Silent Mindfulness Retreat Sept 2023

ONLINE and IN-PERSON, APPLY NOW!

20th -24th Sept 2023

Wednesday 20th Sept at 17.00h - Sunday 24th Sept at 20.00h, 5 days

This retreat will be offered In-person and Online (Hybrid)

Price Online: 290€,
Price In-person 790€

This kind of 'hybrid retreat' is a new innovation and is designed to meet the needs of these challenging times. We are trying out a new form and hope that it will provide a powerful way to integrate retreat and daily life.

We propose to complete the Retreat in 3 live sessions per day online, live and interactive, via the Zoom platform. You will need a stable internet connection and flexibility to create the space you need to engage fully with the programme.

The Theme:

Investigating the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, the four ways of establishing mindfulness as expressed within the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta. Whilst having their roots in Buddhist psychology, the themes and explorations will be presented in terms of secular mindfulness programmes such as MBSR and MBCT.

IN-PERSON participation 

We will be physically practicing in the Solterreno Retreat Centre, Spain, enjoying the immersive supportive conditions together away from our daily distractions. 
 

Online Participation 

Online participation shares much of the same conventions as ‘in-person’ participation: You are joining an immersive retreat and you will be as visible in the virtual classroom as you would be in-person. Our virtual classroom will use Zoom, a free video-conferencing tool that is the platform of choice for courses like this one. Zoom is very user friendly whatever your level of experience or comfort. Be assured - if you can click on a link then you can use this tool. Just as we have preparations to make to attend in-person retreats, there are preparations that we need to make in order to ensure we can maximise the immersive experience of this Retreat. 

The programme:

First day Wednesday 20th Sept 17.00h - 20.00h 

Then Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday:

8.00 Guided Mindfulness practice

9.00 Personal time for preparing and eating breakfast

10.30 Morning of guided Mindfulness practices, sitting meditations, mindful movement, body scan, mindful walking.

13.00 Time to prepare and have lunch followed by free time to rest

16.30 Gentle Mindful Yoga

18.00 Further Teacher Guided Mindfulness practice

20.00 Finish

Last day Sunday 24th Sept

So finishing on Sunday 24th Sept at 20.00h

The In-Person retreat will finish after breakfast on the 25th

 

1. Technical Preparation

You will need:

• A computer or laptop with a high-speed internet connection, with a working camera, so you are onscreen for the duration, microphone and speakers
• To plug directly into the network with a cord rather than using wireless (WiFi), if possible, to ensure appropriate bandwidth
• To be familiar with your computer as we cannot provide technical assistance
• To have a backup or ‘Plan B’ ready should your first choice of computer and network run into some difficulty  
• Zoom – a free video conference application (See no. 5 of this list)

2. Pre-class Checklist

• Be ready to start each session with plenty of time to prepare your computer and to sign into the live classes
• Check that your computer is working including video, microphone and speakers
• Switch off all notifications from other applications to your computer (e.g. mail, messages, social media etc.)
• Ensure you have created the physical environment, quiet with the support of others not to be interrupted for this time (no. 4 on this list offers more suggestions)
• Mobile phone is on silent with access to What’s App to notify teachers in case of technical difficulties arising
• Personal needs; timer, water, blanket, mat, cushion etc. just as if you were coming to class in person.

3. Responding to Difficulties

As with any class attendance, difficulties can arise that can interrupt our capacity to participate. For example, travel delays or childcare changes, illness etc. For online courses, our difficulties may arise in the form of technical difficulties. In the event of such difficulties:

• Acknowledge this can happen and practice calmly responding!
• Sign out and back in again - this often solves many problems
• If above does not work, let the teachers know you are experiencing technical difficulties by sending a ‘whats-app’ message rather than trying to ‘troubleshoot’ these during sessions
• Use a computer as some Zoom features are less effective on smartphones and tablets

4. Personal Preparation 

The attitude we bring to this experience is key and we need to be prepared to commit fully to the schedule each day for this week, as you would if you were with us in-person. This will require some additional personal preparation of your own physical space so that you can engage with full attention and presence for the duration of this course. We will also support each other in maintaining this commitment as we continue to create our group context for learning when we meet during the course schedule. 

In preparation, consider where you will set up your space and how you will create the physical environment that will support you during this time:

• a quiet, well-lit room, where you can rest your computer screen and be visible sitting, lying down and standing; also free of interruptions and distractions - remember what you see on your screen is what we see too! 
• family support to allow you to join the online retreat (including allowing you full access to your network bandwidth for the duration of live sessions)
• agreements on how to interact with family and work commitments during this time, ie while in session and in between
• access to easy, nutritious meals and snacks

5. ‘Zoom’ Preparation

To sign up for the free Zoom, please create an account via this link: https://zoom.us/ Note: work computer may block such applications.

These short videos offer helpful tutorials:  

• Joining a Meeting: https://youtu.be/TAGiPCJNd3A
• Zoom Tutorials: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/206618765-Zoom-Video-Tutorials

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This teacher-led silent retreat offers a safe and supportive environment for experienced Meditators, Mindfulness Teacher Trainees and Established Teachers in which to deepen and extend secular mindfulness meditation practice. It provides an opportunity to deeply tune in to our inner processes, exploring the ways we react to experience and how we might practise kindness towards our moment to moment experience and cultivate wisdom.

