In-Person and Online: Seven Day Urban Meditation Retreat

In-Person and Online: Seven Day Urban Meditation Retreat

A non-residential retreat in New York City

with Leslie Booker and Dalila Bothwell

Saturday, June 13th – Friday, June 19th, 2026 | 9:30am – 5:00pm ET
(with options for weekend-only or weekday-only participation)

In-Person Location: New York Insight at 115 West 29th Street, 12th Floor

We often think of retreat as a chance to get away—traveling to a quiet meditation center in a serene natural setting. But for those of us who live in cities, this can create a split: retreat happens there, life happens here. And as soon as we’re back in the noise and pace of the busy city, all the calm and clarity we cultivated on retreat evaporates into thin air.

That’s why we’re excited to introduce a new kind of retreat; one that lets you practice and integrate into your daily life, in real time. This is New York Insight’s Annual Urban Retreat. 

Rather than stepping away from life, we’ll explore what it means to deepen our meditation practice right in the heart of it. Practicing together in the same city where we live, work, and navigate daily challenges creates a powerful opportunity: we can begin to carry the clarity and presence of retreat into the rhythms of ordinary life—not just afterward, but right as it’s happening.

This year we’ll be remembering what the 3 Characteristics and the Four Noble Truths have to teach us: It’s Not Permanent, it’s Not Perfect, and it’s Not Personal! These truths are the foundation of liberating us from all that tethers us to our suffering. We’ll explore this with humor, tenderness and a plan for integrating this into your everyday lives.

While much of the retreat will be held in silence, NY Insight’s Guiding Teacher Leslie Booker and NY Insight former Deputy Director Dalila Bothwell will be guiding these teachings through Dharma reflections, Guided Meditations and time for dialogue.

We hope you can join us! Open to all levels of practitioners, anyone may attend the whole week, or join just for the weekend or the weekdays.

Have questions about the retreat not covered in the FAQ below? Reach out to us at [email protected].

Please note: The Urban Retreat will be offered like a traditional residential retreat, with the financial support of the teachers coming from dana or the generosity of the students. Whatever you are able to offer to support Booker and Dalila’s efforts, is greatly appreciated.

FAQs about the Urban Meditation Retreat

Do I have to be a Buddhist?

No. People of all backgrounds and traditions are welcome. We expect the group to be diverse in experience level, age, and identity.

Do I need to have a meditation practice?

Not necessarily, though some prior experience helps. The retreat begins gently and becomes more in-depth as the week unfolds. If you’re new to meditation, we recommend starting with the weekend and seeing how it feels—you can always extend your retreat. Our teachers will check in with you throughout and are always available to support you.

Do we sleep at the meditation center?

No. Each evening you’ll head home to rest, eat dinner, and return the next morning for the next day of practice.

What do we do for meals?

We will share lunch together in community. You can bring food from home or step out to pick something up nearby.

Can I join the retreat online?

Yes. The entire retreat will also be offered via Zoom, so you’re welcome to participate from the comfort of your own home. Whether you’re across the city or in another part of the world, you’ll be able to fully join the retreat community and follow the daily schedule remotely.

What if I can’t afford the full price?

Part of NYI’s core mission is to share the Buddha’s teachings with all who are interested, regardless of their ability to pay. Our weeklong retreat is designed to be much more accessible than residential retreats, but if you need it, we have options like a payment plan that helps participants with the cost of the retreat. Please contact us at [email protected] for more information.

What if I can’t take a full week off?

A full week of meditation with expert and highly-trained teachers is a rare and valuable opportunity—but we’re New Yorkers too and know how hard it can be to take a week off to do a retreat. That’s why we’ve made it possible to join just for the weekend (or just the weekdays), so you can still benefit from retreat practice even with a busy schedule.

How much do we need to unplug from our devices during the retreat?

Participants are encouraged to fully unplug from their email and mobile devices during the hours of the retreat and maintain the atmosphere of retreat practice when returning home each night.

What is dana?

Dana is the Pali word that means “generosity” or “the thing that is given”. This has been a foundational teaching of this Buddhist tradition for over 2600 years, and is said to be the quality of the heart that needed to be established, in order to fully understand the rest of the teachings. This 2600 year old tradition is rooted in the confidence that the community will support the ongoing offering of the teachings.

In keeping with the expression of this tradition in the West, Booker and Dalila will only receive financial support for this retreat through the generosity of the community. There will be an opportunity to offer contributions to the teachers and to NYI at the end of your retreat, as well as a few weeks after. Your donations help the teachers lead a life devoted to sharing these teachings, and to support the existence of an urban oasis in New York City.

Feedback from Last Year’s Participants:

“It’s hard to put into words what this retreat meant to me. I’m still feeling the effects months later.”

“I’ve wanted to attend a meditation retreat for years, but haven’t found any that are financially or logistically feasible for me. The non-residential format and rates made this retreat accessible.”

“I signed up because attending a residential retreat isn’t accessible to me right now. But I quickly realized how uniquely beneficial the non-residential format was, especially in reflecting on the impact of meditation practice in day-to-day life. My personal practice and sense of community were immeasurably deepened.”

“Booker and Dalila were amazing teachers. Their personal anecdotes brought concepts to life in a really helpful way.”

“Thank you for this opportunity. It was deeply profound.”

“I loved being able to go home each evening and bring the day’s practice into real-life moments with my partner and children.”

Payment Plans Available
You can register for any level of participation in this retreat (full week, weekend, or weekdays, in-person or online) using a 3-month payment plan. To set up your plan, simply make your first installment payment here. Within a few days, you will receive confirmation of your registration, and you will be automatically charged for the second and third installments 30 and 60 days after your first payment. If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected].

In-Person Registration:

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Online Registration:

If you are registering via a mobile device such as a phone or tablet, you can scroll right and left and up and down within the below form if it is partially obscured or cut off.
CLICK HERE to open the registration form in a new browser window.

Volunteering

All of our programs rely on volunteers to support our teachers and staff with various tasks and responsibilities. Volunteering allows you to participate in our programs at no cost. To inquire about volunteering opportunities, please fill out our inquiry form, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.