2009 Mind & Life Summer Research Institute

The home of Garrison Institute is a former 77,000 square foot Capuchin Franciscan monastery that was restored and renovated in 2002. Originally built in 1932, it overlooks the Hudson River and is located just over an hour north of New York City in the beautiful rural New York countryside. Garrison offers many communal spaces: a large, beautifully lit meditation hall (the former chapel); a meditation annex (for smaller groups); a dining hall seating up to 200 for buffet-style meals; a lower level auditorium; and three classrooms for break-out space, lectures or discussions. www.garrisoninstitute.org

Accomodations – PLEASE REFER TO THE OFFSITE HOUSING DETAILS IF YOU HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED THAT YOU WILL HAVE A ROOM AT CAPUCHIN YOUTH & FAMILY MINISTRY (CYFM)
Accommodations at the Garrison Institute are very simple and quite modest. Doors to each guest room have simple latches and there are no locks. Although we rarely have any issues or concerns regarding missing items, we suggest that you do not bring valuables on site. The buildings and guest rooms are not air-conditioned and temperatures can get hot and humid. Each room will be provided with twin-sized beds, sheets, a pillow, a blanket, a bedspread, and a hand and bath towel for each guest. One single set of towels and sheets will be provided for the entire week’s duration, and will not be ‘changed out.’ Garrison does not have any laundry facilities. You will be housed at Garrison in a double, triple, or quad room with selections done by lottery. Bathrooms are communal. A couple photographs of an average Garrison guest room can be seen, below.

Meals
All meals are lacto-ovo vegetarian (vegans can be accommodated as well) and served buffet-style in the large dining hall. You should find most special dietary needs met from what is offered. If you need to bring your own food, please note that there is limited refrigerator and storage space, along with a microwave oven, that you may use in the service kitchen at the end of the dining room.

No food is permitted in the bedrooms. There are tea and coffee stations in the dining room and the lounges on the second and third floors, most are available 24 hours a day. Drinks may be brought to bedrooms but cups and glasses should be returned to the service kitchen when done. Garrison has a small housekeeping staff so your assistance is most appreciated. No food is ever permitted in the Meditation Hall.

Bathrooms
There are two communal (usually one male, one female) bathrooms on each floor.

Lounges & Internet
There is a comfortable lounge on each residential floor where tea and (instant) coffee are available 24 hours a day. Wireless high speed internet connection for computers is available in the lounges. Please note: you must bring your own computer/laptop. Garrison can provide Ethernet cable if needed but cannot offer technical assistance to guests.

Grounds
Garrison guests are encouraged to enjoy the beautiful grounds. There are two enclosed courtyards for use as meditation gardens and a large, walled backyard. There is also a beautiful front meadow that overlooks the Hudson River with benches and a gazebo. There are trails throughout the woods that adjoin the Garrison property, which is quite close to the Appalachian Trail. After dusk, Garrison is lit only at the main entrance, on the South side doors and the parking lot. If you plan to walk outside after dusk, please bring a flashlight.

Ticks and Insect Repellent
Please wear long pants and long sleeves when walking through the woods and/or sitting on the ground. It is important to check for ticks anytime after spending time outdoors. Lyme disease can be transmitted by the ticks in the area and they are incredibly tiny – thus, can be difficult to see. We strongly urge you to exercise the utmost caution to avoid ticks. We recommend bringing bug/tick repellant and sunscreen with you. Also, be aware that poison ivy grows in the areas around Garrison.

Yoga Mats
Garrison has a limited number of yoga mats available. You are welcome to bring your own mat with you for the MLSRI yoga sessions.

Silence
Garrison Institute seeks to be a place of refuge, reflection, and peace. After 10:00 p.m., silence should be maintained in all corridors and common spaces – including outside the building - through breakfast. Please do not use any portable radios, CD or tape players, IPODS, etc. without earphones. Cell phones should not be used or turned on in any of the common spaces in the building.

