Exploring the Heart of Freedom

A BCBS/IMS Intensive Study and Practice Program

With Jeanne Corrigal, Roxanne Dault, William Edelglass, Yong Oh, and Nicola Redfern

Exploring the
Heart of Freedom

Exploring the Heart of Freedom is a sixteen-month program for experienced practitioners to embody our understanding of the core teachings of the Buddha, deepen our meditation practice, and immerse in spiritual friendship and community.

Exploring the Heart of Freedom (EHF) offers the unique opportunity to be supported by one primary teacher for sixteen months and to cultivate community in consistent, small groups within the larger cohort.

The program consists of five residential retreats in Barre, MA, which will include meditation practice, dharma study, and relational practices such as Insight Dialogue, small group inquiry, and contemplative sharing.

Monthly home reflections and biweekly sangha sharing sustain the program between retreats.

The program is jointly offered by the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies (BCBS) and Insight Meditation Society (IMS).

Program Overview

Program Dates

January 2026 - June 2027

Application Timeframe

Application Opens February 1, 2025

Duration

16 Months

Time Commitment

7-10 hours per week

Prerequisites

Participated in at least two week-long Buddhist silent meditation retreats, in person or online, and at least 30 nights of retreat time.

In-Person Retreats

Attend five residential retreats in Barre, MA, hosted at BCBS and IMS. Scroll down for the retreat dates.

Zoom Gatherings

Participate in two Zoom group meetings per month (one teacher-led and one peer-led).

Self-Paced Practice

Engage in monthly learning modules that include meditations, writings, reflections, and dharma talks, along with daily meditation and practice.

Program Description

The curriculum is structured to gradually deepen an embodied understanding and practice of the foundational teachings in the Pāli canon in a way that is responsive to the diverse and often challenging conditions of contemporary life.

This program is not an introduction to meditation. For this reason, the prerequisite for this program, is already having participated in at least two week-long Buddhist silent meditation retreats, in person or online, and at least 30 nights of retreat time. In addition, you will need to commit to maintaining both meditative and daily life practice.

The program will explore the following teachings and practices as the foundation for a Buddhist path.

Meditation Practices
  1. Meditation practices to develop insight:

    Satipatthāna meditation, especially as taught in The Four Establishments of Mindfulness, the key discourse for insight meditation practice.

  2. Meditation practices to develop calm and tranquility:

    Samatha meditation and mindfulness of breathing.

  3. Meditation practices to cultivate the heart-mind:


    The four brahmavihāra meditations of kindness (mettā), compassion (karuṇā), appreciative joy (muditā), and equanimity (upekkhā).

  4. Relational meditation practices:


    Grounded in mindful speaking and listening, we will explore a range of interpersonal meditation methods to strengthen our collective wisdom and compassion, including Insight Dialogue and Dharma Contemplation.

  1. The First Noble Truth:

    An exploration of dukkha in its many forms and the ways it can serve as a wake-up call in our own lives.

  2. The Second Noble Truth:

    Investigating the cause of dukkha, including the three core afflictive energies of greed, aversion, and delusion.

  3. The Third Noble Truth (Awakenings):

    Expressions of Nibbāna within the Pāli Canon and later Buddhist teachings, and their relevance for our own practice here and now.

  4. The Fourth Noble Truth:

    The Eightfold Path to awakening, of ethics and moral restraint (sīla), meditation (samādhi, bhāvanā), and transformative wisdom (paññā).

  5. Foundational Buddhist insights:

    Impermanence (anicca), unsatisfactoriness (dukkha), not-self (anattā), emptiness, dependent origination, karma.

  6. The Three Refuges:

    Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha including the role of dāna, faith, spiritual friendship, and community as supports for the path
  1. Sutta Study:

    Engaging classical texts in ways that illuminate their relevance for contemporary lay practitioners.

  2. Socially-engaged Buddhism and the cultivation of bodhicitta:

    Practicing for the benefit of all beings and addressing the environmental crisis, social justice, and other contemporary challenges.

  3. Reflecting on the broader conditions of our own practice:

    Understanding contemporary practice in its cultural and historical contexts.

  4. Appreciating the multiplicity of Buddhist lives:

    Exploring the many ways we can live a Dharma-centered life.

