The Wisdom of an Open Heart: Integrating Mindfulness and Compassion

The Wisdom of an Open Heart is a residential Buddhist meditation retreat at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies in Barre, Vermont, led by Heather Sundberg. It brings together mindfulness, compassion and loving-kindness practice for people who want to stay open to life when it turns difficult.

The retreat is a short stay, suited to anyone who wants to practice with grief, uncertainty, vulnerability or change in a setting set apart from daily life. Rather than trying to fix or push away what is hard, the teaching turns toward it with steadiness and care.

What to Expect

Heather Sundberg guides the retreat through mindfulness, compassion and loving-kindness practices. These are offered as ways to meet vulnerability, grief, uncertainty and change, so that you can remain open to your life and find wisdom in the truth of your own experience.

The emphasis is on practice that serves the heart as much as the mind. Mindfulness supports clear seeing, compassion lets that seeing be tender, and loving-kindness widens the circle of care. Together they form the "integration" in the retreat's title: not three separate techniques, but one way of being present with whatever arises.

The Setting

The retreat is residential and takes place at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies in Barre, Vermont, a center devoted to the study and practice of the Buddha's teachings. Staying on site means the retreat can unfold without the usual interruptions of the day.

Who It Suits

This retreat is for meditators and for anyone drawn to compassion-centered Buddhist practice who wants time to deepen it in a residential setting. It is one of several programs offered at the center through the winter season, and it is among the shorter ones, which can make it a fitting first residential experience or a brief return to retreat.