YA Cohort Program 2016

YA-Cohort

The term used in Sanskrit is satsang, which derives from two smaller words: sat, meaning the good or truth or reality, and sanga, group or association. 

Thus it signifies the seekers of the highest, banded together. 

- Eknath Easwaran

Join us for the second year of the YA Cohort Program and participate in a year-long program to deepen your passage meditation practice and build spiritual community while going about your day-to-day life.

As a YA cohort, you’ll join a small group of YAs in their 20s and 30s for a video workshop once every two months helping you to integrate the eight points more meaningfully into your daily life and access greater spiritual wisdom.  The program will end by bringing all the cohorts together for an amazing week of satsang at a weeklong retreat and a weekend stay at Dillon Beach.

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View of Dillon Beach, where cohorts spend a weekend together after the weeklong retreat

The Cohort Program will gather YAs from around the world who have an established meditation practice and are aspiring to expand and strengthen their use of the eight points. 

In only its third year, the Cohort Program is designed to meet you wherever you are and fit into a busy YA schedule — while still bringing you together with other YAs for rich satsang and opportunities for deep spiritual growth.

This year, we're trying a new schedule, beginning the program with the weeklong retreat in July and holding our three video workshops in the latter half of 2016 as noted in the schedule below.

Cohort Program Event

  • Weeklong Retreat:  July 9–15, 2016* — Along with meditators of all ages, the cohorts will spend an amazing 7 days delving into the eight points, and Easwaran's writings in-depth. All this deep study will be balanced with time to hang out with cohorts and other YAs.
  • Pre-Retreat Satsang:  July 7–9, 2016 — Arrive early for a day of satsang before the retreat like a hike, or day trip, a great way to get together before the retreat!
  • Dillon Beach Weekend:  July 15–17, 2016* — To celebrate the end of the retreat the cohorts will move into a house at nearby Dillon Beach to spend a weekend together hanging out, meditating, and deciding their own schedule.
  •  3 Video Workshops:  August 7*, October 2*, December 4, 2016* — Meet every other month with cohorts and BMCM presenters for specialized YA curriculum aimed to deepen your practice and support you in your day-to-day life.
  • YA Weekend Retreat: November 4–6, 2016 — Join the cohorts and other YAs for a weekend of in-person satsang and a great spiritual boost.

We strongly suggest that you attend all parts of the program, but we understand, especially for those traveling from outside the US, that scheduling is difficult so the “required” events are notated with an asterisk. If you’d like to be a cohort in 2016 but have scheduling conflicts, get in touch at young.adults@easwaran.org and we can help you figure out if this program is right for you this year.

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Cost: The entire six-month program costs $250. This fee includes registration for both retreats, the pre-retreat stay (all including meals and accommodation), and the Dillon Beach house rental. We estimate you will need an additional $50 pocket money for the pre-retreat satsang outing and food at the Dillon Beach house. If you are traveling from outside the US, we will waive the registration fee, so you’ll only need approximately $50 pocket money.

We never want finances to stand in the way of you participating in a program. Please contact financial.aid@easwaran.org for information about scholarships.  

Click above to be taken to the registration page at easwaran.org

Prerequisites: This program is for YAs in their 20s and 30s who have been meditating daily using Easwaran's method for one year.

  • If you life in North America, we ask that you've also attended one of our returnee weekend retreats.
  • If you live outside North America, instead of a returnee weekend, we ask that you've participated in the YA eSatsang for one year and have participated in two YA phone satsangs.

If you have questions about whether this program is right for you, we're happy to help! Just contact us at young.adults@easwaran.org.