canoe – Saskatoon Insight Meditation Community

Cancelled: Zeden Lake Insight Meditation Retreat – September 2025 🌲

The Peace of our True Nature

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

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.

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

Logistics

We will set up our home at the St. John Bosco Wilderness Camp.
- 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.

Cancelled: Zeden Lake Insight Meditation Retreat – September 2024 🌲

Unfortunately, we have made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s retreat. Although we hoped that the date change to early September would work for the community, we just don’t have enough registration to go ahead. We have already tentatively scheduled back to the last week of August for 2025 (August 25-31 – dates to be confirmed), and we hope that you can join us again then. We will update our website when the dates and other details are figured out.

Our True Nature: Still, Easeful, Spacious

Silent Insight Meditation retreat at lovely Zeden Lake, with Jeanne Corrigal

September 2-8, 2024

Practicing in community with beloved nature as a teacher can cultivate deep settling, nurture the heart, and free the mind. This retreat will support these innate processes through pathways of concentration, kindness, awareness, and liberation. As we rest into these practices we can come to understand our own true nature more deeply, and this can be a nourishment and wisdom that we carry in all aspects of our lives. In this time of global crisis, the refuge of nature can support our embodied care, engagement in the world, and capacity to love the earth.

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 2-6: 6 am to 9 pm
Day 7: 6 am to noon

Logistics

We will set up our home at the St. John Bosco Wilderness Camp.
- 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: $315, 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 $63 (total
  2) A private bedroom in a cabin for an additional $315
  3) A private bedroom with a shared bathroom for an additional $378
- 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.

Zeden Lake Insight Meditation Retreat – August 2023 🌲

This is for a past event – please visit our Upcoming Events page for current offerings.

Silent Insight Meditation retreat at lovely Zeden Lake, with Jeanne Corrigal

August 28-September 3, 2023

On the eve of his enlightenment the Buddha touched the earth and asked for help to awaken. On this retreat we will touch the beloved earth with our hearts, minds, bodies, and spirits. This immersion in kindness with the community of land, lake, sky, and trees cultivates our sense of care for ourselves and all beings, and supports liberation into the spacious, loving, connected heart and mind. This in turn can be a nourishment we carry back into the world, in all the big and small ways we care for our communities, including the earth itself, in all the challenges and joys of this time.

Two pine trees frame the view of a lake with the opposite shore in the distance. There is blue sky with some grey and white cumulus clouds. — 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 meditation retreat.
Familiarity with Insight Meditation practice.
Good swimming and basic canoe skills.
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 2-6: 6 am to 9 pm
Day 7: 6 am to noon

Logistics

We will set up our home at the St. John Bosco Wilderness Camp.
- 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: $315, plus a food contribution equaling about $80-$100. A provincial park pass is also required.
- The base fee is for those who plan to camp (bring your own tent, etc.). There are two additional options for accommodation:
  1) A bed in a bunkhouse for an additional $63
  2) A private cabin for an additional $315
- 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 now 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 deeply appreciates metta and nature based practices. She has been practicing since 1999, and is a graduate of Spirit Rock’s Dedicated Practitioner and Community Dharma Leader Programs. Jeanne is certified with Indigenous Focusing Oriented Trauma Therapy (IFOT), is a certified MBSR teacher, and she has trained with Mindful Schools and Somatic Experiencing. She is Metis, and one of her first teachers in loving presence was Cree Elder Jim Settee. She is a long-time canoeist.

Anglin Lake Insight Meditation Retreats – August 2022

This is for a past event. For current events, please visit our Upcoming Events page.

Silent Insight Meditation retreats at beautiful Anglin Lake, with Jeanne Corrigal

Near to Nature’s Heart, August 4-7, 2022
This immersion in kindness with the community of land, lake, sky, and trees cultivates our sense of care for ourselves and all beings, and supports liberation into the spacious, loving, connected heart and mind. This retreat is inspired by the teachings of both Elder Jim Settee and the Buddha.

Touching the Earth Insight Retreat, August 7-10, 2022
On the eve of his enlightenment the Buddha touched the earth and asked for help to awaken. On this retreat we will touch the beloved earth with our hearts, minds, bodies, and spirits, as we follow the Buddha’s guidance in cultivating liberation of the heart-mind. This retreat invites us to renew our connection with the nourishing well of our true nature, for the sake of all beings.

These retreats include 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.

As of May 26, 2022
Near to Nature’s Heart is FULL.
Touching the Earth Insight Retreat is FULL.
We will take names on a waitlist if the retreats fill.

Save the dates for 2023: Aug 10-13, and Aug 13-16

Retreat requirements

To support the safety and practical aspects of this nature retreat, we ask that participants have:

A minimum of one weekend retreat.
Familiarity with Insight Meditation practice.
Good swimming and basic canoe skills.
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. Please be prepared to turn your cell phone off for the duration of the retreat to support your capacity to be present with nature. This supports the whole community. An emergency number will be provided for you to give to family or friends in case they need to contact you.

