Silent Ground, Speaking Heart:
A Meditation and Circling Retreat
Led by Sofia-Jeanne Caring and Patrick Kennyō Dunn
Sirius Ecovillage Shutesbury, MA
Tuesday Aug 5th - Sunday Aug 10th
About this Retreat
This retreat is an invitation into two complementary forms of spiritual inquiry: silent meditation and interactive relational practice. Each of these practices reveals different dimensions of awareness, presence, and truth. In stillness, we encounter ourselves beyond words; in dialogue, we discover ourselves in the mirror of another. Held together, these practices form a powerful combination that helps loosen our stuck patterns and open the heart of compassion.
True transformation requires the courage to meet ourselves exactly as we are— in both comfort and challenge. Both practices (meditation + circling) invite us to bravely step beyond familiar patterns, to sit with discomfort rather than turn away, and to remain present even when vulnerability arises. When we willingly walk to our own edges, our capacity for presence expands in ways we couldn't have imagined.
Our days will weave between seated meditation and circling (a practice of authentic, present-moment interaction and dialogue). In meditation, we return to the breath, the body, and the bare experience of being. In circling, we open to the immediacy of connection, curiosity, and relationship. Both practices are rooted in presence and inquiry. Rather than compartmentalizing the two, we’ll explore how they can enrich, complement and inform each other!
This retreat is for those drawn to explore reality not just on their own cushion, but also in the living field of human connection. Together we’ll create a field of sincerity, reverence, and play.
The retreat is run entirely by dāna. Find out more about dāna here
Teachers & Facilitators
Patrick Kennyō Dunn
Kennyō is a Zen Buddhist priest. He lived and practiced full-time for nine years (2013-2023) at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Oregon and is a Dharma Holder in the White Plum lineage. His primary teachers are Chozen and Hogen Bays, and their main teachers are Shodo Harada Rōshi, Taizan Maezumi Rōshi, and Philip Kapleau Rōshi. Kennyō has also practiced extensively with yogis from Bön, Vajrayāna, Dzogchen, and Mahāmudrā lineages. His path is informed by mystical, gnostic, and esoteric traditions, and by modern modes of healing and transformation.
Kennyō is also a writer, researcher, and scholar of comparative religions. A collection of his recent writings can be found on substack at Dharma Between Worlds. Currently, he is completing a Ph.D at Ohio State University on the modern UFO phenomenon and its interface with the history of religions.
Sofia-Jeanne Caring
In a heartbreaking world, Sofia-Jeanne discovered a sense of possibility in meditation. While many find solace in familiar comforts, she found hers in unexpected depths of presence, which led to a radical exploration of relational practice. How can we explore being human together, in connection?
Building on these foundations, she explores how people navigate collective meaning-making. She received her MA in Social-Organizational Psychology from Columbia University and her MS in Management from UNC Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School. Her approach integrates embodied wisdom with rigorous academic inquiry.
The real story unfolds at the intersection of theory and practice—where conceptual frameworks dissolve into direct experience, and where the boundaries between inner work and outer expression blur into creative possibility.
Sofia-Jeanne facilitates practice spaces in which presence, transformation, and play coexist.
Will this be a silent retreat?
This retreat will not be a silent retreat. There will be sessions and periods throughout the day where we are speaking with each other and in connection. That said, there will be some periods during this retreat where we are in Noble Silence. In short, this means not talking. When the whole group enters into Noble Silence we offer each other and ourselves the gift of being with our experience as it is. This practice supports the mind in settling. We will go in and out of Noble Silence in an organic and fluid way during this retreat.
About Sirius Ecovillage
This retreat will be at Sirius Ecovillage located at 72 Baker Road, Shutesbury, MA 01072. This intentional community and ecovillage has been a hub for sustainability, spirituality, and cooperative living since 1978. Sirius community was founded by former members of Findhorn Community in Scotland wishing to establish a similar community in their American homeland. Its foundation is ‘spiritual’, though non-religious, in that they support and encourage each member and guest to find their own way to the heart and wholeness. We are grateful to the Sirius Community for hosting us. Some residents from their community will be participating in this retreat. You can find out more on their website here.
Housing & Lodging
For this retreat, you have the option to bring your own tent and camp for the duration of the retreat. Sirius Ecovillage has many beautiful camping spots. If you would like to camp, please indicate on your registration form that you will be camping so we know how many rooms are still available. If you don’t want to camp, there are beds available in shared rooms. Please email us with any questions about camping or lodging (team@dharma-gates.org).
Transportation
The closest major airports are Boston Logan International (BOS), about 1 hour 45 minutes away, and Bradley International (BDL), just over an hour south. From either airport, you can take a bus to Amherst, MA, which is a 20-minute drive from Sirius. Peter Pan Bus Lines offers regular service from Boston and other cities to Amherst— then rideshares or local taxis can bring you the rest of the way. You will have access to a rideshare and carpool spreadsheet with other participants where you can coordinate rides. We highly encourage carpooling and rideshares!
Frequently Asked Questions
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No. All experience levels are welcome, including beginners.
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Nope. You do not have to be Buddhist to participate in this retreat. Kennyo’s teachings are deeply rooted in the Zen Buddhist tradition and include beliefs that may be challenging for some. We invite you to encounter the teachings with an open, discerning, and inquisitive mind.
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The retreat is run on a donation basis in the spirit of dana. There is no required attendance fee. We ask that participants give a deposit of $100 in order to claim your place at the retreat. This deposit is returned back to you at the end of the retreat unless you choose to donate it. We keep your deposit in the case that you don’t show up or cancel within 2 weeks of the start of the retreat.
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The food served at the retreat will be vegan. If you have specific allergies or requests, please let us know. We do our best to able to accommodate all dietary requests.
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The 5 precepts are training guidelines as the foundation of sīla (ethics). Throughout this retreat we will all be maintaining the 5 precepts so that we can we can practice in harmony.
I will not engage in physical violence or intentionally cause bodily harm to myself or others
I will not steal or damage other people’s property.
I will refrain from forced, coercive, or non-consensual sexual contact or any other form of sexual harassment against others. For this retreat we will be practicing celibacy.
I will not intentionally insult or verbally abuse others.
I will not consume intoxicating substances including, but not limited to, alcohol, marijuana, psychedelics or any other illegal substances.
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Dharma Gates wholeheartedly welcomes people of all cultural, ethnic and racial backgrounds, sexual orientations, and gender identities. There will be gender neutral bathrooms available and we may be able to provide single rooms if that would make you more comfortable. Our aim is to make retreat practice accessible to all young people—if there’s something we can to do help you feel comfortable to attending, please do not hesitate to reach out to us (team@dharma-gates.org.)
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Arrival: Please arrive between 2:00pm - 4:30pm on Tues, Aug 5th. It is important you arrive during this window so you can go through the check-in process before the evening activities begin. If you would like to arrive earlier than 2pm, you may do that, but please email us and let us know.
Departure: The retreat will end at 12:00pm on Sunday, Aug 10th. -
We ask that everyone who attends wears modest loose clothing, with subdued colors, prints, and minimal/no words for the duration of the retreat.
We also ask you to refrain from using artificial scents and products for this retreat. Some folks are sensitive to those scents and it can negatively impact their retreat experience.
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We are committed to the safety and health of the retreat container. We will likely require a rapid test before arrival, it will depend on COVID rates around the country and what we feel is safest. We will let you know in the weeks leading up to the retreat. Please email us with any questions at team@dharma-gates.org