Alcohol, Drugs and Smoking
Garrison Institute has a “no alcohol” policy unless consumed in the context of scheduled social events and provided by the event sponsor. Please do not bring alcoholic beverages to Garrison. Do not bring or partake of illegal substances while at the Garrison Institute.

There is one designated smoking area outside the building behind the garage next to the loading dock. No smoking is permitted in the building (NYS law mandated) or anywhere outside other than in the designated area.

Dress
Dress at Garrison Institute is relaxed and informal. Participants should bring clothes (and shoes) that are comfortable and modest. Shorts and tee shirts are fine, but nothing more revealing.
Fragrance
Please do not use any perfume or cologne, and please use only unscented, fragrance-free personal hygiene products. Fragrance-free products are available for sale at Garrison.

Pets
Garrison cannot accommodate pets. Certified companion dogs for seeing-impaired participants are permitted but you must notify Mind & LIfe staff and Garrison Institute staff well in advance of your arrival if you plan to bring a certified companion dog.

Communication
There are no phones in the bedrooms. You may provide the Garrison main telephone number (1-845-424-4800) to those who may need to reach you. If you get a non-emergency phone call, we will post the message on the message board. If you get an emergency message, we will find you and deliver it promptly. To make a phone call, there are pay phones on each floor. Garrison’s guest services department has phone cards for sale, but they are expensive and we encourage you to purchase your phone cards ahead of time and bring them with you. Please bring your own coins for making local calls as well. Cell phone service is quite erratic on the property and not permitted in most spaces in the building.

Mail Services
Mail (through US Postal Service) is picked up and dropped off once per day from the Garrison Institute. Postage stamps or "metered stamps" are not available for sale so please plan accordingly. There is UPS pick-up service and delivery once a day. You will need to use your own UPS account number or a credit card to use this service as well as your own mailing envelope. An out-going mail basket is located in Garrison’s front lobby. If you need to receive or send mail from Garrison, please see a front office staff person for assistance upon your arrival.

Check-In
The MLSRI will begin with registration and check-in on Sunday, June 7, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. You will obtain name badges, program schedules, room assignments, and get oriented to the building and grounds during this time. Please arrange your travel to arrive no earlier than 2:00 p.m. and no later than 5:00 p.m. at Garrison.

Check-Out
The MLSRI will end in the morning on Saturday, June 13. You must check out of your rooms no later than 2 p.m. Garrison requests that you read the housekeeping cards in your room that serve as a guide for exiting your room and the building. Personal belongings left at Garrison Institute will be given to charity.

Participant Check List
We suggest you consider bringing:
* Casual and comfortable shoes and clothing (for meditation, walking, hiking, etc.)
* Bathing suit for swimming in nearby lake
* Bathrobe and slippers (for use in communal bathrooms/hallways)
* Washcloth (Garrison does not provide washcloths)
* Lightweight jacket, sweater or shawl (for use during meditation or evening walks)
* Alarm clock (there are no clocks in the building and we cannot provide a "wake-up call")
* Personal fan (Garrison is not air conditioned; evenings are usually quite pleasant with river breezes)
* Lightweight luggage (all bedrooms are located on 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors accessible via stairs)
* Flashlight (there is very little outside lighting at Garrison after dark)
* INSECT (TICK) REPELLENT and Sunscreen

We must ask you NOT to bring:
* Candles or incense to burn
* Scented products
* Drugs or alcohol
* Pets -- unless certified companion dogs for seeing-impaired participants approved in advance of your arrival

We look forward to meeting you at Mind & LIfe’s Summer Research Institute in Garrison this summer.

Information Regarding Offsite SRI Housing at Capuchin Youth & Family Ministry:

Sleeping Accommodations – ONLY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED THAT THEY WILL RESIDE OFFSITE AT CYFM
Your accommodations at the Capuchin Youth & Family Ministry offsite facility are very simple and quite modest. There are no phones in the bedrooms. Doors to each guest room have simple latches and there are no locks. Although we rarely have any issues or concerns regarding missing items, we suggest that you do not bring valuables on site. The CYFM buildings and guest rooms are air-conditioned to allow for a comfortable indoor climate. Each room will be provided with twin-sized beds, sheets, a pillow, a blanket, a bedspread, and a hand and bath towel for each guest. One single set of towels and sheets will be provided for the entire week’s duration, and will not have any ‘change outs.’ Capuchin Youth & Family Ministry does not have any laundry facilities. You will be housed in either a room with 5 beds or a room with 8 beds and rooming selection is done by lottery. Bathrooms are communal.

