{"id":28274,"date":"2025-07-21T09:59:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-21T14:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/?p=28274"},"modified":"2025-07-22T14:24:21","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T19:24:21","slug":"what-is-a-mahasi-style-retreat-a-qa-with-ims-teacher-deborah-helzer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/what-is-a-mahasi-style-retreat-a-qa-with-ims-teacher-deborah-helzer\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is a \u201cMah\u0101si-Style\u201d Retreat?"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is a \u201cMah\u0101si-style\u201d retreat<\/strong>\u2014and what distinguishes it from other programs? <\/strong>IMS teacher Deborah Helzer explains.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

In two weeks, IMS is offering The Sure Heart\u2019s Release: Insight and Metta Retreat<\/strong><\/a>, which will explore the steps on the path to awakening as laid out by the Buddha. Offered both as a residential retreat on campus and as a hybrid program through IMS Online, August 4-13, this retreat will draw on the teachings of the late Venerable Mah\u0101si Sayadaw\u2014one of the most influential Buddhist scholars and insight meditation masters of the 20th<\/sup> century. He was also an important teacher for Joseph Goldstein and several other IMS senior teachers. Because of this retreat\u2019s emphasis on Ven. Sayadaw\u2019s teachings, we often think of such a program as \u201cMah\u0101si-style.\u201d<\/p>\n

But because Mah\u0101si Sayadaw played such an important role in how insight meditation has taken shape and is practiced in the West today, a fair question might be, What is a Mah\u0101si-style retreat, and what distinguishes it from other retreats?<\/em><\/p>\n

We recently put these questions, and others, to IMS teacher Deborah Helzer, who is co-leading The Sure Heart\u2019s Release<\/strong> with Kamala Masters, Tara Mulay, and Vance Pryor. Here\u2019s what she had to say.<\/p>\n

What does the characterization \u201cMah\u0101si-style\u201d mean to you?<\/em><\/strong><\/div>\n
\n

It\u2019s funny because that\u2019s a term that we\u2019ve started using at IMS relatively recently. But in fact, most mindfulness meditation that we encounter in the west is \u201cMah\u0101si style\u201d to some extent. Munindra, who was an important teacher for Joseph Goldstein, Kamala Masters, and other senior teachers at IMS, was trained by Mah\u0101si Sayadaw. Dipa Ma, another important teacher, trained at the Mah\u0101si Center in Yangon. On our upcoming retreat, our group of teachers all practiced with and were very influenced by Sayadaw U Pandita, another meditation master trained by Mah\u0101si Sayadaw. The influence of Mah\u0101si Sayadaw\u2019s style of meditation has propagated throughout the western mindfulness movement, but most people who practice mindfulness have never heard his name.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Does what a \u201cMah\u0101si -style retreat\u201d entails depend on the teacher, or teachers, leading the retreat?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It can, yes, because Mah\u0101si Sayadaw\u2019s influence has filtered down through so many different channels and taken so many different forms. For me, this means going back to the source and offering teachings and guidance that are based directly on what Mah\u0101si Sayadaw himself taught. We received a practical understanding of that from our own Asian teachers, and have a great resource in the Manual of Insight<\/em>. But we\u2019ve also seen how teachings from a Burmese monk born in the Victorian era are more accessible and useful to 21st<\/sup> century western practitioners when they are translated into modern language and adapted to modern experience. Our goal is to keep the essence of Mah\u0101si\u2019s approach, which is still so brilliant and effective, but to present it in a way that works for us now.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In general, what distinguishes a Mah\u0101si-style meditation retreat from other retreats?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mah\u0101si Sayadaw tailored his style of meditation specifically so that laypeople, with limited free time, could access levels of insight historically only available to monastics. So, he instructed us to jump right in with careful attention to a \u201cprimary object\u201d of meditation \u2013 the breath when sitting, and the steps when walking. He also developed the \u201cnoting\u201d tool \u2013 applying a soft mental note to help us recognize the nature of our experience in the moment. These aspects will be familiar to many mindfulness meditators. But, on a Mah\u0101si-style retreat, there will likely be more emphasis on continuity of awareness throughout the day, and on connecting with experience in a non-conceptual way. What do we really feel in the body? What do we see playing out in the mind and heart moment by moment? By applying our attention in this way, we can come to see the elemental nature of experience, the tiny building blocks that make up what we call \u201cMe.\u201d We learn to see what lies beneath the conceptual level of ordinary experience, which in turn leads to deeper wisdom. This type of retreat can give new meditators a strong foundation on which to build their practice, and experienced meditators a vehicle to take their practice to the next level.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When did you first start practicing in the Mah\u0101si style, and what was your experience like?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I would say I started practicing the Mah\u0101si method when I attended my first Three-Month Retreat at IMS decades ago, although I didn\u2019t know it at the time. I had done some classes and retreats before that. But at the Three-Month I received instructions for very careful and continuous noting from my Western teachers who had studied with Mah\u0101si teachers. It was difficult, but it had a huge effect on my practice. When I later went to Myanmar to practice with Burmese teachers, I already had a good foundation, but I was expected to be even more diligent and committed. It was grueling at first but became easier as I went along and learned how to shift into the non-conceptual way of seeing things. You learn to see everything through a different lens that is clearer, freer, gentler. That is \u201cthe sure heart\u2019s release,\u201d which is the title of the IMS retreat we\u2019re doing in August. It\u2019s a powerful letting go in the heart that comes from seeing impermanence on a much deeper level. Seeing that there’s nothing you can hang on to, and that there\u2019s no one to hang on anyway.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Anything else folks should know about the Mah\u0101si style, or the retreat you\u2019re co-leading in August?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mah\u0101si Sayadaw believed completely in the ability of ordinary people like us to experience transformative insight, and we believe that too! It\u2019s terrific that there is fresh interest arising to experience the style of practice that the founders of IMS did. It\u2019s important to keep that connection with our roots and lineage, even as so much innovation and flowering of mindfulness is happening in the west. We\u2019ve been teaching Mah\u0101si-style retreats for a few years now, and it\u2019s such a delight. It\u2019s wonderful to be able to share what we learned from our teachers. And, so many people say they really benefit. They say they gain a much clearer and fuller understanding of the path of practice, and are able to access new and deeper levels of insight. We hope people will join us in August to explore the teachings of our dharma \u201cgreat-grandfather,\u201d Mah\u0101si Sayadaw.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

