The Nature of Practice: An Awareness and Wisdom Insight Meditation Retreat

Join us for a four-day residential insight meditation retreat at AMC’s Medawisla Lodge and Cabins in Maine’s 100-Mile Wilderness.

Teachers: Alexis Santos and Susa Talan, Insight Meditation Teachers and Open Door Co-Founders

When: Wednesday, September 10 at 2:00 pm - Sunday, September 14, 2025 at 2:00 pm

Where: Appalachian Mountain Club’s Medawisla Lodge and Cabins on the Medawisla Access Road, one hour beyond Greenville, ME (directions)

Sample Schedule

Arrival: Wednesday, September 10 between 12:00 and 2:00 pm​

  • 11:00 - 12:00 pm: Plan on passing through Greenville, Maine

  • 12:00 - 1:00 pm: Arrive at AMC Medawisla Lodge and Cabins on Second Roach Pond

  • 1:00 - 3:00 pm: Retreat check-in at lodge; yogi job sign up; move in-time

  • 1:00 - 3:00 pm: Orientation to facilities, lakefront and trails

  • 3:30 pm: Yogi job orientation and training

  • 4:00 pm: Welcome session/orientation 

  • 6:00 pm: Dinner

  • 7:30 - 8:45 pm: Opening sit; teacher introductions and talk; enter silence

Thursday, September 11 - Saturday, September 13 (in silence)

  • Schedule will be posted daily.

  • Guided group meditation; awareness in every posture; dharma sharing and Q+A

  • Unstructured time to explore and practice in nature

  • Individual or small group interviews with teachers

  • Evening dharma talks

​Sunday, September 14​

  • Morning sit and continued awareness practice

  • Return cabin linens and check out by mid-morning

  • Closing session after check out, ending at noon with break from silence

  • Dharma hall clean up followed by group walk to waterfront

  • Goodbye circle and dedication of merit; bag lunches provided by AMC Lodge

  • Yogis are welcome to use waterfront/lodge/camp facilities/hiking trails the rest of the afternoon

Housing Options

Private Room in Bath in Cabin or Bathhouse Cabin

  • Requests may be made for a single private room, if available, in either cabin type for an extra fee. 

  • To share a private room with a queen bed, one person signs up for the room and also purchases a Bedshare ticket for the second person (a slight discount). See Shared Room Information below.

Shared Room in Bath in Cabin or Bathhouse Cabin

  • Shared rooms are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

  • To sign up to share a room (two separate beds) with a partner/friend, you must both register on the same day and each enter the other’s name and contact in the (optional) roommate line on Zeffy. See Shared Room Information below.

Bunkhouse

  • Each of the two bunkhouses has four sections, with two bunk beds per section.

  • Sections are separated by three-quarter walls and hallway privacy curtains.

  • Most sections will have only two people in them.

  • Bunkhouse registrants must bring their own linens, comforters or sleeping bags, as well as towels and washcloths.

  • Pillows, pillowcases, and extra blankets are provided.

Room and Board Rates

Room and board rates are listed below:

  • Basic: basic cost of housing, three meals/day for four days, plus service fees

  • Community Sustainer: basic cost plus additional contribution to scholarship fund for this and other Open Door Meditation retreats

Shared Room Information

Retreat roommates will be assigned randomly based on gender preference at the end of each day while registration remains open.

  • Special roommate requests are not guaranteed; however, if made on the same day during open registration, every effort will be made to accommodate the request if the following is done: 

    • You must register on the same day as your requested roommate, choose the same type of housing ticket, and provide their name and contact information (phone number and email) on your registration form.   

  • Wish to share a queen bed with a friend or partner? Purchase a BEDSHARE ticket. 

    • Choose PRIVATE ROOM type of housing for Primary Registrant.

    • At the same time, purchase a BEDSHARE ticket for the second person and enter their name and contact information (email and phone number). 

    • Both people will be assigned to the same queen-sized bed in a cabin type chosen by the Primary Registrant,

  • If retreat housing is full or the housing you require to attend the retreat is not available, please purchase a $2.00 placeholder ticket for the retreat waitlist. 

  • Feel free to enter any additional information in the "preferred housing" question of this ticketing option. There are limited spaces for this wilderness retreat, but we will contact you if additional housing becomes available.

Dana

As you plan your financial commitment to the retreat, please note that costs do not include dana for teachers or tips for AMC staff members, both of which will be encouraged at the end of the retreat.

  • Bring check(s) or cash and envelopes for teacher dana, as there is no internet connectivity at the wilderness lodge.

  • Tips for the AMC staff can be offered using cash, check, or credit card. 

  • If you wish to offer dana electronically before or after the retreat, you can find information about ways to offer dana to the teachers and to Open Door on our website under Donate.

Special Dietary Needs

Please know that AMC Lodges cannot accommodate severe food allergies due to logistical and kitchen space limitations that may result in cross contamination.

  • All meals will be vegetarian, so there is no need to alert AMC if you prefer vegetarian meals.

  • Any special dietary needs or special meal requests must be arranged in advance by emailing AMC’s Kevin Smith (ksmith@outdoors.org) by August 11, 2025 with the subject line: “Dietary Request.”

