All Is Full of Love: Mettā, Healing, and Inner Joy
Gay Buddhist Fellowship Spring Retreat
April 15-19, 2026
Vajrapani Institute
Welcoming queer folk of all genders
Mettā (lovingkindness) practice transforms our relationship with ourselves and the world around us. Through the cultivation of lovingkindness, the heart learns to soften where it has been most defended, to meet all experience with tenderness, and that the wish for our own and others’ happiness becomes a doorway to both healing and deep joy. This retreat offers dedicated time to explore mettā as both a gentle refuge and a radical practice of opening to what is always already true.
In this four night predominantly silent mettā retreat we will sit and walk in meditation together, chant, eat, and be in connection with nature and each other. The emphasis will be on deepening our practice of mettā, both as the basis of concentration and as a healing for the heart and spirit.
This year, we invite GBF members, friends, and queer Sangha of all genders to join us. Held at the beautiful forest temple of Vajrapani Institute, we will work with classical mettā meditation practices in stillness, walking, gentle Yoga, eating, and throughout the activities of the day. With significant time for questions and Dharma discussion, the retreat aims to support both beginners and experienced students to deepen their practice within a supportive spiritual community.