Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour Retreat
Teacher
DaRa Williams & Tuere Sala
Assisted by Rose Mina Munjee
When
September 18-21, 2025
Where
Loyola House,
Guelph, ON
The retreat will offer an introduction to Insight Meditation, (Vipassana) and heart practices, (Brahmaviharas) holding noble silence as practice in our retreat container.
Through the offerings of guided stationary (seated, standing, or reclined) and movement (walking) instructions, you will become acquainted with the words and philosophy of the Dharma through talks and reflections by the teachers. This is an accessible retreat for meditators in the beginning stages of practice, as well as for those who have some practice experience.
It is our hope that you will join us and that you will experience the practice as an antidote and as medicine to soothe and resource us. This practice can ease the impact on us individually and collectively and mitigate the stress caused by the cultural and structural manifestation of oppression, racism, genocide, and colonization that has impacted BIPOC for and through the generations.
Teachers
DaRa Williams has practiced vipassana meditation for 25 years and is an IMS Emeritus Guiding Teacher. She is also a certified coordinating trainer for Indigenous Focusing Oriented Complex Trauma Therapy and maintains a private psychotherapy practice in the New York City area. DaRa integrates her skills, understandings, wisdom traditions and world views in her intention for contributing to the end of suffering for all beings. "It is my experience that meditation and the Dharma are ideal for transforming suffering. Awareness, wisdom and a compassionate heart become the vehicle for transformation, connection and freedom."
Tuere Sala is a Guiding Teacher at Spirit Rock Retreat Center and Seattle Insight. She is a retired prosecuting attorney who has practiced Vipassana meditation for over 30 years. Tuere is committed to lay practice and inspired by bringing the Dharma to nontraditional places. She is a strong advocate for practitioners living with high stress, past trauma and difficulties sitting still. Tuere has been teaching since 2010 and has a long history of assisting others in establishing and maintaining a daily practice.
Click here to learn more about Tuere Sala.
Assisted by
Rose Mina Munjee (she/they) has practiced mindfulness meditation, mindfulness-based interventions for mental health, compassion focused therapies, and somatic therapies for over 20 years. She works with higher education technology, she is a psychotherapist and is pursing a research PhD in Adult Education on Mindfulness and Compassion-informed, Anti-oppressive Education and Care. She discovered long ago that living in accord with her values, influenced by deep cultural, ancestral, and Buddha dharma roots, in connection and reciprocity with the natural world fostered safety, interconnectedness, love, and belonging. She is passionate about her research and Eco-dharma and trauma-informed mindfulness and compassion work. For more about Rose Mina, click here.
Registration Information
LOCATION: Loyola House, 5420 Highway 6 North, Guelph, Ontario (http://www.loyolahouse.ca/)
All of the rooms at Loyola House are single rooms with a sink. Washrooms are shared.
ARRIVAL TIME: 4 - 5:30 pm, Thursday, September 18. The retreat will conclude by lunch on Sunday, September 21. Everyone is welcome to stay for lunch.
COST: TNI is dedicated to offering affordable rates to all. TNI retreat fees are on a sliding scale basis that allows participants to pay according to individual means. Fees do not include compensation for the teachings, and teachers rely on the generosity of retreatants for a sustainable income. There is an opportunity to offer dana (donations) to the teachers at the end of each retreat.
A deposit of 50% of the base rate is required to register to the retreat. The deposit is included in all of our fees.
- Benefactor: $1 200
- Sustaining: $780
- Base: $630
- Reduced: $540
- Scholarship: upon request (limited number of scholarships are granted)
- You Choose Rate: at or above $60 per night ($180 minimum total).
So that TNI can offer this form of financial assistance to as many as possible, please be as generous as you can when choosing your rate.
◆ Deposit : $315
Benefactor
The Benefactor rate provides the opportunity to offer more substantial support for TNI.
Sustaining
The Sustaining rate represents the actual cost to TNI to operate our programs. If you can afford this level or higher, you assist our efforts to offer lower sliding-scale rates and ongoing financial subsidies.
Base
The Base rate covers 82 % of what is needed to run our organization. To balance our budget and to wisely steward our resources, donations must supplement our registration income.
Reduced
Payment at the Reduced rate covers only 71 % of what is needed to run our organization. To balance our budget and to wisely steward our resources, donations must supplement our registration income.
Scholarship
TNI offers scholarships of up to a 50% reduction of the base rate on our sliding scale to those who request it. A limited number of scholarships are available.