The successful bidder for this item will receive a $350 credit toward the cost of attending Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg's "Experiencing Insight and Love" retreat September 13—16, 2018, at Garrison Institute, New York.

Sharon Salzberg is a central figure in the field of meditation, a world-renowned teacher and author. She has played a crucial role in bringing meditation and mindfulness practices to the West and into mainstream culture since 1974, when she first began teaching. She is the co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA and the author of ten books including New York Times bestseller, Real Happiness, her seminal work, Lovingkindness and her most recent work, Real Love. Renowned for her down-to-earth teaching style, Sharon offers a secular, modern approach to Buddhist teachings, making them instantly accessible.

Joseph Goldstein is a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society and the Barre Center for Buddhist studies, both in Barre, Massachusetts. He is the author of Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening, A Heart Full of Peace, One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism, Insight Meditation, and The Experience of Insight. He has also coauthored books with Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. Joseph has studied and practiced meditation since 1967 under the guidance of eminent teachers from India, Burma, and Tibet and he leads Insight Meditation retreats around the world.

The Garrison Institute, a former monastery overlooking the Hudson River just over an hour north of New York City, hosts over 70 retreats each year. They focus on contemplative practices such as meditation and deep reflection, exploring diverse wisdom traditions as well as contemporary secular ideas and practices. Offering ways to access the power of contemplation as a force for positive personal and social change, the Institute provides a place of refuge where people can withdraw from the business of daily life and refresh themselves. Accommodations are simple, comfortable, and quiet with enough space to breathe, rest and meditate.

Enjoy the beautiful outdoor environment: a meadow with benches and a gazebo that overlook the river; trails throughout the woods that adjoin the property, some going all the way down to the River; and, a short that hike connects to the Appalachian Trail. And check out the program offerings.

Garrison serves food that is healthy, tasty, vegetarian and, whenever possible, organic and locally grown. There are tea and coffee stations in the dining room and lounges, most of which are available around the clock.

On each residential floor is a comfortable lounge with sofas and easy chairs. The lounge is equipped with a wireless, high speed internet connection for laptop computer users. There are two communal bathrooms on each residential level and hot tubs for guests on two floors.

The Garrison Institute is a not-for-profit, non-sectarian organization exploring the intersection of contemplation and engaged action in the world.