Since Dharma Retreats (officially "Dharma Vipassana And Metta Retreats") was founded by Dr. Kate Partridge in 1998, this small non-profit venture has been providing annual meditation retreats in Ontario for people wishing to learn and deepen their practice of Vipassana / Insight Meditation and Metta / Loving-kindness Meditation.
In July 2016, Laurie Morrison, Leslie Morgan & John Lovas happily joined Kate to help run Dharma Retreats. Despite health challenges, Kate remained actively involved until a month before she died peacefully at home, with her family by her side, on March 5, 2018.
Each year, before & after Covid, we offer a week-long silent meditation retreat, usually at the Guest House of the Sisters of St. John the Divine, in Willowdale (Toronto), Ontario, Canada.
As a non-profit organization, the registration fee covers participants' accommodation & meals; the teacher's travel expenses, accommodation & meals; website maintenance; email, registration & payment platforms; and incidentals. Financial assistance for one participant is available.
Teachers do not charge for the teachings - so in addition to the registration fee, participants voluntarily support teachers by way of 'dana'.
Dharma Retreats is run by unpaid volunteers, who pay the same registration fee & dana as other participants. The retreat manager, is also unpaid, though the cost of registration, accommodation & meals are covered.