Please come prepared to participate fully in the retreat schedule:
Day 1: 3:45 pm to 9 pm
Days 2-3: 6 am to 9 pm
Day 4: 6 am to noon

Logistics

You can register for one or both retreats. There is a maximum limit of 15 people per retreat.
Cost for each trip: $200, plus a food contribution equaling about $50. When you register, you will be invited to choose which food items you would like to contribute from our potluck list. A provincial park pass is also required.
- Some scholarship support is available, if the registration fee is a barrier.
If you are able to bring a canoe, the cost is reduced ($105 per canoe).
A maximum of six canoes are needed for each retreat, depending on number of people registered.
Registration fees cover the operational expenses of the retreat (equipment, fees, transportation, etc.). They do not cover the teachings, which are freely given because they are considered priceless. 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.
We set up our home at the Spruce River Campground and paddle from there. Bring your camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, etc.). This unserviced campground has outhouses. We will set up a common kitchen area for meals.
Protocols to safely offer this retreat in light of Covid will be determined closer to the event.

Registration

Please register here:
https://saskatooninsight.com/forms/view.php?id=49449

Anglin Lake Insight Meditation Retreats – August 2021

We are disappointed to cancel our retreat this year at our beloved Anglin Lake, due to the uncertainty of these COVID times. However, we have booked Anglin for Aug 4-10, 2022, and look forward to gathering in person then!

Silent Insight Meditation retreats at beautiful Anglin Lake, with Jeanne Corrigal

Kindness: the Heart’s Home
This immersion in kindness with the community of land, lake, sky, and trees cultivates our sense of care for ourselves and all beings, and supports liberation into the spacious, loving, connected heart and mind. This retreat is inspired by the teachings of both Elder Jim Settee and the Buddha.

Touching the Earth Insight Retreat
On the eve of his enlightenment the Buddha touched the earth and asked for help to awaken. On this retreat we will touch the beloved earth with our hearts, minds, bodies, and spirits, as we follow the Buddha’s guidance in cultivating liberation of the heart-mind. This retreat invites us to renew our connection with the nourishing well of our true nature, for the sake of all beings.

You can register for one, or both, retreats. There is a limit of 15 people per retreat.
Cost for each trip: $190, plus a food contribution equaling about $45. When you register, you will be invited to choose which food items you would like to contribute from our potluck list.
- Some scholarship support is available, if the registration fee is a barrier.
If you are able to bring a canoe, the cost is reduced ($105 per canoe).
Maximum of six canoes are needed for each retreat, depending on number of people registered.
Registration fees cover the operational expenses of the retreat (equipment, fees, transportation, etc). They do not cover the teachings, which are freely given because they are considered priceless. 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.
We set up our home at the Spruce River Campground and paddle from there. Bring your camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, etc.). This unserviced campground has outhouses. We will set up a common kitchen area for meals.
We recommend at least one weekend residential retreat or a familiarity with Insight Meditation practice prior to this retreat. If you do not have this experience, registration may still be possible after a conversation with Jeanne. If this your first retreat, Jeanne will call you once you submit your registration to have a chat.
Swimming and basic canoe skills are needed.

Registration

Registration is not yet open. Please check in mid-April!

These retreats are led by Jeanne Corrigal, Guiding Teacher with the Saskatoon Insight Meditation Community. A graduate of Spirit Rock’s Community Dharma Leader Program, Jeanne is currently a participant in the 2017-2021 IMS teacher training program. Jeanne has practiced Insight Meditation for 21 years, is a certified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher and Life Skills Coach. Jeanne is Metis and one of her first teachers in loving presence was Cree Elder Jim Settee. She is a long-time canoeist.

Anglin Lake Insight Meditation Retreats – August 2020

This is for a past event. For current events, please visit our Upcoming Events page.

Update from Jeanne, July 1, 2020
We are confirmed for our retreat! We are happy to be able to visit our beautiful Anglin Lake again.
Andrea and I are making a list of safety guidelines….variations on washing hands, sanitizing hands, washing hands, sanitizing hands, and maintaining physical distance. 🙂 Which, handily, is possible in a canoe! 🙂
We want to make this trip easeful… with the emphasis on ease, and not on the additional guidelines. It strikes me that the additional guidelines are like the monastic code… in the Buddha’s time, guidelines for social harmony were added as circumstances required… here we are!
Other nature retreats around the continent are also going ahead… this format is actually turning into a refuge in these times, as indoor retreats are not possible right now. So, we are fortunate to be able to rest into this one. We are almost full for the first one, and have about 5 spots left in the second.
So, taking a breath, inviting ease. Andrea and I will send out our suggestions for social harmony and safety to registered participants soon.
With much metta,
Jeanne and Andrea

Silent Insight Meditation retreats at beautiful Anglin Lake, with Jeanne Corrigal

Kindness: the Heart’s Home August 6-9
This immersion in kindness with the community of land, lake, sky, and trees cultivates our sense of care for ourselves and all beings, and supports liberation into the spacious, loving, connected heart and mind. This retreat is inspired by the teachings of both Elder Jim Settee and the Buddha.

Touching the Earth Insight Retreat August 9-12
On the eve of his enlightenment the Buddha touched the earth and asked for help to awaken. On this retreat we will touch the beloved earth with our hearts, minds, bodies, and spirits, as we follow the Buddha’s guidance in cultivating liberation of the heart-mind. This retreat invites us to renew our connection with the nourishing well of our true nature, for the sake of all beings.

