOT), and she has trained with Mindful Schools and Somatic Experiencing. She has taught with Mindfulness Magazine, Lion’s Roar and Tricycle’s online programs, and teaches across North America. She is Metis, and one of her first teachers in loving presence was Cree Elder Jim Settee.
This is for a past event – please visit our Upcoming Events page for current offerings.
Liberative Dependent Origination Supporting Awakening in the Mind and Heart
The teaching on Liberative Dependent Origination describes a way that freedom happens in the mind and heart. This insight sequence can happen quickly in a moment, or gradually over time. As we understand how to support this natural and innate process, we can taste freedom and understand how to nurture the conditions for the sure heart’s release. This teaching is accessible to us on retreat, in daily life, and in the midst of the crises of our world, in support of wise action.
On this retreat we will practice with this process to become more familiar with recognizing and supporting it. We will include instruction, dharma talks, and practice talks with the teachers.
Date
April 5-12, 2025
Beginning on the first day with optional supper and then 7 pm start Ending at 11 am on the last day with clean up and then optional lunch after
Location
Heritage Common, Hepburn SK
Registration
Registration is closed.
Retreat Information
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: $11900 – provides support for others to attend retreats (single occupancy room) Base (single): $950 – the actual cost of the retreat with single occupancy room Base (double): $600 – the actual cost of the retreat with double occupancy room Scholarship: $475 – approx. 80% of the cost of retreat with double occupancy room
Accomodations
Rooms are equipped with a single bed, dresser, desk with chair. Bathrooms (showers/toilets) are shared. Bedding, towels and pillows are NOT provided.
Only 22 rooms are available. Shared rooms are available at a reduced cost.
Meals
The following meals will be provided: Breakfast (April 6-12) Lunch (April 6-11) Supper (April 6-11)
You can opt to sign up for supper on April 5 for an extra $18, and/or lunch on April 12 for an extra $20.
Cancellation Policy
50% of the registration fee is due upon confirmation of registration. Your spot will not be reserved until payment is received. Full payment is due by March 5, 2025.
If you find it necessary to cancel, your administration fee will be refunded according to the following schedule:
$50 fee for cancellations at least seven weeks prior to opening day (February 15, 2025)
$200 fee for cancellations eight to four weeks before opening day (February 9-March 8, 2025)+
Cancellations received four weeks or less before opening day (March 9 and onward) will not be refunded+*
+ Exception: if we are able to fill your spot with someone from the waitlist, you will be refunded less a $50 fee. * Exception: For registrations at the Benefactor rate, we will refund the difference between the Benefactor and Sustaining rates.
Our teachers
Jeanne Corrigal is the guiding teacher for the Saskatoon Insight Meditation Community, and a graduate of the 2017-2021 IMS teacher training program. She has trained primarily in the Burmese lineage of Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw, with a great affinity for the Thai Forest Tradition of Ajahn Buddhadasa and for the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh. She is a certified MBSR teacher, is certified with Indigenous Focusing Oriented Trauma Therapy (IFOT), and she has trained with Mindful Schools and Somatic Experiencing. She has taught with Mindfulness Magazine, Lion’s Roar and Tricycle’s online programs, and teaches across North America. She is Metis, and one of her first teachers in loving presence was Cree Elder Jim Settee.
Kristina Baré, MFT, SEP, is an insight meditation teacher, therapist, and Somatic Experiencing practitioner. She has trained primarily in the Burmese lineages of Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw and Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw. She enjoys supporting students deepening samadhi, loving-kindness and insight. Opening the door to an expansion of the heart and to liberating wisdom. In support of the Buddha’s teachings, Kristina also draws on knowledge from western psychology and Somatic Experiencing. She invites a kind, patient, and embodied approach as a base for samadhi, loving-kindness and insight meditation practices. http://www.kristinabare.com/
This is for a past event – please visit our Upcoming Events page for current offerings.
Learn a truer story of Indigenous history on Turtle Island/in North America than the one many have learnt
The KAIROS Blanket Exercise is a time-tested, participatory learning experience that builds awareness and understanding of the nation-to-nation relationship of Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada and their shared but differentially impactful history. In approximately 2.5 hours, participants literally walk through situations that include pre-contact, treaty-making, colonization, and resistance, and feel something of the impact of this history for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. After a break, participants then debrief their experience. Through prepared readings, basic role play, sharing from an Indigenous Elder or Knowledge Keeper, the exercise helps those who wish to learn more of, and feel into, the Truth that must come before Reconciliation can be meaningfully pursued.
Thursday, March 13, 7:00-9:30 pm (includes a break) MCC office at 600 45 St W, Saskatoon
