With joy, we invite you!
Honey Locust Sangha Spring Retreat
May 14-17, 2026
Creighton University Retreat Center
Griswold, Iowa
“Learn to Love Again”
The title of Joe's 2025 album, “Learn to Love Again” is a theme that invites us to explore the practice of cultivating our Buddha nature and growing our capacity to love. With the energy of mindfulness we are able to recognize and embrace our pain and suffering in ways that bring transformation and give rise to compassion. This allows us to love more freely and fully even as we encounter familiar "friends" of anxiety, fear, anger, and despair. The force of love can help us speak and act for justice, inclusivity, and peace in our families, our communities, and our society. www.joereilly.org
What we will practice:
• Sitting meditation
• Walking meditation
• Mindful movement
• Dharma sharing
• Deep relaxation
• Embodied mindfulness
Supported by the peace of the natural surroundings and the strength of our sangha. 🌿 Registration is now open!
Registration Link (Click Here)
Space is limited. Please register by April 18. (Please note that a donation to Zeffy is optional—opt out if you wish to pay for registration only.)
About Joe Reilly (he/him)
Joe Reilly is a singer, songwriter, social worker, and Dharma teacher in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. Joe was ordained into the Order of Interbeing by Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village Community in 2011, receiving the Dharma nameTrue Ocean of Grace. In 2021, Joe received Transmission of the Lamp at Deer Park Monastery in Escondido, California, becoming an ordained Dharma teacher.
Joe was raised Catholic and currently studies and practices progressive Catholicism, Native American spirituality, and engaged Buddhism. He has been a student of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh since 2004 and is often found singing and writing songs on spiritual retreats, weaving music and mindfulness together in deeply moving ways.
Joe lives in Waawiyatanong/Detroit, where he co-leads the Building Beloved Community Sangha. He is of Cherokee, Choctaw, Italian, and Irish descent and identifies as Native American.
Joe is part of the teaching community at the Lotus Institute alongside his Dharma mentors Dr. Larry Ward, Dr. Peggy Rowe Ward, and Kaira Jewel Lingo. He is also mentored by Barbara Newell.
We are honored to welcome Joe to Honey Locust Sangha this spring.
About Creighton University Retreat Center
The retreat center offers peaceful, wooded grounds, walking trails, comfortable lodging, and nourishing meals—an ideal setting for mindful practice and community connection.
Additional Details
Cost for Thursday through Sunday option
Double Occupancy — $355
Single Occupancy — $420
(Friday through Sunday option also available)
Fees include lodging, meals, retreat center costs, and support for our teacher. If cost is a concern, please reach out confidentially; limited financial assistance may be available.
Questions?
Please contact [email protected]
We look forward to gathering in mindful community—breathing, walking, singing, and learning to love again…together!
With warmth and gratitude,
Honey Locust Sangha
Honey Locust Sangha / Omaha Community of Mindful Living is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All funds help fulfill the mission of practicing and raising awareness of mindfulness practice in the Plum Village tradition.
You can provide dana (donations) by visiting the “Dana (Donations)” page.
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