Intimacy in the Gap
with Susan Mickel
April 14-21, 2024
As meditation deepens, we become progressively more intimate with our experience, which enhances our capacity for presence to the world. Meditation and life present us with “gaps,” moments or experiences when we notice the stillness within experiencing, stillness that presents opportunities for further opening. The retreat will explore intimacy with self, others, and experience, as a way of describing the process of living fully into life and preparation for death. In Tibetan Buddhism, this way of approaching all aspects of life, meditation, and death describes “bardos,” which are “in-between” times, transition times. Living into transition times during life prepares us for the uncertainties of life. There is no required text for the retreat, but Mingyur Rinpoche’s book In Love with the World and Dzogchen Ponlob’s book Mind Beyond Death both explore these ways of experiencing.
The prerequisite for attendance is prior retreat experience with Susan or another teacher similarly trained.
Interested persons may contact Susan Mickel directly at susanmickel2@me.com.
Susan Mickel
Susan Mickel, M.D., Ph.D. Susan has been meditating for over 25 years, initially in the Christian tradition, later in the Burmese mindfulness tradition, and, since 2003, in the Tibetan Mahamudra and Dzogchen traditions. From the beginning of her Christian meditation practice, she found its effect compelling and practiced intensively.
She was authorized to teach Theravada vipassana meditation by Mary Jo Meadow, PhD, founder of Resources for Ecumenical Spirituality, which offers Christian-Buddhist retreats. In 2001 she completed a certificate in ecumenically oriented Christian spiritual guidance from Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation.
In 2005 she was authorized by Daniel Brown, PhD to teach Tibetan Mahamudra meditations with Pointing Out the Great Way (POGW). She taught meditation retreats with POGW for ten years. In 2010 Rahob Rinpoche Thubten Kalsang, her root lama, authorized her to offer instruction to students who are on the Dzogchen path. Currently, Susan’s main teachers are Tulku Sang-ngag Rinpoche and Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. Other teachers who have influenced her are Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, Ayang Rinpoche, and Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche. In 2018 Susan completed three years of intensive home meditation practice, following a curriculum traditional for a Nyingma 3-year retreat. She continues to practice intensively at home, participating in long-term practice commitments with her teachers.
Interested in the mind since she can remember, Susan’s college major was comparative religions. Her medical training was at Emory University and Massachusetts General Hospital/Massachusetts Institute of Technology, after which she worked as a behavioral neurologist, directing a memory disorders clinic for 22 years at a large nonprofit multispecialty clinic. In 2004 she returned to school for a clinical psychology Ph.D. and in 2013 became a licensed psychologist. She has wide interests in psychology including attachment, geriatrics, trauma, and integrative assessment of persons with potentially neurologically-based cognition and behavior problems.
In recent years, Susan has deepened a long-term interest in the influence of race in relationships and anti-racist activity, facilitating groups in such explorations. A day a week she cares for her grandchildren. Retired from work as a neurologist and psychologist, she enjoys time with meditation practice and teaching, family and friends, hiking, and gardening. Her guiding interest in all her activity is how one can influence people to help them decrease their suffering and increase happiness.