Capuchin Youth & Family Ministry
781 Route 9D
Garrison, NY 10524
+1-845-424-3609

Bathrooms
There are communal (usually one male, one female) bathrooms on each floor.

Shuttle Van Transportation
CYFM is a mere 1 mile from Garrison Institute, and takes 2 minutes by car. Each day, participants lodging at CYFM will be driven in the morning and evening to and from Garrison Institute by the shuttle van making several trips. The shuttle van will also accommodate CYFM lodgers with rides from Garrison after participants have checked-in on Sunday 7 June, and back again in time for Sunday dinner beginning at 6:00pm. Please, do NOT show up at CYFM prior to your check-in registration on Sunday June 7, as your sleeping room will not be available to you until you check-in and register at Garrison Institute.

Communication
You may provide the Garrison main telephone number (+1-845-424-4800) or the CYFM main telephone number (+1-845-424-3609) to those who may need to reach you. If you get a non-emergency phone call, we will post the message on the message board. If you get an emergency message, we will find you and deliver it promptly. To make a phone call, there are pay phones at both Garrison and CYFM. Garrison’s guest services department has phone cards for sale, but they are expensive and we encourage you to purchase your phone cards ahead of time and bring them with you. Please bring your own coins for making local calls as well. Cell phone service is quite erratic on both properties and not permitted in most spaces in the building.

Check-In
The MLSRI will begin with registration at the Garrison Institute and check-in on Sunday, June 7, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. We suggest you allow at least 2.5 hours total travel time from a flight arrival at any New York City airport. You will obtain name badges, program schedules, room assignments, and get oriented to the building and grounds during this time. Please arrange your travel so that you arrive no earlier than 2:00 p.m. and no later than 5:00 p.m. at Garrison. Once you have arrived at Garrison Institute and checked-in, you will be offered a shuttle drive to CYFM, where you can settle into your room, prior to being driven back to Garrison Institute for Sunday’s opening night dinner which will begin at 6:00 p.m., followed by the opening events lasting until 10:00 p.m. At that time, shuttles will drive CYFM lodgers to their rooms, and again back to Garrison Institute in the morning.

Check-Out
The MLSRI will end in the morning on Saturday, June 13. Breakfast and lunch will be served on this Saturday, but there will not be any event sessions in order to allow participants a slow and relaxed departure. You must check-out of your rooms no later than 2:00 p.m. CYFM requests that you read the housekeeping cards in your room that serve as a guide for exiting your room and the building. Personal belongings left at either CYFM or Garrison Institute will be given to charity.

Participant Check List
We suggest you consider bringing:
* Casual and comfortable shoes and clothing (for meditation, walking, hiking, etc.)
* Bathing suit for swimming in nearby lake
* Bathrobe and slippers (for use in communal bathrooms/hallways)
* Washcloth (CYFM does not provide washcloths)
* Lightweight jacket, sweater or shawl (for use during meditation or evening walks)
* Alarm clock (there are no clocks in the building and we cannot provide a "wake-up call")
* Lightweight luggage (all bedrooms are located on 2nd and 3rd floors accessible via stairs)
* Flashlight (there is very little outside lighting at Garrison or CYFM after dark)
* INSECT (TICK) REPELLENT and Sunscreen

We look forward to meeting you at Mind & LIfe’s Summer Research Institute in Garrison this summer.

