Deepening the Dharma: A Two-Day Insight Meditation Retreat
Friday & Saturday, May 1st & 2nd, 2026
Retreat Overview
This non-residential retreat offers an opportunity to cultivate continuity of mindfulness throughout the day. Through alternating periods of sitting and walking meditation, we begin to steady the mind and develop a continuous thread of awareness that carries from one moment to the next.
Rather than starting and stopping practice, we explore what it means to remain present through changing conditions, noticing how the mind relates to experience in stillness and in movement. With guidance and Dharma reflections, the retreat supports a gentle deepening of clarity, ease, and understanding in the midst of ordinary experience.
All are welcome, whether new to meditation or looking to deepen an established practice.
Schedule
Friday Evening (6:00 pm–8:30 pm)
6:00 – 6:30pm: Arrival and setup
6:30 – 7:00 pm: Welcome and Introduction to Practice
7:00 – 7:45 pm: Sitting Meditation
7:45 – 8:15 pm: Walking Meditation
8:15 – 8:30 pm: Closing and Brief Reflection
Saturday (8:00 am – 5:30 pm)
Doors open at 8:00am, please arrive by 8:15am so we can begin promptly.
Morning
8:00 – 8:30am: Arrival and setup
8:30 – 9:00 am: Guided Sitting and Instruction (30 min)
9:00 – 9:45 am: Sitting Meditation (45 min)
9:45 – 10:15 am: Walking Meditation (30 min)
10:15 – 11:00 am: Sitting Meditation (45 min)
11:00 – 11:30 am: Walking Meditation (30 min)
11:30 – 12:15 pm: Sitting Meditation (45 min)
12:15 – 1:30 pm: Lunch Break (Bring your own lunch)
Afternoon
1:30 – 2:15 pm: Sitting Meditation (45 min)
2:15 – 2:45 pm: Walking Meditation (30 min)
2:45 – 3:30 pm: Sitting Meditation (45 min)
3:30 – 4:00 pm: Walking Meditation (30 min)
4:00 – 4:30 pm: Sitting Meditation (30 min, slightly shorter to support transition)
Closing Session
4:30 – 5:30 pm: Dharma Talk (60 min)
5:30 pm: Closing and Dedication
Location & Logistics
What to Bring
Please bring any meditation cushions, seat cushion, shawls, and water bottles you may need for your practice. Chairs will be available.
On Saturday please bring your own brown bag lunch (no refrigeration is available). Microwave is available.
Meet Your Teacher: Johnathan Woodside
Johnathan Woodside is a Dharma teacher offering instruction rooted in the Theravāda tradition of ethics, concentration, and wisdom. He began his formal meditation practice in his youth and has been teaching Insight Meditation since 2011.
Johnathan founded the non-profit Mindfulness Outreach Initiative (MOI), an Insight Meditation organization based in Omaha, Nebraska, in 2012.
His mentor in the Dharma is Joseph Goldstein, with whom he has met regularly since 2016. He has practiced at the Insight Meditation Society (IMS), Forest Refuge, and Spirit Rock, among other renowned meditation centers, and has multiple years of cumulative silent meditation retreat experience. He trained in the 2021–2025 Insight Meditation Center (IMC) Dharma Teacher Training Program with Gil Fronsdal and Andrea Fella.
Registration & Scholarships
Registration closes April 22, 2026
For cancellations by April 22nd, 90% refund. After April 22nd no refunds are offered. Transfer of ticket to another person is allowed. Please contact us at mediationhouston@gmail.com.
Financial Assistance
We believe cost shouldn’t prevent anyone from attending. Limited scholarships offering 50% off retreat fees are available for students and those with financial need.
Apply using the “Scholarship” registration payment option, then submit the scholarship form that will be sent via email. For any questions, please reach out at meditationhouston@gmail.com.
Scholarhip Deadline: April 20, 2026 (rolling basis if funds remain)