The successful bidder for this item will receive a $350 credit toward the cost of attending a 2019 retreat at Garrison Institute, New York.

The Garrison Institute, a former seminary overlooking the Hudson River just over an hour north of New York City, hosts over 100 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 to 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. You can review the program offerings on the website.

Garrison serves food that is healthy, tasty, usually 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 lounges and all gatherings spaces are equipped with wireless, high speed internet connections. There are two communal bathrooms on each residential level and saunas 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.