Saturday, May 9, 2026
Southwest Unitarian Church
N. Royalton, OH
It’s impossible to move through life without experiencing heartbreak—the loss of a loved one or relationship, the end of a job, the dissolution of home, culture, or way of life. The dharma path of mindfulness and compassion teaches us not to bypass this pain, but to walk directly through it: to know it fully, and to discover freedom within it.
In this day of practice, we will explore how to fully inhabit the broken heart, releasing ourselves from the grip of our stories—the “What ifs,” the “If onlys,” the “I should haves”—and open to what is actually here. This is done with an intention of kindness, humor and joy.
This retreat will include various forms of meditation including chanting, prostrations, sitting and walking practice.
It is hoped that participants will leave feeling as though a weight has been lifted from their lives.
If you have questions about the retreat experience, see our Retreat FAQ. Still have questions? Contact the retreat manager.
Jon Aaron is a Dharma and mindfulness teacher based in New York and Chicago. Since 2006, he has taught at the New York Insight Meditation Center, offering Dharma and MBSR classes. He regularly leads retreats around the U.S. He is primarily grounded in the Theravāda tradition, alongside non-dual and Mahayana approaches. His teaching emphasizes integrating Dharma and mindfulness into daily life to foster clarity in addressing personal and social challenges. His teachers include Matthew Flickstein and, more recently, Kittisaro and Thanissara through their Dharmapala program. Jon also studied contemplative care at the Zen Center for Contemplative Care and completed the Integrated Study and Practice program at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. He is a certified MBSR teacher and teacher trainer and a Somatic Experience Practitioner®. In response to the pandemic, he and his partner, Upayadhi, launched the Space2Meditate community, offering daily meditation since March 2020. Additionally, he co-hosts the podcast Diggin’ the Dharma with scholar Doug Smith, now in its third season. More about Jon at JonAaron.net.
In keeping with ancient tradition, the teachings of the Buddha are offered freely—the teachers receive no compensation from IM Cleveland for teaching, but rely on dana (generosity) of their students. At retreat’s end, students have an opportunity to practice dana by offering contributions to the teacher.