How do patterns of attachment shape our relationships, and how might Buddhist practice help transform them?
In this daylong online retreat, we’ll explore the meeting point of contemporary Attachment Theory and Buddhist wisdom. Drawing on attachment research, we’ll examine common insecure mindstates—dismissing, preoccupied, and disorganized—and how these habitual relational “views” can generate suffering in close relationships, including parenting and other forms of caregiving.
Through guided meditation, visualization, and reflective inquiry, we’ll explore what secure attachment feels like from the inside and how it resonates with core dharma teachings. Participants will be introduced to the Ideal Parent practice, a contemplative method for cultivating an inner experience of reliable, attuned, and benevolent care. These practices are relevant both for our own attachment healing and for how we show up as attachment figures for others.
Together, we’ll investigate how attachment patterns are not fixed traits but conditioned and trainable mindstates—and how healing attachment and deepening insight can mutually support one another, from everyday relational challenges to profound awakening.
Program Format: The day will include lecture presentation, Q&R, guided meditations, small and large group discussions.