Retreat Schedule

Retreat I: Embarking on the Path — Foundations and Frameworks

Taught by Jeanne Corrigal, Roxanne Dault, William Edelglass, Yong Oh, Nicola Redfern

Retreat II: Exploring the Terrain — Developing a Skillful Relationship with Dukkha

Participants will be divided into cohorts for Retreats II, III, and V. The cohorts will remain the same throughout the full program and cannot be changed. Availability for small groups will be selected on the application and assigned during the application review process.

Group 1: Nicola Redfern’s Cohort with William Edelglass and TBA | April 28 to May 3, 2026

Group 2: Yong Oh’s Cohort with William Edelglass and Jeanne Corrigal | May 5-10, 2026

Group 3: Jeanne Corrigal’s Cohort with Roxanne Dault and William Edelglass | May 12-17, 2026

Retreat III: Nourishment for the Journey — Cultivating Resources on the Path to Freedom

Participants will attend with the same cohort from Retreat II.

Group 1: Yong Oh’s Cohort with William Edelglass and Roxanne Dault | September 25 – 30, 2026

Group 2: Nicola Redfern’s Cohort with William Edelglass and Yong Oh | October 2-7, 2026

Group 3: Jeanne Corrigal’s Cohort with William Edelglass and Nicola Redfern | May 12-17, 2026

Retreat IV: Embarking on the Path — Foundations and Frameworks

Taught by Jeanne Corrigal, Roxanne Dault, William Edelglass, Yong Oh, Nicola Redfern

Retreat V: Home — The Heart of Freedom in our Daily Lives

Participants will attend with the same cohort from Retreat II and III.

Group 1: Yong Oh’s Cohort with William Edelglass and Jeanne Corrigal | May 14-19, 2027

Group 2: Jeanne Corrigal’s Cohort with William Edelglass and Nicola Redfern | May 21-26, 2027

Group 3: Nicola Redfern’s Cohort with William Edelglass and Roxanne Dault | May 28 – June 2, 2027

Application Information

Residential Pricing:

Includes lodging and meals at BCBS and IMS during the in-person retreats.

During IMS retreats, all participants will be housed in single rooms. At BCBS, a small number of participants will be housed in double rooms. Being flexible with your housing preferences increases the likelihood that we will have a space to offer you.

Click the Pricing Notes tab to learn about Tier Pricing and Financial Assistance.

Tier 1Tier 2Tier 3Benefactor
$XXXX$XXXX$XXXX$XXXX

Commuter Pricing:

Includes meals without lodging during the in-person programs.

Standard
$XXXX

Program Fees: Program fees include both residential and online components of the program. The first half is due upon registration, and the second half is due three weeks before the first retreat.

Accessibility: BCBS keeps prices as affordable as possible and offers Tier Pricing and Financial Assistance options to keep programs accessible:

Tier Pricing: You may choose a tier and pay according to your means. Tier 1 covers the actual cost of the program. Tiers 2 and 3 are subsidized rates made possible through the generosity of donors. The Benefactor rate enables you to offer additional, tax-deductible support to BCBS and fellow program participants. Please select the highest tier that fits your budget to help keep BCBS programs accessible.

Financial Assistance: If needed, you may request additional financial assistance on the registration page.

Teacher Dāna/Generosity: Program fees do not include payments to teachers. Please consider supporting Jeanne Corrigal, Roxanne Dault, William Edelglass, Yong Oh, and Nicola Redfern with dāna (generosity) during your program.

Cancellation Policy: We understand that personal circumstances may require you to cancel your registration. In these cases, please contact us right away. If you cancel more than eight weeks before the program starts, you are eligible for a full refund minus a $100 administrative fee. If you cancel between three and eight weeks before the program starts, you are eligible for a 50% refund of the deposit. Registration fees are nonrefundable less than three weeks before the program starts.

Questions:

  • For questions about registration, pricing, scholarships, and payment, please email registration@dharma.org.
  • For questions about the program application and BCBS housing, please email contact@buddhistinquiry.org.

Applications Open: February 1, 2025

Application Deadline: May 1, 2025

Initial Accepted Applicants Notified: June 1, 2025

Payment Due: The first half of the course fee is due within two weeks of acceptance. The second half is due three weeks before the first retreat.

Program Starts: January 30, 2026