Retreats and Workshops

Day-Long Retreats and Workshops are offered throughout the year and are suitable for beginner, intermediate, and advanced mindfulness and meditation practitioners. Day longs typically run from 10a.m. till 4p.m., while workshops run two hours in length. Day-long retreats include formal and informal mindfulness practices, relational mindfulness practices, walking meditations, working with negative emotions, working with thoughts, and cultivating positive emotions.

May you rest in the arms of a gentle universe. Hearing those words from you simply warmed my heart and soothed my soul. Thank you Dr. Ali for the kind and gentle way you lead meditations and for teaching me the countless ways in which I can be mindful. A calm respite from the chatter of my mind and from the busyness of life. So grateful to practice with you.” - Avis L. (Los Angeles, CA)

I learned so much from Dr. Ali’s classes and took away a gift for myself that I also pass on to my patients. As a therapist, I can already notice that I am more present in the room in both therapy and in my interactions with loved ones. I can now gently redirect myself when I realize I am trailing off into my thoughts. Thank you Dr. Ali.” - Yuri T. (Chicago, IL)

Upcoming Retreats

A Day of Heart-Based Mindfulness Practices: Build Resilience, Cultivate Self Care, Connect with Basic Goodness

Date: Saturday, March 6, 2021
Time: 10a.m. – 4p.m. (PST)
Location: Virtual/Zoom Classroom

Now more than ever, in the midst of unprecedented challenges and uncertainties, our practice of mindfulness can bring into our lives the spaciousness needed to cultivate resilience, self-compassion, and open-heartedness. In “A Day of Heart-Based Mindfulness” you will receive guided mindfulness practices to cultivate positive emotions such as loving-kindness, self-compassion, joy/awe, and equanimity (serenity). These “heart practices” allow us to be the thermostat in our unfolding lives, rather than the temperature of outer conditions. The retreat is primarily experiential, includes guided mediations, relational mindfulness practices, sitting and walking mediations, and relevant teachings of the science behind mindfulness. This retreat is suitable for beginner, intermediate, and advanced mindfulness and meditation practitioners.

Cost: COVID-19 rates

Generosity Rate: $60
Standard Rate: $30
Economic Hardship: $15
No one will be turned away due to lack of funds. Please contact wiseheartmindfulness@gmail.com.

“Buy One, Gift One Promotion” – With a paid registration to attend the day-long retreat or a workshop you are eligible to Gift a friend or relative to attend that same retreat or workshop at no cost. To register someone as part of the “Buy One, Gift One Promotion” please have the individual send an email to wiseheartmindfulness@gmail.com with the following information:

Subject Line: “Buy One, Gift One Promotion”
Name of retreat or workshop registering for
First and last name
Email address
City and State
First and last name of person gifting the “no-cost” registration

Once the email has been received your guest will receive a confirmation email along with the Zoom registration link to be used to attend the session.

Upcoming Workshops

Working with PAIN: Using mindfulness to reduce suffering

Date: Tuesday, February 23
Time: 7p.m. – 9p.m. (PST)
Location: Virtual/Zoom Classroom

In this two hour introductory workshop we will learn specific practices to work mindfully with pain. There is robust research at the intersections of mindfulness and pain with the first research conducted by Jon Kabat Zinn with people who experienced chronic pain. The protocol he developed is known today as MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction). This workshop includes practices to support the ways we can soften around the pain; examine our reactions to pain; experience the layering of stories and resistance to pain, and more. We will also explore ways to bring loving kindness and compassion to the part of your body that feels pain. This workshop is suitable for beginner, intermediate, and advanced mindfulness and meditation practitioners.

Working with Thoughts: Don’t Believe Everything You Think

Date: Wednesday March 24
Time: 7pm – 9pm (PST)
Location: Virtual/Zoom Classroom

In this two hour workshop we will learn specific practices and skills to bring mindfulness to thoughts. We will learn how to work with thoughts without being controlled by them. It is easy to get lost – even hijacked – by strong and difficult thoughts. Often thoughts are obsessive, self-critical, repetitive, and ruminative in nature. In this workshop we will learn skillful ways to experience the freedom that comes from learning how to let go of thoughts. This workshop is designed for the newcomer and the experienced practitioner.

Working with Difficult Emotions

Date: Thursday May 6
Time: 7pm – 9pm (PST)
Location: Virtual/Zoom Classroom

In this two hour workshop we will practice bringing mindfulness to working with difficult emotions. Most of us aren’t taught about relating to, or working with, our emotions in a healthy way. We typically don’t have working with emotions classes taught in schools. The way in which we manage or handle emotions (not always in healthy or skillful ways) is learned by observing our families, the media, and peers. A good definition for E/motion is Energy-in-motion and we can learn to work with our emotions rather than becoming the emotion. This workshop is designed for the newcomer and the experienced practitioner of mindfulness.

Cost: COVID-19 rates (for each workshop)

Generosity Rate: $30
Standard Rate: $15
Economic Hardship: $5
No one will be turned away due to lack of funds.
Please contact wiseheartmindfulness@gmail.com.

Refund and Cancellation Policy
Refunds should be requested by email to wiseheartmindfulness@gmail.com. Registrations/credits can be applied to a future retreat or workshop. Wise Heart Mindfulness reserves the right to cancel a retreat due to low enrollment. Registrants will be notified in advance of the retreat and a full refund will be given. No refunds/credits are given to "no-shows".