This silent retreat is specifically designed to meet the good practise guidelines for Mindfulness teachers on the teacher training pathway and is also highly suitable for more experienced teachers wishing to deepen their connection to the core underpinnings of mindfulness as it is taught in the eight-week course. It is also suitable for those who have taken an 8-week mindfulness course and who wish to deepen their practice. No previous retreat experience is required as full teacher support is available.

In general, our retreats include meditation instruction and guided sessions of mindfulness meditation practice including mindful movement. We will be engaging in times of guided silent practise - sitting and walking meditations with sessions of Mindful Movement, Mindful walking and all combined with a spirit of Kindly Awareness. They provide a safe and nourishing environment for the cultivation of a deep and grounded mindfulness meditation practice.

Silence:

Silence is a main supportive feature of the retreat and we will be practising a warm friendly silence and, at all times, there will be the possibility to speak to the retreat leader or organisers should this be needed. There will also be an option to talk briefly with the retreat leader about your practice. The first evening we will be talking and getting to know each other, outlining the program etc. The last evening we will be breaking the silence and sharing aspects of the experience if we wish to.

Your instructors:-

Bodhin Philip Woodward Bsc. SYT, CMT, Certified Mindfulness Teacher, MBSR Supervisor, and Senior Trainer, with more than 20 years experience in leading retreats, he is accomplished and skilled at creating a safe, supportive, and deeply engaging experiential learning environment. Bodhin is Founder and Director of Training for Mindful Academy Solterreno. He has been practising Mindfulness on a daily basis since 1985 and he has extensive experience of mindfulness practices and teaching. He runs Mindfulness Teacher Training programs, Train the Trainer programs and teaches Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Stress Reduction Approaches (MBCT/MBSR/MBAs) to help prevent relapse into depression and to manage stress and anxiety. He also meets the requirements of the Good Practice Guidelines for Trainers of Mindfulness-based Teachers published by the UK Network of Mindfulness-based Teacher Trainers

Guest Teachers Monique Leverington (Mindful Movement and Yoga)

These retreats will often include:

• Periods of both guided and self-directed practice
• Sustained periods of silence to enable participants to connect more fully with their inner experience
• Time to practice mindfulness informally between the scheduled sessions
• The teachers will be available to talk to people individually.
• A core teaching intention for this retreat is to offer a structure and atmosphere within which we can deeply look into the experience with the freshness of beginner’s mind, enabling new insights and perspectives to emerge.

Are retreats suitable for everyone?

Although our mindfulness retreats are suitable for most people, they are not suitable for everyone. Retreats can be quite intensive, and we do not advise attending a retreat if you are suffering from certain conditions or have had a traumatic event which is interfering with your everyday life. When filling out the application form for a retreat, we advise that you provide us with as much information as possible so that we can make sure the retreat you select is suitable for you.

 

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Testimonial

I have attended two retreats at Solterreno so far and found both among the most valuable experiences I've ever had, with all aspects carefully designed to facilitate positive change. The content was rigorous and very clear; the teaching gentle, yet authentic and effective; the hikes in the mountains refreshing and reinvigorating; the nature life-affirming; and the silence of the place magical. It really is a space for healing and growth, and great care has been put in all details. Bodhin and the team are leading by example, something that I am particularly grateful for.

I have benefited greatly from the MBSR+yoga course, but I especially enjoyed the silent retreat, which I think is a rare chance to be ‘on your own, but not alone’, providing safe conditions for inner work and plenty of opportunity for reflection. I am also grateful for the amazing group of fellow meditators, from different parts of the world and at different points of our lives and practice, but all ultimately looking for a way to live more consciously and more in harmony, inner and outer. I left feeling infused with kindness, uplifted, inspired, and trusting the practice even more than before. And I have learned much about myself. Gratitude to all!

Best wishes,
Andreea

More testimonials

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Application forms and booking -

If you would like to apply you can do so by filling in the application form.

Silent Retreat Application form

Any questions please contact bodhin@gmail.com

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Here you can pay for the Silent Retreat.

This Silent Mindfulness Retreat costs:

• ONLINE price 290€ (deposit 100€, balance 190€)
• IN-PERSON Price 790€ (deposit 100€, balance 690€)

You need to secure your space with a non-refundable deposit of 100 euros.

The balance of payment should be paid a minimum of 4 weeks before the start date of the course.

PLEASE NOTE - By booking and paying the deposit, you are agreeing to the Mindful Academy Solterreno general terms and conditions.

Payment for the silent retreat online

Payment for the Silent Retreat IN-PERSON

 

Our details:
Mindful Academy S.L & Mindful Academy Solterreno
VAT: ES-B05289004
Solterreno Retreat Centre
Partida Ereta 4
Benimaurell 03791
Vall de Laguar
Alicante 

Tel: (0034) 660 44 78 40 
Email: bodhin@mbsr.website

 

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Please see below for who are the Teachers for this event:-