Dear Dhamma friend:

We would like to inform you of a wonderful practice opportunity!

In January 2008 we are pleased to offer the 12th annual Foreign Yogis Retreat at Kyaswa Monastery in Myanmar (Burma). This three-week meditation retreat, in the tradition of Mahasi Sayadaw, will be taught by Sayadaw U Lakkhana, Michele McDonald, and Rebecca Bradshaw. This is a rare opportunity to practice with a renowned Burmese meditation master in conjunction with senior western teachers. The retreat is primarily for foreigners who have had dedicated experience in this tradition. The retreat begins on January 15 and continues through February 5, 2008.

Kyaswa Monastery is located in the Sagaing Hills of Upper Myanmar. The Hills are filled with pagodas, caves, monasteries and nunneries, many of which date back to the 14th century when Sagaing was the capital of Burma. The Sagaing Hills have been one of the most important practice centers of Theravadan Buddhism for the last 700 years, and thousands of monks, nuns and novices practice there today.

Sayadaw U Lakkhana is a senior meditation teacher in the Mahasi tradition, having studied and taught under both Mahasi Sayadaw and Sayadaw U Pandita. He is the current Abbott of Kyaswa Monastery, and teaches retreats in Burma and worldwide. Kyaswa Monastery is situated in a northern area of the Sagaing Hills, and is built on several levels cut into limestone hills rising up from the banks of the Ayeyarwadi River. The retreat center is located on the highest levels of the monastery and overlooks the river east to the city of Mandalay and the Shan Plateau beyond.

During the retreat, the teachers will offer guidance in both Satipatthana Vipassana and Brahma Vihara meditation. The daily schedule includes about 14 hours of sitting and walking periods, and retreatants are expected to maintain continuity of the practice outside of the formal sitting and walking periods. The schedule is intense: the wakeup bell is at 3:30 am and all sittings are an hour long. A Dhamma discourse is given each day and interviews with the teachers every second day.

The fee for the retreat is $375. Fees will be used for the transportation costs of teachers and translators, miscellaneous costs associated with organizing the retreat, and unanticipated yogi needs that cannot be provided by the monastery.

Space is limited to about 30 retreatants. If you are interested in finding out more about this annual retreat, please contact the registrar, Andrea Fella by telephone at (650) 279-4087, or contact Vipassana Hawai'i about the Kyaswa Retreat (please choose Kyaswa from the drop-down menu of categories on the contact form).

With Blessings of the Dhamma,


Michele McDonald