Everyone wants to have a calm and peaceful mind.  Much of our restlessness and agitation stems from an untrained mind and lack of clear perception of what’s happening moment by moment.  During this retreat we will train our hearts and minds to find a calm abiding in the present moment.  We will also deepen our understanding using Buddha’s teachings and practices of Insight meditation and Loving Kindness.

Reflections on Howard Cohn Retreat from Pascal Courty

There are many reasons why one would want to attend the Aug 5th retreat with Howard Cohn at Goward House.  Goward’s gardens are beautiful so why not enjoy a warm summer day meditating there.  Day retreats attract large Sanghas and this one was no exception. It’s inspiring to see each other and practice together. And last but not least, Howard’s teaching style is engaging, humorous and yet deep. 

The topic for this retreat was to calm the restless mind.  This is a broad subject and Howard has used this platform to cover a lot of ground.  I was particularly inspired by his careful explanations for how to ‘interrupt’ chains of wanting and aversion by being present and accepting what is.  I was familiar with some of the ideas he discussed throughout the day but what touched was Howard’s talent at conveying old ideas in a modern language and in an unassuming style, thus giving us an unusual sense of ease and simplicity.  I cannot verbalize much of what I experienced during the retreat but I left joyful.  It has energized my daily practice and given it fresh directions.     

Howard’s retreats are unstructured, spontaneous, and flowing.  There is little sense of time or planning.  The day goes by very quickly.  Throughout the day, Howard challenges us with questions and takes on questions as well, and tells many jokes.  He started with the following one that set the mood on the restless mind.  “The past, present, and future meet in a bar for a talk. It was tense.”  Thanks again Howard for taking a day out of your vacation to inspire us.  Thanks also to our retreat registrar and manager, Rod and Isy, and to all those we have helped making this event happen.