There’s so much beauty in suffering. When you go through the suffering that a lot of us have, you go through such a darkness that you learn to have gratitude for the smallest thing. There were times I didn’t think that I was going to make it out of that space. But when you’ve hit a certain level of suffering and you think there is nothing else, you can look back at these times in that darkness and be like, man, if I didn’t know the depths and the levels of darkness, I wouldn’t be able to enjoy this moment right now. When I was literally crawling on the bottom, like “I don’t know if I can make it,” Zen was like “Yes, you can.”
Hakim Tafari
Movement Teacher
Hakim has studied the martial arts since 96, starting off with Southern style Praying mantis Kung fu, then after a major knee injury turning to the internal martial arts, after studying and doing a lot of research decided to start studying Tai Chi Chuan.
From 98 until present he has have studied, taught, researched and spent many of hours practicing the art, in this time he spiritually embarked on Taoism which went hand in and with this mystic art of Tai Chi.
For many years he delved very deep in to the life, philosophy and mystic art of Tai chi, Wu ji and Qi Gong. Hakim has had an opportunity to study with some of the best in Kung Fu and the Internal arts of Tai Chi, Baqua Zhang, also Aikido as well as the powerful art of stick fighting known as Arnis. "Through this lifestyle of Veganism and Martial arts, it has led him to the world of spirituality, especially the beautiful practice of Buddhism and through studying the lessons of Dharma, The Four noble truths, the Eightfold path it has brought myself to a state of calmness and serenity, using mindfulness to orchestrate right actions and right thoughts in putting them in to practice and knowing when the ego needs to be dissolved."
Hakim Tafari's Upcoming Programs
Retreat | On-Land
August 5 - August 10, 2025 | Tuesday - Sunday | 5 nights
Young Adult Retreat
Registration Opens - February 19. Join a kind community to practice mindfulness and compassion. Give yourself a break from overstimulation and come home to the simple experience of being alive. In mindfulness meditation, we practice resting, looking deeply, knowing moment-by-moment what it’s like to be human. Some of us are hesitant to look because we’re concerned what we’ll find. But our practice shows us that the more deeply we look into experience, the more reason we have to love.
Retreat | On-Land
October 16 - October 24, 2025 | Thursday - Friday | 8 nights
Fall Insight Meditation Retreat
Registration Opens - February 19. Grounded in the Thai Forest Tradition, this Vipassanā retreat will focus on quieting the mind, opening the heart, and developing clarity and depth of practice. During our time together, traditional meditation instruction will be combined with a spirit of lovingkindness, and the retreat will include silent sitting and walking meditation, Dharma talks, and practice meetings with the teachers.
Retreat | On-Land
October 25 - November 1, 2025 | Saturday - Saturday | 7 nights
Maraṇasati: Mindful of Death/Contemplating Life
Registration Opens - February 19. Maraṇasati (Mindfulness of Death) practice is a way to cultivate the qualities needed to live an awakened life, such as appreciation of the preciousness of life; insight into impermanence; freedom from clinging; and equanimity. Combining sitting practice, guided visualization, and a period of contemplative inquiry each day, this retreat will be grounded in the traditional practices of mindful awareness and compassion. Instructions will emphasize an understanding of the impermanence and change that occur naturally in every moment of our lives.
Retreat | On-Land
December 27 - January 4, 2026 | Saturday - Sunday | 8 nights
New Year's Insight Meditation Retreat
Registration Opens - February 19. This is a traditional Insight Meditation (vipassanā) retreat with sitting and walking in silence, and regular meetings with teachers. Each day there will be systematic meditation instructions, Dharma talks, and movement practice. We will mark the turning of the year with a late evening sitting and simple ceremony on New Year’s Eve. In celebration of the New Year, our focus will be on cultivating loving awareness and embracing each moment as fresh and new. All are welcome.
