This is How Civilizations Heal: The Alchemy of the 3 Poisons
Leslie Booker
May 18-21, 2026
Galilee Centre
Arnprior, ON
Greed, Aversion and Delusion, collectively known as the 3 poisons, are mind states that cloud the heart and mind, and create separation. But these energies contain information that can lead us to a deep healing; mitigating the chaos of the world.
Toni Morrison wrote, "I know the world is bruised and bleeding. And though it is important not to ignore its pain, it is also critical to refuse to succumb to its malevolence. Like failure, chaos contains information that can lead to knowledge, even wisdom. That is how civilizations heal."
By recognizing these 3 poisons, we can meet them with their antidotes: generosity, metta and wisdom. Generosity can expand our ability to feel connected and remind us that we belong to each other. Metta opens the heart protecting us from both inner and outer harm, while wisdom allows us to see things right sized.
Teacher
Booker is a heart-centered, spirit-driven activist and meditation teacher committed to creating a culture of belonging through her teaching and writing. She completed Spirit Rock’s 4-year Retreat Teacher Training in 2020, and shared the practices of yoga and mindfulness with New York City’s most vulnerable populations for over a decade. Booker has co-authored and contributed to several publications including the trauma-informed anthology Practicing Liberation and its accompanying workbook, for folks working towards social justice. She is a co-founder of the Yoga Service Council at Omega Institute and the Meditation Working Group of Occupy Wall Street. In 2020 she was invited to be a Sojourner Truth Leadership Fellow through Auburn Seminary and was voted by her peers as one of the 12 Powerful Women in the Mindfulness Movement.
Booker moved to Philadelphia in August of 2020 to vote in a swing state, and currently serves as the Guiding Teacher of New York Insight.
For more information: https://www.lesliebooker.com/
Registration
LOCATION: Galilee Centre: 398 John St N, Arnprior, ON K7S 2P6.
Galilee Centre is a holistic spiritual life centre that welcomes retreats accommodating the needs of a wide audience, including Dharma organizations. Please note there are Christian symbols on the site.
This retreat centre has a mix of double and single rooms, with shared washrooms.
ARRIVAL TIME: 3:30-5 pm, Monday, May 18. The retreat will conclude by lunch on Thursday, May 21. Everyone is welcome to stay for lunch. The teacher request that you plan to attend the entire retreat – please arrive on time and stay through the closing talk.
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: $1 725
- Sustaining: $1 170
- Base: $825
- Reduced: $600
- Scholarship: upon request
◆ Deposit : $412.5
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 69 % 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 55 % 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 providing a reduction of up to 50% on the base rate on our sliding scale to those who request them. Scholarships are available for a limited number of places.