We are happy to answer any questions you
may have regarding the retreat. If you don’t find
the answer here, Please email us at
info@thesummerretreat.com or
call us at (310)745-0700.


[ PAYMENT ]   [ ABOUT ]   [ ACTIVITES ]   [ TRAVEL ]

PAYING FOR THE RETREAT,
REGISTRATION AND DONATION

1. How do I pay for the retreat?
The price of the retreat is $685. This can be made in one payment or two (see question 2). You can go to the registration page to pay online with a credit or debit card. You will receive an email confirmation of your registration. If you wish to pay for someone else to go to the retreat, you can do that also on the registration page. All payments are non-refundable.
If you need to pay by check, make the check out to:
What’d ya think?, inc.
Please send the check to the company’s accountant:
Jarrod Hicks
Global Business Management
15250 Ventura Blvd., Suite 710
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

2. Can I pay for the retreat in installments?
You can pay by going to the registration page on this website. You can pay in full now, or you can pay in two installments:
$345 is due by May 1st to ensure you a place at the retreat. The remaining $340 is due by July 25th. You must pay the balance by July 25th, or we will assume you are not attending the retreat. All payments are non-refundable.

3. How do I donate to the retreat?
You may donate on the registration page. We are a non-profit 501-(c)3 organization. All donations are tax deductable. You will be sent a receipt by the end of the year. Any size donation will make a difference. Thank you!

4. Are there scholarships available? How do I apply?
To request financial help please call Alison Landoni at (310)745-0700. We cannot give full scholarships, even in exchange for work/study. We will give partial scholarships up to $345 per person to those who truly cannot pay the full amount. If you require less financial help, please ask only for the amount you need. This retreat is privately funded and we want to use our limited scholarship fund to help as many people as possible get to the retreat. For those of you who receive scholarships, you will not be registered for the retreat until you pay the balance $340. The balance is due on or before July 25th, or we will assume you do not want to attend the retreat. Please let us know if you are interested in helping before, during, or after the retreat: (310)745-0700.

5. Can I pay just for the room and eat elsewhere?
No. No one is to leave the site once the retreat begins.

[ PAYMENT ]   [ ABOUT ]   [ ACTIVITES ]   [ TRAVEL ]

ABOUT THE RETREAT AND THE VENUE

1. What is the venue like?
The Governor’s Academy is the oldest boarding school in the country. It is absolutely lovely, beautifully maintained, with green fields stretching out to the surrounding woods. The school is like a small college campus with New England style clapboard and brick buildings, all an easy walk from each other.

2. Are there any special restrictions at the school?
There is absolutely no flame of any kind: fire, candle, incense, cigarettes, or any heating device allowed on the premises. Please note that there is no smoking at all. This rule must be honored. If someone is found to have any flammable materials, we will ask them to leave the retreat without refund. We recommend bringing battery operated flameless candles or LED flameless tealights for light offerings. Essential oils or perfume can be used as scent offerings, as long as it doesn’t bother your roommate.

3. Can I have my own room?
Yes. There are singles and doubles at the school which will be assigned on a first come first served basis. There are many singles so everyone who wants one should be able to have one. The housing is in very nice dormitories with a bathroom on each floor.

4. Is there parking at the venue?
Yes, there is central parking between 100 and 200 feet from the dorms. You can pull up to the dorm entrance when you are moving in, and when you move out.

5. What is the food like? Do you accommodate special diets? Can I bring my own food?
We will serve an assortment of delicious vegetarian meals. If you are vegan or have a specific allergy or celiac disease please let us know: the school chef can accomodate you if we know ahead of time. Snacks and fruit will be available all day for no extra charge. No one is to leave the retreat to eat: the price we charge includes all your meals, and they are excellent. There is a refrigerator and microwave in each dorm, so if you wish you can keep and heat your own food there.

6. Is there handicapped access?
Yes. All buildings have handicapped access.

7. Is there a babysitting service available?
No. This is an adult retreat.

8. I have children and need to be home at night - can I still participate in the retreat?
No. This is a time to unplug and get away from normal day to day activities.

9. Is there internet access?
There is wireless internet access in the academic buildings. You can also access the internet by a cable which is provided by the venue. We strongly urge you to leave your computer at home or bring it only to take notes at teachings. You will not get the full benefit of the retreat if you are emailing, etc. The computer is one of the main ways that we avoid ourselves.

10. Can I bring my dog/cat?
No. There are no pets allowed on the premises.

11. What do I bring with me?
A notebook and pens or your computer for taking notes.

A yoga mat – we do not supply them. Please don’t assume that we do. (If you are coming from abroad, please let us know and we will find you a yoga mat).

Your toiletries (soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, etc.) We provide soap in all the bathrooms, but you may want your own.

A towel and washcloth. We provide a towel, but you may want your own.

A meditation cushion if you use one. For those of you coming from abroad, let us know and we will provide one for you.

Night clothes and robe

Sleeping bag or your own quilt. We supply sheets, a pillow with pillowcase and a blanket. The blankets are not very warm so please bring an extra one, or a comforter or sleeping bag. The beds are simple and there are no mattress pads. You may want to bring something to go underneath you – like the thin inflatable pads that go under sleeping bags, or a blanket. If you need a special pillow please bring it.

Bring a small fan if you can. It can just as easily be hot as cold in August in New England. If you can’t, let us know and we will try to provide one.

A flashlight

Bug spray, Sunscreen and sunglasses

12. How many other people will be at this retreat?
Last year there were 110. We hope to have that many this year or more. It sounds like a big number, but the retreat actually feels quite intimate, and you will meet wonderful people.

13. Does it matter if I’m not Buddhist?
The retreat is not religious. While the teachings are based on Buddhist principles, the message is universal. People from all traditions attend every year, and often find that the retreat actually helps them clarify what they believe. Lama Marut was a professor of comparative religion for twenty five years. He teaches out of his knowledge of many traditions. Often the Dalai Lama says at the beginning of his talks, “stay with your own tradition. If what I say helps, good. If not, I hope you have a nice evening.”

14. Is studying from an American who is a Buddhist monk equivalent to being taught by a lama from Tibet?
(see About Lama Marut) Lama Marut is an ordained Tibetan Buddhist monk from the Gelugpa lineage of Buddhism, the lineage of His Holiness, the current Dalai Lama. Lama Marut's training is extensive, and his scholarship superb. He is a Sanskritist and has published several books. The graduate degree he holds from Diamond Mountain University is the equivalent of the Tibetan Geshe degree, which in Tibet required 20 years of study in a monastery. His heart teacher, Geshe Michael Roach, is the first American to get a Geshe degree in a Tibetan monastery. Geshe Michael’s teacher was Khen Rimpoche Lobsang Tharchin, who was abbot of the great Sera Me monastery in Tibet. Khen Rimpoche’s heart teacher was Trijang Rimpoche, the tutor of the present Dalai Lama, and Pabongka Rimpoche, one of the greatest sages in the history of Tibet, who wrote Liberation in the Palm of your Hand.

15. Is there an emergency contact?
We will provide you with an emergency contact before your arrival.

16. Is there a hospital nearby?
Yes, in Newburyport, only five miles away. There are also medics who can come to the school if need be.