  • If you have questions, please call AMC at 603-466-7610.

Scholarship Applications

Scholarship requests are encouraged if such support would make it possible for you to attend the retreat.

  • Thanks to the generosity of prior retreatants, there is increased funding for scholarships this year. This will provide for a number of partial and a few full scholarships for bunkhouse spots. We encourage applications from anyone who would like to attend but who may need financial support to do so. We all benefit from supporting each other.

  • Scholarships will be granted based both on the amount of financial need requested and on the availability of funds. Requests will be considered on a first-ask, first-served basis. No documentation is required to request funding support.

  • To make a request, choose a $75 Scholarship Application Ticket when you register for the retreat. Doing so does not guarantee a space at the retreat, but temporarily holds a bunkhouse spot until we can determine if the financial support you need is available. 

  • Consider how much support is necessary for you to be able to attend the retreat. Applicants are encouraged to request what would make it possible to attend without financial duress. 

  • Then please email us at residentialretreatopendoor@gmail.com with the subject line: Scholarship Request. Let us know what your specific request is and include your phone number. A retreat volunteer will call you to determine what can be made available at that time. 

  • If we are unable to fund your request for financial support, your $75 will be refunded to you.

Health/Infectious Disease Policy

All retreat participants are encouraged to bring their prescription medications, as well as occasionally and frequently used over-the-counter medications. There are no medical facilities nearby and the closest pharmacy is more than an hour away from the lodge, with limited hours and supplies.

  • Please bring hand sanitizer and wash hands frequently. We retreat in close quarters for hours at a time, so it's important to demonstrate care and compassion for all in our daily habits and hygiene.

  • Attendees are asked to bring and if necessary wear N95 or KN95 masks during indoor activities based on disease prevalence at the time of the retreat and/or teacher concerns. 

    • Anyone who develops a sore throat or cold while at the retreat should immediately mask to protect others. We ask that retreatants notify the retreat staff of any coughing, fever, or GI illness. 

    • Open Door supports anyone who chooses to remain masked for the entire retreat for their own health reasons. 

  • Although the presence of epidemic and prevalent disease(s) in our country will change between your registration and September 10th, all retreatants are asked to have an updated Covid booster no more than 1-2 years before the date of the retreat, although it’s advisable to have the most recent one available to you. The booster requirement may change if significantly different strains emerge and boosters become available.

  • If there is a surge in Covid cases at the time of the retreat, Covid testing will be instituted prior to the retreat. Each attendee will need  to perform two rapid tests at home: one 48 hours prior to the start of the retreat (Monday, September 8th), and the second, the morning before leaving for the wilderness (Wednesday, September 10th). 

    • Both of these tests must be negative for you to attend the retreat. If not done, you will be asked to wear an N-95 mask until the second test 48 hours after the first.

    • If instructed to do so, please bring along a third rapid test that you may be asked to take on the second day of the retreat.

  • Please contact Open Door at residentialretreatopendoor@gmail.com if you have a significant exposure to Covid or a cold or cough in the days preceding the retreat. Use the subject line: Illness. In the two days before the retreat, call the AMC Medawisla Lodge directly (at 207-349-0437) and leave a message for retreat leaders.

  • Check back one month before the retreat for changes in infectious disease conditions and any updates to the policy. Any Covid testing requirements will be outlined in your August retreat information email.

Cancellation Policy

First cancellation period: March 14 - May 31, 2025: 70% of registration refunded minus $75 cancellation fee

Second cancellation period​: June 1 - August 1, 2025: 35% of registration refunded minus $75 cancellation fee

After August 1, no refunds to registrants can be guaranteed due to Open Door Meditation Community’s financial responsibility to pay AMC in full for the entire camp rental. 

NOTE: Once the retreat is fully subscribed, it may be possible for Open Door to facilitate connecting you with the next person on the waitlist, who will pay you directly for the reservation, minus the non-refundable administrative fee of $75, thus allowing an almost complete refund. 

Registering for the Retreat with ZEFFY

We are using ZEFFY, a ticketing platform for non-profit organizations. Before you pay for your retreat ticket, on the final check out page, you will encounter an autofilled 10% add-on surcharge. Note: This is NOT a donation for Open Door Meditation, but rather the "Zeffy" ticketing platform (like Eventbrite). Feel free to change this autofilled amount, by clicking on the drop down arrow next to it. You are encouraged to offer a small(er) amount of your choice to support this non-profit ticketing platform.​ If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Retreat Team at residentialretreatopendoor@gmail.com, using the subject line, “Zeffy Registration Questions.”

Contact Information

Open Door Support: For specific questions about lodging, roommates, program, etc., email the retreat team at residentialretreatopendoor@gmail.com

AMC Staff: General questions about housing, wilderness camp, meals at Medawisla

  • Call (603) 466-2727 and select option #2 (Group Sales)

  • Go to the AMC website and search articles or use the new chat feature

  • Email our AMC contact person regarding dietary requests and other questions: Kevin Smith at ksmith@outdoors.org.

Registration will open on March 14, 2025 at 5:00 pm ET.