Upcoming In-Person Events

August 18-19, 2023: 11th Step Retreat at Mt Alvernia in Wappingers Falls, NY. Learn More

September 14-17: 11th Step Retreat at the Mercy Center in Auburn, CA with John Bruna and Peter Kuhn. Visit the Mercy Center for details and registration.

October 19-22: Mindfulness Retreat a Waunita Hot Springs Ranch. Registration to be announced.

October 26-29: Way of Compassion Dharma Center Retreat at Waunita Hot Springs Ranch. To learn more, click here.

December 28th – January 1st: End of Year Silent Retreat at the Mercy Center in Auburn, CA. To learn more, click here. 

January 1-4, 2024: New Year’s Meditation Retreat: Begin your year with contemplation, meditation, and clear intention setting for the year to come. This retreat is facilitated by John and his wife, Laura Bartels at the Mercy Center in Auburn, CA.


Online Programs with John
Start anytime, Self-Paced, Unlimited Access

*For Buddhist teachings with John, visit the Way of Compassion Dharma Center. 


Four Keys of Living Mindfully online course – While meditation is one key to a mindful life, there are other “keys” that improve the quality of one’s life, relationships, sense of clarity, and meaning. In this course, you’ll identify the four keys of mindfulness. You’ll learn how to develop the skills to integrate these four keys in your daily life and gain insight into how these mindfulness practices can offer you a greater sense of well-being, resiliency, and a deeper sense of meaning for your life.

This course is widely accessible. Whether you’ve been practicing mindfulness for a long time, or just starting out, this course will offer you specific tools and relevant teachings. No prior study of mindfulness or experience in meditation is required for this course. If you have been practicing mindfulness and meditation already, this course will deepen and enhance your practice. Learn more. 


28-Day Meditation Training: Many of us either struggle with maintaining a meditation practice or don’t even know where to begin to start one.  Meditation does not need to be a mystery or an arduous task to endure. Meditation can be quite simple and even enjoyable. The key is to know what you are doing, why you are doing it, and not try to push too much. This 28-day meditation course is designed for everyone, whether they are a complete beginner or an experienced meditator trying to be more consistent, establish and sustain a meditation practice that works for them.

This course is offered on a donation basis. Anyone can participate, wherever they are, and offer whatever they can. Learn more.


Online Mindfulness in Recovery® courses. If you are new to recovery, have decades of recovery, or are somewhere in between, if you are a family member or friend affected by addiction, and whether you belong to a 12-step program or another pathway of recovery, MIR is here to support you. It provides the resources, guidance, and a community to help you flourish in your recovery.

MIR is designed to help you develop specific skills of living mindfully to become more resilient, have a greater sense of well-being, fully engage in life in ways that support your deepest values, and live a life that you find truly meaningful. Everyone can benefit from practicing mindfulness, regardless of cultural, economic, religious, or spiritual background. Learn more.


The Healing Wisdom of the 12 Steps is an in-depth exploration of the 12 Steps from a non-secular, universal perspective. The 12 Steps has helped millions of people all over the world engage in a way of living that provides freedom from their sufferings and rediscover their worthiness and value. They have helped people overcome addictions, co-dependency, trauma, and a multitude of other afflictions. In this online course, John provides access to these transformative steps by integrating them with the latest scientific research, contemporary language, and a variety of spiritual and philosophical perspectives. Learn more