Meditation: Re-"treat" yourself this summer

Lara Levitan (photo and text, Chicago Examiner)

Retreats can deepen spiritual practice or energize a stagnant meditation routine. Though the practice of meditation is personal, joining a group of like-minded individuals on a short retreat may provide the support and affirmation needed to stay focused. The following is a round-up of Chicago area temples and centers offering a peaceful refuge.

• Diamond Way Buddhist Center, Weekend Retreat in Yorkville, Illinois.

Students of Diamond Way, or Vajrayana practice, in the Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism will appreciate the Diamond Way Buddhist Center in Ukranian Village. It is part of an international non-profit network of more than 500 meditation centers in the Karma Kagyu lineage. Retreats include personal practice, lectures, and meals.

• Jewel Heart Chicago, Joyful Summer Retreat in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Under the leadership of Gelek Rimpoche, Jewel Heart is an educational and cultural institution practicing Tibetan Buddhism in Chicago, Ann Arbor, Cleveland, New York, and Lincoln, Nebraska. Jewel Heart was the spiritual home of Beat legend Allen Ginsberg, who was a student of Gelek Rimpoche from 1989 until Ginsberg's death in 1997. Some retreats include guided healing meditations, teachings led by Rimpoche, and opportunities for creative expression through the arts.

• Blue Beryl Dharma Center, Medicine Buddha Retreat: Yoga, meditation, traditional Tibetan healing, tantric ceremonies in Peshawbestown, Michigan.

The Blue Beryl Dharma Center is a Rime Tibetan Buddhist meditation center dedicated to Tibetan Buddhist teachings and culture with a focus on healing practices. According to the center's website, "The name Blue Beryl refers to the earliest known illustrated treatise on Tibetan medicine, 'the Blue Beryl Treatise'....The original paintings from the Blue Beryl Treatise [are] hung on the walls of Tibet's first medical college, Chagpoori Medical Institute." Specialized retreats include yoga, purification ceremonies, healing circles, and vegan meals.

• Insight Chicago, Autumn Residential Retreat in Frankfort, Illinois.

Insight Chicago is a Vipassana meditation group in the Theravada, Thai forest tradition. Retreats are held in "noble silence" -- a strict period of quietude is observed except in cases of emergency and in meetings with the teacher (in one upcoming retreat, Gloria Taraniya Ambriosia). Activities include sitting and walking meditation, with a fee covering all lodging, food, and use of the venue.

Keep in mind that a Buddhist meditation retreat is more intense than a weekend at the beach. If you have questions or concerns, be sure to call the specific temple or center in advance. They're very friendly and welcoming of sincere inquiries no matter what your concern.