Finding Joy in the Playground of the Mind: An Insight Retreat
With Amana Brembry Johnson and Matthew Hepburn
May 24 - 29, 2026
Wholesome joy arises when we release expectations and create the conditions for the practice to blossom easefully, without grasping for outcomes. In a culture that teaches us to seek pleasure through external stimulation, this retreat invites a return to the creative play, investigative curiosity and gladness that dwell within our own hearts and minds.
Through meditation, dharma talks, and deep attunement to both nature and the body, we will awaken an intimate sense of the heart-mind continuum. Together, we will gently uncover barriers that obscure ease and happiness and rediscover the quiet medicinal qualities of spacious presence, where openness ripens and old patterns of perception unwind.
This retreat welcomes both new and experienced practitioners — all who wish to deepen their practice and bring the fruits of mindfulness into everyday life.
Be aware that while all lodging options have a propane heater, the Tent Cabins and Yurts tend to be colder than the Casitas during the shoulder season. Please select your lodging accordingly.
Cancellation Policy:
- 45 days prior to retreat: Full refund, minus a $150 nonrefundable fee
- 44-22 days prior to retreat: 50% refund
- 0-21 days prior to retreat: No refund
Teachers
Amana Brembry Johnson is a dedicated meditation teacher and community leader with over four decades of contemplative practice across multiple spiritual traditions. She serves as a Core Teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center (EBMC) in Oakland, California, and is a coordinating teacher for residential retreats at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Amana is one of the founding teachers of EBMC’s Spiritual Teacher and Leadership (STL) Training and a former mentor for emerging mindfulness teachers through the Mindfulness Meditation Training Certification Program (MMTCP). Her work integrates spirituality, social justice, body awareness, and intuitive creativity, offering a holistic approach to individual and…
Learn more about Amana Brembry Johnson
Matthew teaches mindfulness, early Buddhist wisdom, and secular contemplative practices at meditation centers in New England and across North America. He is a Guiding Teacher of the Cambridge Insight Meditation Center.
Learn more about Matthew Hepburn