To learn more about IMS’s upcoming hybrid Mah\u0101si-style retreat, The Sure Heart\u2019s Release, clickhere<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is a \u201cMah\u0101si-style\u201d retreat\u2014and what distinguishes it from other programs? IMS teacher Deborah Helzer explains. In two weeks, IMS is offering The Sure Heart\u2019s Release: Insight and Metta Retreat, which will explore the steps on the path to awakening as laid out by the Buddha. Offered both as a residential retreat on campus and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":28307,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"issue":[],"class_list":["post-28274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sangha-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"What Is a \u201cMah\u0101si-Style\u201d Retreat? – Insight Meditation Society<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/what-is-a-mahasi-style-retreat-a-qa-with-ims-teacher-deborah-helzer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Is a \u201cMah\u0101si-Style\u201d Retreat? – Insight Meditation Society\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What is a \u201cMah\u0101si-style\u201d retreat\u2014and what distinguishes it from other programs? IMS teacher Deborah Helzer explains. In two weeks, IMS is offering The Sure Heart\u2019s Release: Insight and Metta Retreat, which will explore the steps on the path to awakening as laid out by the Buddha. Offered both as a residential retreat on campus and […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/what-is-a-mahasi-style-retreat-a-qa-with-ims-teacher-deborah-helzer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Insight Meditation Society\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/InsightMeditationSociety\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-21T14:59:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-22T19:24:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Deborah-Helzer-Graphic-QA-Interview-2-2.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Madeleine Levine\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@InsMedSoc\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@InsMedSoc\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Madeleine Levine\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/what-is-a-mahasi-style-retreat-a-qa-with-ims-teacher-deborah-helzer\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/what-is-a-mahasi-style-retreat-a-qa-with-ims-teacher-deborah-helzer\/\",\"name\":\"What Is a \u201cMah\u0101si-Style\u201d Retreat? – Insight Meditation Society\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/what-is-a-mahasi-style-retreat-a-qa-with-ims-teacher-deborah-helzer\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/what-is-a-mahasi-style-retreat-a-qa-with-ims-teacher-deborah-helzer\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Deborah-Helzer-Graphic-QA-Interview-2-2.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-21T14:59:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-22T19:24:21+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/#\/schema\/person\/55fae754474ae1d4efab6e3b453cb882\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/what-is-a-mahasi-style-retreat-a-qa-with-ims-teacher-deborah-helzer\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/what-is-a-mahasi-style-retreat-a-qa-with-ims-teacher-deborah-helzer\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/what-is-a-mahasi-style-retreat-a-qa-with-ims-teacher-deborah-helzer\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Deborah-Helzer-Graphic-QA-Interview-2-2.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Deborah-Helzer-Graphic-QA-Interview-2-2.png\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":500},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/what-is-a-mahasi-style-retreat-a-qa-with-ims-teacher-deborah-helzer\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"What Is a \u201cMah\u0101si-Style\u201d Retreat?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/\",\"name\":\"Insight Meditation Society\",\"description\":\"Tranquility. Wisdom. Compassion.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/#\/schema\/person\/55fae754474ae1d4efab6e3b453cb882\",\"name\":\"Madeleine Levine\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5afc95f7683cf93115192ad0c0a8c7781f3665711fcfed33d097d22b20dc587d?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5afc95f7683cf93115192ad0c0a8c7781f3665711fcfed33d097d22b20dc587d?