Non-Duality Is Love: A One Day Meditation Retreat

Non-duality usually gets taught as a thought experiment. No separate self, nothing to find, nobody home.

People walk out of that clever and a little cold.

This day is about the part that gets left out.

When the line between you and everything else gets thin, what is there is not a blank.

It is love.

Not the feeling that comes and goes. The essence that was already holding all of it, including you, before you noticed.

Insight without that is half a practice. It makes people sharp and lonely. We are going after the other half.

The rhythm repeats all day. A short teaching. A stretch of practice. Time to rest and ask questions.

You do not need a background in this. You need to be willing to look.

THE DAY

10:00 to 12:00, morning practice
12:00 to 1:00, lunch (bring your own)
1:00 to 3:00, afternoon practice
3:00 to 3:15, break
3:15 to 4:00, closing

WHO IT IS FOR

Anyone. New sitters welcome.

Longtime sitters who have read the nondual books and understood every word without ever once feeling it, especially welcome.

WHAT TO BRING

A meditation cushion or a firm pillow. Required.

Comfortable clothes, water, and your own lunch.

WHERE

Gracie Barra North Austin
8868 Research Blvd #608, Austin, TX 78758

Main entrance, then the mat room. Free parking. Doors at 9:45.

ON GIVING

This day is offered as a gift. Nothing to pay to reserve a seat. Nothing due at the door.

If it serves you, give at the end. A suggested offering is $50 to $100, though any amount is welcome.

It keeps the door open for the next person.

All contributions go towards our nonprofits mission:

Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/meditationcommunity

Give Butter (a nonprofit giving platform):
https://givebutter.com/meditationcommunity

ATTENDANCE POLICY:

If you sign up, come. If your plans change, please mark yourself as not attending.

We prepare the room for the number we expect. This allows us to hold a safe and high quality experience for all participants.

ABOUT MEDITATIONCOMMUNITY.ORG

We are a nonprofit that's based in Austin, Texas - with the intention to offer high quality secular meditation retreats, trainings, and programs for the general public. In addition to this we work with jails, US Combat Vets, Special Forces, Police Officers, and more. You can learn about us at:
MeditationCommunity.org

TOPICS TO LEARN & UNLEARN DURING THE DAY:

Do I need meditation experience?

No. Complete beginners are welcome and everything is guided step by step. Longtime meditators who have read about non-duality and never felt it will get a lot out of it too.

Is it really free? What should I bring?

Yes, free. Nothing to pay to register and nothing due at the door. A contribution of $50 to $100 is suggested at the end if the day serves you. Bring a meditation cushion or firm pillow (required), comfortable clothes, water, and your own lunch.

Can I come for just part of the day?

The day builds on itself, so staying for all of it is best. If you can only make the morning, come anyway. Just let us know so we can hold the room well.

I do not really know what non-duality means. Is that a problem?

Not at all. Most people arrive with a rough idea at best, and a lot of what circulates online is confusing on purpose. You do not need the vocabulary. The day is about looking at your own experience directly, and that starts from wherever you are.

Is this religious?

No. The practices come out of Buddhist and other contemplative traditions, and we say so plainly, but there is nothing to believe, join, or convert to. No chanting, no bowing, no doctrine. If you are religious, nothing here will conflict with your faith. If you are not, nothing here will ask you to become so.

Six hours is a long time. Can I actually sit that long?

You are not sitting still for six hours. The day alternates teaching, guided practice, questions, walking, a lunch hour, and a break. The longest single sit is well under an hour. Move whenever you need to. Nobody is watching your posture.

What if I have a bad back or cannot sit on the floor?

Chairs are available and using one changes nothing about the practice. Tell me when you arrive and we will get you set up.

Is it a silent retreat?

No. There are stretches of silence during practice, but there is teaching, there are questions, and there is real conversation over lunch. You will not be shushed.

Do I have to share or talk in front of the group?

Never. Questions are welcome and completely optional. Plenty of people come, sit, and leave without saying a word, and that is a full experience.

What if nothing happens?

That is a normal day of practice, and it is not a failure. Some people have something crack open. Most people leave with a clearer mind and one or two things they can actually use on Monday. If you show up hunting for an experience, you will mostly be watching yourself hunt. Come to look, not to score.

Will I get enlightened / awakened?

No, and be careful with anyone who tells you otherwise. What is honestly on offer is a real look at what you actually are, and a set of practices you can keep working with. That is a beginning, not a finish line.

What is the food situation?

Bring your own lunch. There is an hour, plenty of places to eat nearby on Research Boulevard, and a fridge is not available so pack accordingly.

Who is teaching?

Brandon Mehrgut, founder of Meditation Community, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit here in Austin. He has taught mindfulness to Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and the FBI, and built the curriculum this retreat comes from.

What happens after the retreat?

We have weekly offerings via our email list and WhatsApp group. You'll leave with all of the resources and guided meditations you'll need to continue building and integrating your practice. Nobody will pressure you at the door. Come to the day and see how it lands.

Learn more about our nonprofit at: MeditationCommunity.org