Love Is A Fierce Animal:
A Daylong Retreat with Devin Berry & nico hase
Saturday, September 12th
10 am to 4 pm pacific time
What if love isn't just a feeling, but a practice?
Metta parami—loving-kindness—is perhaps the most radical of all the paramis because it asks us to extend goodwill even to those who have hurt us, even to the parts of ourselves we'd rather disown.
This isn't sentimental sweetness or spiritual bypassing. This love is a revolutionary force: the recognition that all beings want to be happy and free from suffering, and the commitment to act from that recognition.
What We’ll Explore Together
In this one-day online retreat, Devin & nico will explore metta parami in action—love as a revolutionary practice rather than just a feeling.
The day will begin with an hour of conversation and an opening talk around the theme. We'll then sit and walk for four hours in lightly guided practice, before reconvening for a closing talk and further dialogue.
A Full Path of Practice—Rooted in Community
🪴Monthly Daylongs – This is the ninth in an annual series of ten online daylongs offered by Refuge of Belonging, a dharma community rooted in presence and open to all.
🪴The Paramis – The ten paramis are heart qualities that range from kindness and equanimity to resolve and letting go. They offer a time-tested path for cultivating what truly benefits both ourselves and others.
🪴Community – Refuge of Belonging is an online community offering a WhatsApp group, weekly dharma talks, monthly daylongs, quarterly classes, and an annual residential retreat—all designed to nourish and sustain your practice.
what people are saying
"It has been a long time since I have felt this big of a shift in energy in such a positive way.… When I listened to Devin Berry talk through a Metta Practice, tears flowed. I released so much emotion as I wished love and kindness to others—but especially to myself, forgiving myself. I didn't know I needed this. Thank you Devin so much for being vulnerable and sharing your experience."
— Ten Percent Happier Podcast Listener
"It's no exaggeration to say meeting nico changed the course of my life. Taking Psychology of Mindfulness with nico at UW-Madison shifted things for me in an incredibly meaningful way. Of course, the meditation we learned in that class was transformative. But more than that, nico's kind and clear presence, his ability to build community in the classroom, and his genuine caring about my personal and unique experience inspired me to make meditation a big part of my life. And that has made all the difference."
—Olivia Schachtel, Designer and Marketing Manager, Chicago, IL
Registration & Payment
Date: September 12th
Time: 10am to 4pm pacific time
Format: Online via Zoom
We offer these daylong retreats on a dana model. The suggested donation is $50 to $150 per session. We gratefully accept contributions of greater or lesser amounts, based on your resources.
Devin Berry has been meditating for over 20 years. His practice is primarily informed by the classical teachings of early Buddhism and the Insight Meditation tradition. He has undertaken many periods of silent long-term retreat practice. Devin completed the Insight Meditation Society Teacher Training Program. He is passionate about the power of witnessing and storytelling as a liberation tool. He is deeply committed to the personal and collective liberation of marginalized communities knowing that through the integration of reflection and insight, clarity and wisdom give rise to wise action. To find out more visit devinberry.org.
nico hase lived in a monastery for six years before earning a PhD in counseling psychology and becoming an Insight Meditation teacher full time. He currently mentors mindfulness teachers, teaches online and in-person retreats, and speaks with students in one-on-one sessions. He and his beloved life partner devon are the authors of How Not to Be a Hot Mess: A Buddhist Survival Guide for Modern Life.