Your acceptance letter indicated whether you were accepted as a Research Fellow (RF) or a Senior Investigator (SI). Research Fellow registration fee is $350; Senior Investigator registration fee is $675. These registration payments cover: your complete cost of event participation; all your meals during the event (beginning with dinner on Sunday, June 7 through and including lunch on Saturday, June 13); and your simple dormitory-style lodging at either Garrison Institute or Capuchin Youth & Family Ministry from 7-13 June (rooms are double occupancy or greater, with shared communal bathrooms). PLEASE NOTE: REGISTRATION COSTS DO NOT COVER ANY TRAVEL EXCEPT SHUTTLE VANS TO/FROM GARRISON TRAIN STATION, WHICH ARE COMPLIMENTARY. All travel costs and preparations are the full responsibility of every SRI attendee.

The time window for Event Registration is Thursday April 23 to Monday May 18. If you are not registered by Monday May 18, 11:59pm, Mountain Time, your acceptance to the Mind & LIfe Summer Research Institute will be forfeited and your space at the event will be provided to another applicant on the waitlist.

Your payment must be made using a major credit card in USD$ (Visa, Mastercard, American Express).

NOTE: In order for your SRI registration payment to be properly accounted for, please use your name and contact information (including email) exactly as it appeared in your initial online entry.

Here are the URL links to the registrations sites, which are only open from Thursday April 23, 12:01am Mountain to Monday May 18, 11:59pm Mountain:

We look forward to meeting you at Mind & LIfe’s Summer Research Institute in Garrison this summer.

To answer all your questions regarding how to get to the Garrison Institute via air, train, car or bus, we have compiled complete travel details, found below. You may also browse through the retreat documents provided by Garrison for their own retreat participants on their website. Due to the many variables in methods of transportation to Garrison Institute, we are not able to provide cost estimates for your travel plans. Also, we ask that you kindly review all the travel information provided before asking Mind & LIfe your travel questions, as the complete details should answer any questions you may have. PLEASE NOTE: Any SRI attendees needing to arrive in Garrison, NY prior to Sunday June 7 or depart after Saturday June 13 must schedule their own lodging in nearby towns. Garrison Institute can not accommodate you earlier or later than the scheduled days of SRI, and all guests must depart Garrison Institute by Saturday June 13 2pm. Click here for a link to area accommodations.

Garrison Institute
853 Route 9D (at the Glenclyffe property)
Garrison, NY 10524
+1-845-424-4800

The most convenient and closest airport to Garrison is Stewart ‘International’ Airport (code: SWF) in Newburgh, New York. Stewart is a small country airport located 70 miles north of New York City, and only 30 miles northwest of Garrison, which will mean a 30-40 minute drive. At Stewart, waiting lines will be short, traffic will be sparse, and rental cars will be reasonable (ranging from $37 to $100 a day). To get to Garrison from Stewart Airport, you may rent a car to drive, pay for a sedan or van using Visconti Transportation at $55 per ride each way, plus tip/gratuity, or, the least expensive option, take a short Leprechaun Bus Line ride to the Metro North train station in Beacon, NY and pay less than $15 round trip total. All these ground transportation options can be found at Stewart’s website here:
Click here for all information for Stewart Airport in Newburgh, NY

Click here for general Google Map driving directions from Stewart Airport to Garrison Institute.

There are three major airports in New York City, which are between 50 to 65 (congested) miles to the south of Garrison, taking anywhere from 1 to 2 hours drive, depending on traffic: Newark (code: EWR), LaGuardia (code: LGA), and John F. Kennedy (code: JFK). Flights to these airports will be cheaper and involve fewer connections, but also include more hassles. Lines will be long, traffic will be heavy, crowds will be large. Rental cars are reasonable at Newark (ranging from $35 to $135 per day) and pricey at JFK and LaGuardia (ranging from $55 to $150 per day). If you choose to fly into one of the New York City airports, Newark would most likely be the most convenient and thrifty.

Once arrived at one of the New York City airports, there are three ways from getting from the airport into Manhattan, where you can then follow additional directions below to Garrison via train, car, or bus. It will take a minimum of 40 minutes and a maximum of 2 hours from any of these airports to travel into Manhattan – all depending upon rush hour traffic.