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Madeleine Levine\"}}]}<\/script>","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What Is a \u201cMah\u0101si-Style\u201d Retreat? – Insight Meditation Society","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/what-is-a-mahasi-style-retreat-a-qa-with-ims-teacher-deborah-helzer\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What Is a \u201cMah\u0101si-Style\u201d Retreat? – Insight Meditation Society","og_description":"What is a \u201cMah\u0101si-style\u201d retreat\u2014and what distinguishes it from other programs? IMS teacher Deborah Helzer explains. In two weeks, IMS is offering The Sure Heart\u2019s Release: Insight and Metta Retreat, which will explore the steps on the path to awakening as laid out by the Buddha. Offered both as a residential retreat on campus and […]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/what-is-a-mahasi-style-retreat-a-qa-with-ims-teacher-deborah-helzer\/","og_site_name":"Insight Meditation Society","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/InsightMeditationSociety\/","article_published_time":"2025-07-21T14:59:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-07-22T19:24:21+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":500,"url":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Deborah-Helzer-Graphic-QA-Interview-2-2.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Madeleine Levine","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@InsMedSoc","twitter_site":"@InsMedSoc","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Madeleine Levine","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/what-is-a-mahasi-style-retreat-a-qa-with-ims-teacher-deborah-helzer\/","url":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/what-is-a-mahasi-style-retreat-a-qa-with-ims-teacher-deborah-helzer\/","name":"What Is a \u201cMah\u0101si-Style\u201d Retreat? – Insight Meditation Society","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/what-is-a-mahasi-style-retreat-a-qa-with-ims-teacher-deborah-helzer\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/what-is-a-mahasi-style-retreat-a-qa-with-ims-teacher-deborah-helzer\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Deborah-Helzer-Graphic-QA-Interview-2-2.png","datePublished":"2025-07-21T14:59:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-22T19:24:21+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/#\/schema\/person\/55fae754474ae1d4efab6e3b453cb882"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/what-is-a-mahasi-style-retreat-a-qa-with-ims-teacher-deborah-helzer\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/what-is-a-mahasi-style-retreat-a-qa-with-ims-teacher-deborah-helzer\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/what-is-a-mahasi-style-retreat-a-qa-with-ims-teacher-deborah-helzer\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Deborah-Helzer-Graphic-QA-Interview-2-2.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Deborah-Helzer-Graphic-QA-Interview-2-2.png","width":1200,"height":500},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/what-is-a-mahasi-style-retreat-a-qa-with-ims-teacher-deborah-helzer\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What Is a \u201cMah\u0101si-Style\u201d Retreat?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/","name":"Insight Meditation Society","description":"Tranquility. Wisdom. Compassion.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/#\/schema\/person\/55fae754474ae1d4efab6e3b453cb882","name":"Madeleine Levine","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5afc95f7683cf93115192ad0c0a8c7781f3665711fcfed33d097d22b20dc587d?s=96&d=blank&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5afc95f7683cf93115192ad0c0a8c7781f3665711fcfed33d097d22b20dc587d?s=96&d=blank&r=g","caption":"Madeleine Levine"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28274","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28274"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28274\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28289,"href":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28274\/revisions\/28289"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28274"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28274"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28274"},{"taxonomy":"issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dharma.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issue?post=28274"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}