On-Land Retreat

Nourishing the Beautiful: A Retreat for the LGBTQIA+ Community

Awakening to the beauty that is within and around us all is an essential part of the Buddhist path, and it is of particular importance to those of us who have been taught to view ourselves and the world in a different light. In practicing together throughout this retreat, we will closely consider—and deeply nurture—what beauty means for us, both individually and collectively. Grounded in kindness, this retreat will offer meditation, mindful movement, heart-centered practices, Dharma talks, practice discussions, and opportunities for inquiry. In creating this beautiful and supportive container, we find greater freedom for ourselves and our communities. This retreat supports all levels of practice and inclusivity for our LGBTQIA+, GNC, and non-binary communities and is open to all levels of meditation experience.

Teaching Team

JD Doyle, MA

JD Doyle, MA

Teacher

JD Doyle(they/them) served as Core Teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center, where they co-founded the Alphabet(LGBTQIA+) Sangha, and as Guiding Teacher at Insight Santa Cruz. They graduated from Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s Retreat Teacher Training in 2020.

Leslie Booker

Leslie Booker

Teacher

Booker is a Spirit Rock Teacher Training graduate, committed to creating a culture of belonging. She was voted as one of the 12 Powerful Women in the Mindfulness Movement in 2020, and is a Co-Guiding Teacher of New York Insight. She lives in Philadelphia with her partner and pup.

bruni dávila

bruni dávila

Teacher

bruni dávila (she/they) has practiced Insight/Zen meditation since 1995. A graduate from the 2017-2021 IMS Teacher Training Program, she has been guided and supported by various wonderful teachers/sanghas, and her ancestors of Puerto Rican heritage. bruni's practice is grounded in the teachings of Mahasi Sayadaw and Sayadaw U Tejaniya.

Kimber Simpkins-Nuccio, JD

Kimber Simpkins-Nuccio, JD

Teacher

Kimber Simpkins-Nuccio is a white, cis, queer mom and writer who has taught yoga and mindfulness in the San Francisco Bay area for almost twenty years. She values the intersection of compassion, self-knowledge, and decreased reactivity within Buddhist practice and appreciates how these skills help us increase our resilience.

Ramona  Lisa Ortiz-Smith, MBA

Ramona Lisa Ortiz-Smith, MBA

Teacher

Ramona Lisa Ortiz-Smith, MBA, has practiced and studied the Dharma in the Theravada tradition for many years. She considers herself a dedicated lay practitioner and has spent the last four years undertaking contemporary vows and living as a lay renunciate householder. She enjoys scholarly programs and long, silent retreat practice.

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