Registration closed

You can register for one, or both, retreats. There is a limit of 15 people per retreat.
Cost for each trip: $190, plus a food contribution equaling about $45. When you register, you will be invited to choose which food items you would like to contribute from our potluck list.
- Some scholarship support is available, if the registration fee is a barrier.
If you are able to bring a canoe, the cost is reduced ($105 per canoe).
Maximum of six canoes are needed for each retreat, depending on number of people registered.
Registration fees cover the operational expenses of the retreat (equipment, fees, transportation, etc). They do not cover the teachings, which are freely given because they are considered priceless. 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.
We set up our home at the Spruce River Campground and paddle from there. Bring your camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, etc.). This unserviced campground has outhouses. We will set up a common kitchen area for meals.
We recommend at least one weekend residential retreat or a familiarity with Insight Meditation practice prior to this retreat. If you do not have this experience, registration may still be possible after a conversation with Jeanne. If this your first retreat, Jeanne will call you once you submit your registration to have a chat.
Swimming and basic canoe skills are needed.

Registration

Registration is now closed.

Anglin Lake Insight Meditation Retreats – August 2019

This is for a past event. For current events, please visit our Upcoming Events page.

Silent Insight Meditation retreats at beautiful Anglin Lake, with Jeanne Corrigal

Touching the Earth Insight Retreat August 11-14
On the eve of his enlightenment the Buddha touched the earth and asked for help to awaken. On this retreat we will touch the earth with our hearts, minds, bodies, and spirits, as we follow the Buddha’s guidance in cultivating insight and in understanding our own true nature.

Metta by the Lake August 14-17
An immersion in kindness with the community of land, lake, sky, trees, and all beings.
Nature greatly supports this liberating heart and mind practice.

You can register for one, or both, retreats. There is a limit of 16 people per retreat.
Cost for each trip: $190, plus a food contribution equaling about $45. When you register, you will be invited to choose which food items you would like to contribute from our potluck list.
If you are able to bring a canoe, the cost is reduced ($105 per canoe).
Maximum of six canoes are needed for each retreat.
Registration fees cover the operational expenses of the retreat (equipment, fees, transportation, etc). They do not cover the teachings, which are freely given because they are considered priceless. 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 teachers and retreat staff to continue their Dharma work. There will be an opportunity to offer dana to Jeanne for her teaching.
We recommend at least one weekend residential retreat or a familiarity with Insight Meditation practice prior to this retreat. If you do not have this experience, registration may still be possible after a conversation with Jeanne. If this your first retreat, Jeanne will call you once you submit your registration to have a chat.
Swimming and basic canoe skills are needed.

Registration is now closed.
Save the date for next year, August 6-9 and 9-12, 2020.

These retreats are led by Jeanne Corrigal, a graduate of Spirit Rock’s Community Dharma Leader Program, and leader with the Saskatoon Insight Meditation Community. She is currently a participant in the 2017-2021 IMS teacher training program. Jeanne has practiced Insight Meditation for 21 years, is a certified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher and Life Skills Coach. Jeanne is Metis and one of her first teachers in loving presence was Cree Elder Jim Settee. She is a long-time canoeist.

Anglin Lake Insight Meditation Retreats – August 2018

This is for a past event. For current events, please visit our Upcoming Events page.

Silent Insight Meditation retreats at beautiful Anglin Lake, with Jeanne Corrigal

Metta by the Lake August 2-5 (registration now closed – thank you!)
An immersion in kindness with the community of land, lake, sky, trees, and all beings.
Nature greatly supports this liberating heart and mind practice.

Touching the Earth Insight Retreat August 5-8 (registration now closed – thank you!)
On the eve of his enlightenment the Buddha touched the earth and asked for help to awaken. On this retreat we will touch the earth with our hearts, minds, bodies, and spirits, as we follow the Buddha’s guidance in cultivating insight and in understanding our own true nature.

You can register for one, or both, retreats. There is a limit of 16 people per retreat.
Cost for each trip: $180, plus a food contribution equaling about $45. When you register, you will be invited to choose which food items you would like to contribute from our potluck list.
If you are able to bring a canoe, the cost is reduced by $105 per canoe. (Maximum of six canoes are needed for each retreat.)
There will also be an opportunity to offer dana to Jeanne.
Beginning or experienced practitioners are welcome, but some experience with Insight Meditation is suggested, either through a sitting group or having attended another Insight Meditation retreat.
Swimming and basic canoe skills are needed.

If you have issues with registration, or if you require further information, please contact retreat manager Andrea Grzesina.

These retreats are lead by Jeanne Corrigal, a graduate of Spirit Rock’s Community Dharma Leader Program, and leader with the Saskatoon Insight Meditation Community. She is currently a participant in the 2017-2021 IMS teacher training program. Jeanne has practiced Insight Meditation for 19 years, is a certified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher and Life Skills Coach. Jeanne is Metis and one of her first teachers in loving presence was Cree Elder Jim Settee. She is a long-time canoeist.