Saturday, October 25 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
IN PERSON
Autumn is in the air. Cool crisp mornings, golden aspen leaves, the smell of green chile roasting, and pumpkin spice products on every aisle at the market all signify that change is underway, as the natural world around us prepares for winter. The beauty of nature in autumn grabs our attention and makes the truth of what we know—that everything is impermanent and subject to change—completely unavoidable. In Buddhism, there is a longstanding tradition of turning towards nature and allowing nature to be our teacher.
In this daylong retreat we will contemplate our interconnection with the natural world through the practice of anapanasati—mindfulness with in-and-out breathing. Through this practice, we allow the breath, which arises, changes, persists, and passes in complete dependence on the Earth, to teach us about impermanence and letting go.
This retreat will be held in noble silence, and will include periods of guided sitting meditation, walking meditation, and Dharma reflections. Weather permitting, we will spend some time outdoors.
COST: The Dharma Center operates on the gift economy and the cost of the daylong is on a two-part sliding scale. The fee that you offer through the registration system ($50, $70, $89, or $108 or scholarship options of $25 or $10) supports our non-profit, which pays the costs of the building, utilities, website, administration, etc. In keeping with our 2,600-year-old tradition, the teacher of the class is not compensated but rather shares the teachings freely. In turn, you are invited into the practice of dana, or generosity, a gift economy system that has been alive since the time of the Buddha. You are invited to make a donation to support the teacher in continuing their valuable work. Donations in any amount whatsoever are gratefully received, and the practice of generosity is always elective.
DATE: Saturday, October 25 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Durango Dharma Center, 1800 East Third Avenue, Suite 109 in Durango
QUESTIONS: If you have questions, please reach out to Laura, at
cmVnaXN0cmFyMiB8IGR1cmFuZ29kaGFybWEgISBvcmc= or 970-426-8983.
ABOUT THE TEACHER: Chris Benitez has been practicing meditation since 2012 and has attended numerous mindfulness and loving-kindness retreats. He is a founding member of Misfit Sangha in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Chris lives in Albuquerque, where he regularly teaches mindfulness and loving-kindness meditation and practices psychotherapy and nature-based ecotherapy.
LEARN MORE AND REGISTER HERE:
https://www.durangodharmacenter.org/events/#!event/2025/10/25/breathing-with-change-a-daylong-meditation-retreat-with-chris-benitez
You may also like the following events from Durango Dharma Center:
- This Wednesday, 1st October, 05:30 pm, Befriending Your Mind, Loving Your Heart: Beginning Meditation Practice with Kindness in Durango
- This Sunday, 5th October, 10:30 am, A Guided Journey: Mindfulness of Mind for Kids with Shannon Smith in Durango
- This Sunday, 5th October, 01:00 pm, Mindfulness & Recovery Workshop with Dave Smith: Exploring Addiction & Recovery from a Buddhist Lens in Durango
Also check out other
Health & Wellness events in Durango,
Workshops in Durango,
Nonprofit events in Durango.
