A Families Course with Shimi Levi and Danny Rot

Location: Ein Dor

We are happy to invite you to a families’ course in the spirit of the Dharma in Ein Dor

Unlike other Tovana’s retreats, this retreats emphasizes the connection between the Dharma and the family and collective life, supported by Sangah and lead by teachers. Most of the practice in the retreat will be conducted while taking care of the children and spending time with them, and participating in the operation of the course; only a small portion of the retreat will be the traditional walking and sitting practice.

The course is designed for families who are interested in letting Dharma into their daily lives, with at least one parent completing a long retreat. The aim is to experience the Dharma through collective life and construct the bridge between practice and family life – arenas that sometime seem separate. We will examine the practice of being a parent and use tools and qualities which develop through the Dharma for the benefit of the whole family.

The collective life, experienced through this course, opens doors for introduction with other families, children of the same age, teenagers, young parents and youth. The intimacy created in this course allows us a wider view of our role within the community – a role which is different to our role within our family.

The first two days of the course will be dedicated for introductions and getting to know the other participants in order to create a social fabric that will allows us to hold the course in harmony and with cooperation.

One of the challenges of the course is to keep the children active for the most of the day, thus parents are asked to prepare team activities for children only, or for both parents and children, in the recreational, movement or acting subjects.

The retreat will operate several activity centres on timed schedule. The meditation hall will offer practice throughout the day so any practitioner who has ‘time off’ from their work as parents, kitchen work, or communal education roles, will have the opportunity to practice.

We will conduct daily Dharma talks and group talks with teachers which will help establish the link between the Dharma and our daily life activities.

Children under 5 must have a parent escorting them and families with more than one child under the age of 5 will not be able to participate. A single parent can participate in the course with two children at the most, and only if both of them are over the age of 5. And as mentioned above, the course is designed for families whom at least one parent completed a long meditation retreat.

Arrival to Ein Dor between 15:00 – 16:30 for registration. The course will end on Sunday at 18:00.

Registration will open 4-6 weeks before the retreat’s start date.

The retreat is suitable for old and new students.

If this is your first time participating in Tovana’s courses, please read:about courses at Tovana

Volunteers Needed:

In order to hold these courses successfully, we need helping hands both in the kitchen and in management roles. Volunteers experience a “Service Retreat” which is an opportunity to combine giving and meditation practice: sitting on the pillow and a daily practice. Tovana Foundation is based and run largely by volunteers. During last year, about 200 practitioners volunteer in various courses in Ein Dor, in addition to around 50 volunteers in permanent duties. You are invited to volunteer and practice by doing.