I've been to IMS 8 times in the past 3 years. It's a stellar operation. The facilities are clean, sparse, and orderly. The food is high quality and vegetarian. Expect to have about 90 fellow retreatants practicing alongside you. I will go again and again. read more

My life has changed tremendously from the meditation sessions and online courses offered by IMS. Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzburg and the teachers at IMS are incredible and genuinely care about making a difference in the lives of so many of us who seek mindfulness and inner peace. Thank you so much for everything you do. read more

I attended a 10-day meditation retreat at IMS, and I can honestly say it was one of the worst experiences of my life. The retreat was headed by Larry Rosenberg, who I knew from his books and audio tapes. I arrived at the retreat with a strong practice having attended 10-day retreats at other locations. I also had a regular daily practice. The sessions at IMS are large. Mine had about 50 people, too large for any individual guidance. I met with a teacher only twice during the retreat. The first was a group meeting during which each of us outlined our meditation method. I got four words back in response to my technique - "Yeah, that will work". I didn't see another teacher until the 8th day of the retreat. By then, my sittings had been spiraling downward, and I was in pretty serious psychological distress. Pain had increased to the point that I felt I was spending hours and hours sitting in hot acid. I got nothing useful back from the teacher, who was one of Larry's assistants, other than the suggestion that I "might have some other stuff going on". I found this counsel dismissively arrogant. It's simply irresponsible to throw people into the meditative waters like that and expect them to keep from drowning. Even for experienced students, things happen, issues arise, and you need guidance. This guidance was not available at IMS. The facility itself is pretty spartan, and that's by comparison to other retreat sites, not to the Four Seasons. I was assigned a foam mattress so stiff than I awoke each morning with one arm numb and partially paralyzed. With respect to meals, I was surprised to see other students arriving with back packs full of food. Then I learn why. The meals consisted of little more than granola and miso soup. Again, I'm not expecting a luxury resort, but I have attended retreats at other sites that did a much better job. In the end, I couldn't wait to leave. The experience ruined my practice, and I carry the scars to this day. The only "insight" I got was into the downsides of meditation. I wouldn't return to IMS if you paid me. read more

Over the last ten years, I have been to IMS in Barre many times for 4, 6 and 10-day retreats, am not sure how many, but at least 2 of each. I have also done retreats in VA, DC, and overseas, such as in Nairobi, Kenya. IMS is by far, leaps and bounds, my favorite. I was so surprised to see the negative review (only one though :)) because I am very picky about food, beds, etc....and there are some who know me well who might say I have a lot of needs (hehehe) but I find IMS a luxury resort like no other. I sleep so well there and although I am an omnivore and eat too much meat IMS is the one place on earth I have found so far that feeds me a strictly vegetarian diet that leaves me wanting for nothing. The kitchen is full of culinary wizards as far as I am concerned. I consider it a huge gift if I can go once a year and I try to do that each year, though I do not always manage. It is amazing. read more

I am an experienced African American practitioner who successfully completed the IMS 3 month silent retreat in 2017 writing to you about concerns about my treatment at IMS. It was my first IMS retreat and my fourth long silent retreat. During the first half of this 3 month Silent retreat, my teachers made the following statements to me: 1."I don't care about them;"(referring to the support group of students of color who met regularly during the retreat.) "I assume you are meeting with them." "You don't like it here do you." Repeated twice during my "teaching" sessions. During the first half of this 3 month retreat my teachers and a retreat staff member also made many jingoistic and demeaning remarks to me about the fact that I had sought psychotherapy in 2014 which I shared as asked on my application.. Finally, toward the end of that first half of the full three month retreat, my teachers informed me they had decided to send me home at the end of the first half of the full 3 month retreat despite that IMS had already approved me for the full three months because they (my two teachers for the first half of the full 3 month retreat) were concerned I might have problems during the second half of the retreat due to my history of having sought psychotherapy. They confirmed to me that I had had no problems during the first half, but they were concerned about the second half. They never asked me to see the staff psychiatrist at IMS. At this time I happened to see a notice of an Ethics Committee at IMS and I wrote to them about my ethical concerns about my teacher's decision. The Ethics Committee reversed the teacher's decision and I continued on with my practice. Despite that my teachers never had claimed I had had any problem, the Ethics Committee made my continuation contingent upon my successfully completing the first two weeks of the second half of the long retreat. Again, they did not require me to see the staff psychiatrist at IMS. At this time, I was so shocked by my teacher's statements to me I also wrote to the Board and Diversity Director on the Board to raise the question to them as to whether my treatment could have been racially motivated. As an experienced EEO attorney I shared with both Board members that IMS would need to look at how IMS teachers treated other long term retreat-ants who were Caucasian who also shared they had sought psychotherapy in the past to see whether I was treated differently than were they. I did not receive a response from the Board Members. One of my teachers during the second half of the retreat made the following statement to me and more similar remarks repeatedly for the first two weeks of the second half of the retreat: "Lets not talk about the fact that you may have to leave in two weeks." I completed the entire retreat without any problems just like I had the first part of the retreat. Shortly thereafter, I applied to participate in the 2018 3 month silent retreat. Subsequently I began receiving phone calls from the same IMS teacher who had said: " "Lets not talk about the fact that you may have to leave in two weeks." This teacher then began to make similar undermining and attack statements in a number of phone calls to me expressing concerns about my letters to the Board Members. I just listened and sent him my true presence, smile and and love. After several weeks of this, I decided to drop my request to participate in the 2018 retreat. I figured this poor being must have been terrified to behave as he did, and I acted out of mercy. However, I applied to IMS earlier this year to participate in the second half of this 3 month silent retreat for this year (2019) as I continued to see the benefits of the 2017 retreat continue to roll in. I asked only to participate in the second half of this 3 month retreat as the teacher who made the phone calls to me required. . Shortly after my application I received an email from the IMS ED rejecting my application because I complained to the Board of Directors about possible racism at IMS. read more

This is the best meditation retreat center on the east coast & was founded by Jack kornfield, Sharon Salzburg and Joseph Goldstein to name a few. read more

I think this is a wonderful opportunity for aspiring buddhists,however due to the pandemic they are now requiring all teachers,attendees,and staff to be fully vaccinated.this is based on massachusetts health dept and CDC recommendations,this will be interesting to see how it plays out because most attendees are vegetarians,and many including POC are very hesitant to take the vaccine.I myself am in a 2 yr vaccine study,im fully vaccinated,plus ive had covid back in jan 2021 so i think my antibodies are pretty high.By the way because they were closed for so long,there are many paid staff positions availabe as well as,by the way the New York Insight meditation is currently closed,everything is online.as far as retreat centers are concerned if you google youll find other centers in New England,as well as Tara Brachs center in the Washington DC.I cannot give them a rating because iv never been there,but if you go on youtube youll see what a wonderful speaker Tara Brach is,ill keep you guys posted.Tashi Delek read more