Exploring Spiritual Bypass: Navigating Our Blind Spots (Hybrid)

How can we investigate what we do not see? Spiritual bypass, a term introduced in the mid-80s by John Welwood, a Buddhist teacher and psychotherapist, is a tendency to use spiritual ideas and practices to sidestep or avoid facing unresolved emotional issues, psychological wounds, and unfinished developmental tasks. In this weekend retreat, led by three Buddhist teachers, two of whom are psychotherapists, we will dive deeply into the topic of spiritual bypass.

We might initially believe that spiritual bypass is something that other people do. Not us. But as our meditation and spiritual path progresses, it becomes clear that everyone must eventually grapple with a tendency to use meditation as a way to avoid facing our more uncomfortable states, and the roots beneath. In other words, we are all susceptible to spiritual bypass and need to be proactive to address it. Through awareness practices and psychological healing, we can work with our own patterns of bypass to come into meaningful relationships with others, and with our world.

Please join us to:

• Explore contemplative means of turning towards our avoidance, suppression and distraction
• Engage in exercises to gently parse out these patterns in relationship with oneself and others
• Practice meditation and self reflection in community

With exercises and self-reflection, we will begin to explore the impediments to freedom, how we avoid, suppress and distract ourselves from the roots of our suffering. We will then consider the psychological and mindful work required to find freedom and joy in our life and practice.

In the end, by engaging a dual path of awareness and psychological healing, we can begin to circumvent spiritual bypass and realize our profound potential, as human beings, social creatures and citizens of this planet.

This Hybrid retreat is offered in person at Wonderwell (Residential option) and Live via Zoom (Online option).

Typical Retreat Schedule

(All times are Eastern time zone)

First Day — Hybrid evening session begins around 7:00 pm.

Full-Day Schedule — Morning meditation 7:00 am; Breakfast break 8:00-9:30 am; Lunch break 12:00-2:00 pm; Dinner break 5:30-7:00 pm.

Last Day — The closing session typically ends by 12:00 pm.

These times are just for reference. An expanded schedule will be provided in pre-retreat information emailed during the week prior to the event.

Natural Dharma Fellowship Full Calendar