Queer Retreat: The Paramis as a Revolutionary Act
Leslie Booker
Assisted by Coral Short
March 20-23, 2025
Villa St-Martin,
Pierrefonds, QC
Toni Morrison wrote: “I know the world is bruised and bleeding. And though it is important not to ignore its pain, it is also critical to refuse to succumb to its malevolence. Like failure, chaos contains information that can lead to knowledge, even wisdom. That is how civilizations heal.”
This isn’t just a statement, but a directive of how to move through difficult times. The Buddha offered a direct and accessible framework to support his healing, called the 10 Perfections or Attainments of the Heart; or pāramīs. This collection which includes generosity, ethical conduct, renunciation, wisdom, effort, patience, truthfulness, resolve, metta and equanimity - are a map for recovery and the creation of a culture of belonging. These qualities help us to navigate life, and are said to be what the Buddha was cultivating in earlier lifetimes before his Awakening. In this residential retreat, we’ll explore not just what the Buddha said, but how he lived his life.
Teachers
Booker is a heart-centered, spirit-driven activist and meditation teacher committed to creating a culture of belonging through her teaching and writing. She completed Spirit Rock’s 4-year Retreat Teacher Training in 2020, and shared the practices of yoga and mindfulness with New York City’s most vulnerable populations for over a decade. Booker has co-authored and contributed to several publications including the trauma-informed anthology Practicing Liberation and its accompanying workbook, for folks working towards social justice. She is a co-founder of the Yoga Service Council at Omega Institute and the Meditation Working Group of Occupy Wall Street. In 2020 she was invited to be a Sojourner Truth Leadership Fellow through Auburn Seminary and was voted by her peers as one of the 12 Powerful Women in the Mindfulness Movement.
Booker moved to Philadelphia in August of 2020 to vote in a swing state, and currently serves as the Guiding Teacher of New York Insight.
For more information: https://www.lesliebooker.com/
Assisted by
Coral Short is a first-generation settler of Irish descent, raised in British Columbia on Sq'ewá:lxw territory and is now based in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal. After completing True North Insight's Mentorship program in 2022, they continued to organize Somatic and Dharmic gatherings, both in-person and online, fostering connections across diverse communities internationally.
As co-founder of Queer Sangha, Coral creates a warm weekly space where LGBTQ2S+ identities are celebrated and supported. Their life work extends to eco-somatic experiences in the forests surrounding Tiohtià:ke, guiding participants through immersive natural journeys in nature. Their morning meditation practice happens each morning while gardening on their block.
Coral's practice is rooted in embodiment, connection, and nature. They embrace the ongoing struggle for individual and collective liberation, fostering heart-softening spaces of joy.
For more information, please visit their Instagram @coralshort.
Registration
LOCATION: 21269 Boul Gouin O, Pierrefonds, QC H9K 1C1, Canada.
Villa Saint-Martin is an Ignatian Spirituality Centre that welcomes retreats accomodating the needs of a wide audience, including Dharma organizations. Please note there are Christian symbols on the site.
All of the rooms at Villa St-Martin are single rooms with a sink. Washrooms are shared.
ARRIVAL TIME: 3:30-5 pm, Thursday, March 20. The retreat will conclude by lunch on Sunday, March 23. Everyone is welcome to stay for lunch. The teachers request that you plan to attend the entire retreat – please arrive on time and stay through the closing talk.
COST: TNI is dedicated to offering affordable rates to all. TNI retreat fees are on a sliding scale basis that allows participants to pay according to individual means. Fees do not include compensation for the teachings, and teachers rely on the generosity of retreatants for a sustainable income. There is an opportunity to offer dana (donations) to the teachers at the end of each retreat.
A deposit of 50% of the base rate is required to register to the retreat. The deposit is included in all of our fees.
- Benefactor: $1200
- Sustaining: $780
- Base: $630
- Reduced: $540
- Scholarship: upon request
◆ Deposit : $315
Benefactor
The Benefactor rate provides the opportunity to offer more substantial support for TNI.
Sustaining
The Sustaining rate represents the actual cost to TNI to operate our programs. If you can afford this level or higher, you assist our efforts to offer lower sliding-scale rates and ongoing financial subsidies.
Base
The Base rate covers 82 % of what is needed to run our organization. To balance our budget and to wisely steward our resources, donations must supplement our registration income.
Reduced
Payment at the Reduced rate covers only 71 % of what is needed to run our organization. To balance our budget and to wisely steward our resources, donations must supplement our registration income.
Scholarship
TNI offers scholarships of up to a 50% reduction of the base rate on our sliding scale to those who request it. A limited number of scholarships are available.