• One Way Taxi to Manhattan:
o From Newark: $50 to $60 plus tip/gratuity
o From JFK: $45 plus tolls and tip/gratuity
o From LaGuardia: $30 plus tolls and tip/gratuity

• One Way Bus to Manhattan:
o From Newark: Olympia Trails runs buses from Newark to Midtown Manhattan every 15-30 minutes for $15
o From JFK & LaGuardia: New York Airport Service runs buses from LaGuardia and JFK to Grand Central Station, Manhattan every 20-30 minutes for $12 to $15

• Subway & Light Rail to Manhattan:
o From Newark: You can take the AirTrain to the New Jersey Transit, a commuter rail which takes you from Newark to Madison Square Station for about $12. From there you can ride the NYC subway three stops to Grand Central Station / 42nd street for $2.00. Depending on the time of day, it can take form 45 to 90 minutes to get from the terminal to midtown.
o From JFK: You can take the JFK Airtrain to the NYC subway for $5. After deboarding from the Airtrain, you pay another $2 to ride the subway past about 15 stops before ending up in midtown Manhattan. Depending on the time of day, it can take anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours to get from the terminal to midtown.
o From LaGuardia: Except for a terrible bus line, there is no reasonable public transit from LaGuardia to Manhattan.
Once you have arrived in Manhattan, we highly recommend using the Metro North Railroad, Hudson Train line directly from Grand Central Station in Manhattan to the Garrison train station, where you can take advantage of a complimentary van shuttle ride (operating every 15 minutes on Sunday June 7 and Saturday June 13) taking you to/from the Garrison Institute. This option will cost a total round trip fare of only $21-$28 and only take about 1 hour, 30 minutes.

To Garrison Via Train:

Metro-North: The Hudson Line (or Green Line) travels from Grand Central Station in Manhattan, along the east bank of the Hudson River, terminating at Poughkeepsie. It includes a stop in Garrison.

Once arrived in Grand Central Station, you will see schedule boards for the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven train lines. You will want to read the schedule for the Hudson line, which has a green header sign. If you are able to decipher the schedule, proceed to one of the many automated machines to buy your ticket. If you're a little unsure or have extra time, you can purchase a ticket from one of the dozens of ticket windows. You can purchase a ticket on the train from the conductor for an extra $5, or you can order your tickets ahead of time online. Please know that you can bring your own food and beverage on the train, and that beverage carts serve travelers on several of the train platforms. Finally, aim to board the train fifteen minutes prior to departure so that you can score a window seat on the left-hand side of the train, thus ensuring that you can enjoy the splendid view of the Hudson River to accompany your cold beverage. www.mta.info

Amtrak: The closest Amtrak stop to Garrison Institute is Poughkeepsie, 80 miles north of New York City and 28 miles north of Garrison. Travelers can choose to transfer at Poughkeepsie onto the Metro-North commuter rail and travel south to Garrison for about $4. You can also choose to use Amtrak to travel to Penn Station in Manhattan, from which Grand Central is a short subway ride or roughly $10 cab ride away. From Grand Central, you can take the Metro North (see below). www.amtrak.com

Free Van Shuttle from Garrison Train Station to Garrison Institute: The Garrison Institute shuttle will pick you up at the Garrison Train Depot on Sunday, June 7, between approx. 2:00 pm - 6:30 pm. This no-cost, no-reservation-required shuttle service will make regular runs (every 15 minutes) from the Garrison Train Depot to the Garrison Institute (one mile away). The same shuttle service will be available on Saturday, June 13 for departures in the morning and early afternoon. A detailed schedule for shuttle departures on June 13 will be posted at Garrison during the program. Please let us know if you plan on arriving at the Garrison train station prior to 2pm or later than 6pm on Sunday June 7, so that we can prepare a special shuttle run.

To Garrison Via Automobile:

To view the document detailing all driving directions from all areas to the Garrison Institute, click here.

We look forward to meeting you at Mind & LIfe’s Summer Research Institute in Garrison this summer.