Deepening Concentration, Deepening Insight: Silent Weekend Retreat

This silent weekend meditation retreat at Claymont Retreat Center in Charles Town, West Virginia, is led by Stan Eisenstein and centers on building concentration as a doorway to insight. It suits people drawn to Insight Meditation in the Theravada Buddhist tradition who want a quiet, guided weekend, whether they come in person or join online by Zoom. The retreat is affiliated with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington (IMCW).

What to Expect

The teaching starts from a simple idea: a concentrated mind works like a magnifying glass, able to see the subtle nature of mind and body clearly. Concentration can be cultivated on purpose, and it often brings a sense of well-being and sometimes a feeling of bliss. Talks and guided meditations first develop that steadiness. Then the retreat turns the concentrated mind toward a deeper investigation of the mind-body system and the nature of reality.

Guided sessions alternate with longer stretches of unguided sitting and walking meditation, so the teachings have room to settle. There are also two group meetings with the teachers during the weekend. Past participants describe a well-paced rhythm, a teacher attentive to the room, and, for those who sat online, a real sense of community over Zoom. Several mention working with difficult emotions and body sensations, with practices such as self-kindness and a version of RAIN, a mindfulness method for meeting hard experience.

About Stan Eisenstein

Stan Eisenstein is a mindfulness and meditation teacher whose work centers on embodiment, self-kindness, self-inquiry and inner guidance. He says his teaching grows largely out of life experience, including decades of working to resolve an early trauma through a self-awareness training, therapy, inquiry-based meditation, integrated breathwork, energy practices and ongoing study of Buddhist teachings.

He has meditated since 1988 and practiced Insight Meditation since 2004. He is a full teacher with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington and a graduate of the Meditation Teacher Training Institute. He trained in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction with Jon Kabat-Zinn in 2004, and has studied Somatic Experiencing, Integrative Breathwork and Tantric Qigong. He holds a Masters of Social Work from the University of Maryland and taught high school physics for 32 years.

The Setting

In-person participants stay at Claymont Retreat Center in Charles Town, West Virginia. Rooms are on the second floor, either single rooms (first-come, first-served) or shared rooms for two to four people, with shared bathrooms. Meditation, talks and meals all take place on the first floor. There is no elevator, but one single room on the first floor is reserved for participants with mobility challenges, along with an ADA-accessible shared bathroom on that floor. Anyone with questions about whether the facilities will meet their needs is encouraged to contact the retreat manager through the IMCW retreat page.

All meals are ovo-lacto vegetarian. Vegan, gluten-free and other dietary needs, along with allergies, can be noted at registration.

Before You Go

The retreat is held in English. No prerequisites or experience requirements are listed. Because the weekend moves from building concentration into deeper investigation, it is worth considering your own readiness when you register.

The fee covers the direct costs of the retreat: room and meals for in-person guests, plus administrative costs. Travel to Claymont, and any equipment or internet access needed for online attendance, are your own. The teachers and retreat managers receive no payment, following the Buddhist tradition of dana. Tax-deductible donations are welcome at the end of the retreat to support them in continuing to offer the teachings. Some scholarship help is available through IMCW.