ONLINE Metta Retreat
A 3 night Lovingkindness meditation retreat in the Western Insight (Vipassana) tradition, held online via Zoom
July 30th- August 2nd, 2026
$50 Plus Dana
Online Metta Retreat
Thursday July 30th - Sunday August 2nd, 2026
This 3 night ONLINE retreat is an opportunity to immerse yourself in the wisdom of the Buddha and the practice of metta, from the ease of your own home.
The retreat will begin Thursday evening at 7pm Australian Eastern time and end at 4pm on Sunday afternoon. Each day will consist of meditation instruction, sitting and walking meditation, yoga-inspired mindful movement, group meetings and evening Dharma talks.
The retreat will explore the four Brahmaviharas, which are considered sublime states of mind in Buddhism. Metta, the first of these sublime states, involves a warm and friendly attitude towards all beings, wishing them happiness and well-being. The other three Brahmaviharas are compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. These qualities are cultivated to promote harmony and reduce suffering. As we take these four up as a practice, we will be cultivating a steady, loving heart.
The retreat is designed to cultivate loving awareness so that we can witness our present moment experience with a non-judgmental and curious attitude, opening to lightness, joy and wonder.
The retreat is held in Noble Silence, and requires your commitment to attend the weekend in full. You will be expected to create a relaxed and distraction-free space for yourself at home.
There will be plentiful opportunities to check in and receive support, however this retreat is best suited to those that have sat an in-person insight or other silent retreat previously and who understand the schedule.
About the Teachers
Kate Duncan
Insight Dharma Teacher
Kate came across the Buddha’s teachings through Jack Kornfield’s book, The Wise Heart, 15 years ago. Although having never heard the words before, she immediately knew them to be true. Kate began sitting multiple retreats at Spirit Rock every year, until moving back to Australia in 2015 and finding her teacher Alan Bassal. Kate has sat and facilitated over 30 meditation retreats and has completed the Insight Meditation Institute’s Insight Dharma Pathway. Kate is also an ERYT-500 hr Yoga Teacher and specialises in trauma recovery and prevention.
Becca Gross-
Yoga Teacher
Becca is a seeker of awe and joy, pulled by the magnetism of movement and mindfulness practices. Becca has trained extensively in yoga with the amazing teachers at Power Living and Human.Kind and has completed a year long mindfulness teacher training through MTIA. She is incredibly inspired by the work of spiritual ecology through the teachings and work of Joanna Macy and Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.
Becca’s practices include awe walks, spending time with more-than-human-beings, befriending trees, seated meditation, bike rides, silent retreats and movement of all kinds
Setting up your space at home
Practicing an insight retreat from home asks for a bit of care and preparation. Setting up your space intentionally helps your mind settle. Choose a quiet area where you can be undisturbed for long stretches, and let those you live with know you’ll be in retreat mode for the weekend. Keep your phone off and in another room. Finish all to-do’s or work commitments and then close all unnecessary browser tabs, emails etc that might distract you while using zoom.
Make a food plan and prepare simple meals ahead of time, like soups and stews that can be heated, or even pre cut salad fixings. This will allow you to move slowly during the retreat so your attention can remain whole and un-rushed. Make a plan with others in your home around keeping Noble Silence and ask for support from them if needed.
Many people find it more challenging to sustain concentration and follow the schedule at home, yet report the benefit of mindfulness blended and integrated into daily life. Expect distractions, restlessness, or moments of resistance. These aren’t obstacles but invitations to deepen steadiness, patience, and compassion.
The key is to hold your home as a temporary retreat centre — ordinary, imperfect, and completely workable. With clear intention and gentle discipline, it becomes a space where insight quietly integrates with daily life.
Book Your Retreat
In keeping with a 2500 year tradition, no fee has been added for the teachings. At the end of the retreat, you are invited to give a donation (dana) in support of the teachers to continue their work.
Fee for the 3 night retreat is $50
What is Dana?
Dana is the Pali word (the language of the Buddha) that translates to generosity. Offering dana is a 2500 year old practice that dates back to the time of the Buddha. It honours that the teachings are priceless, and therefore are offered freely.
For this retreat, the teachers have not charged a fee for their offerings. The price of booking covers administration costs only.
The teachers time, preparation, planning and delivery (including support while on the retreat) are all offered for free. At the end of the retreat, you can offer your generosity, or Dana, to support the teachers to continue sharing the Dharma and offering retreats.
There is no recommended amount for Dana, it is entirely up to you to explore (with mindfulness) what feels right for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does the retreat begin and end?
The retreat will officially begin at 7pm (AEST) on Thursday with a welcome, guided meditation and short talk, followed by a another meditation together. You can expect this session to last no more than 2 hours.
We will finish with a closing circle at 4pm (AEST)on Sunday.
Please note all times will be run on Australian Eastern time so please adjust for your timezone.
What is Noble Silence? Does this mean I can't talk?
Noble Silence is a practice of refraining from idle conversation. We only speak when necessary, which in the context of this retreat, means we are mostly choosing to not speak. The purpose of Noble Silence is to give ourselves a break from stimulation, so that we can allow the mind to start to move toward stillness.
Throughout the retreat, there are many opportunities to ask questions, share what is happening for you and to inquire into your practice. This is done through group and individual meet-ups over zoom. You will need to navigate how you choose to engage in silence within your own home and you are welcome to be flexible with how you approach the practice.
Do I need to be present for the whole retreat or can I come and go?
We highly recommend that you commit to the retreat rather than joining in for short periods, which can be disruptive to the group. We ask that you attend the opening and closing and do your best to be there for most of the sessions. We also understand that some of you may not need to log in to keep yourself on track during the retreat, and this is ok too.
If you have other commitments such as work, social gatherings etc, it may not be the right time for you. If you aren’t sure, please feel free to reach out and discuss.
Can I use my mobile phone during the retreat?
Generally, we ask that you gift yourself a break from phones, emails and outside responsibilities for the duration of this retreat. To assist with this, you may wish the physically remove your phone from sight or give it to someone in your family.
There are also settings in your phone that can allow only 1 specified person to be able to call through, so if you do want to be able to be contacted during emergencies this can be set up. Another good idea can be to remove all apps that you may use so your phone becomes simply a device for calls during the retreat.
What happens all day? What is the Schedule like?
You can see a sample of our anticipated schedule below. The schedule is there to create a strong container, however nothing in it is mandatory. We ask that you do your best to be physically present for the following: the morning and afternoon instructions and the evening Dharma Talk
Anticipated Schedule
7am Mindful Yoga
7:30am Sitting Meditation
8:15am Break (breakfast etc)
9:30am Morning Instructions
10:30am Walking Meditation
11:00am Sitting Meditation
11:30am Walking Meditation
12:00pm Sitting Meditation
12:30pm Break (Lunch, rest etc)
2:30 Afternoon Instructions
3:30pm Walking Meditation
4:00pm Sitting Meditation
4:30 Mindful Yoga
5:00 Sitting Meditation
5:30pm Break (Dinner, rest etc)
7pm Sitting Meditation
7:20pm Stretch/walk
7:30pm Dharma Talk
8:30pm Self Guided home practice: further walking or sitting meditation until bed
