Three members of our sangha, Jeff Lindemood, Michael Murphy, and Cass Brayton, recently participated in a month-long meditation retreat in Bali, Indonesia. The retreat was small, only four people, with no teacher per se, so they were able to intimately explore the dharma, and its role in their lives.

The three speak about how they structured their daily schedule and prepared dharma talks. They describe the unique retreat villa near Ubud, Bali where they were able to engage in an intense period of practice, and share some insights gained and lessons learned as a result of their time together on retreat.

The Bali retreat center: Villa Vajra Dharma Center www.ubuddhists.com

Other extended retreats may be found at
www.dhamma.org
www.spiritrock.org
www.dharma.org/retreats
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Jeff Lindemood is a long-time member of GBF, currently serves as Board Chair, and has a long history in social work and hospice care.  He has been a long-time student of Buddhism and practitioner of Vipassana meditation on intensive retreats, and a student and associate of Ram Dass for many years, in the tradition of Bhakti Yoga.  He has done extensive travel and practice in India and Southeast Asia.
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Michael Murphy has been a member of GBF since October 2004. His interest in Eastern philosophy, and Buddhism in particular, dates back to his study of Comparative Religion and English as an undergraduate. Graduate study in Transpersonal Psychology deepened his interest in the interface between western psychology and Buddhism, as well as the way that personality both constrains and reflects essence. Michael has a private practice as a psychotherapist in Berkeley.
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Cass Brayton is a long-time volunteer and member of GBF, a founding member of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and serves on the GBF Board.