“I have arrived, I am home” means: I don’t want to run anymore. I’ve been running all my life, and I’ve arrived nowhere. Now I want to stop. My destination is the here and now, the only time and place where true life is possible.”
-Thich Nhat Hanh
Overview
Program type: Residential retreat
Topic: Mindfulness in everyday life
Dates: 8-13 July, 2024
Language: English
Facilitators: Linh Văn
Key features of the course:
Explore the power of mindfulness in returning home to yourself and the present moment. This engaging residential retreat presents creative and unique practices, including singing meditation, walking meditation, mindful eating, and deep relaxation. These practices are simple yet transformative, enabling us to cultivate a calm and clear mind, open our hearts to compassion, and find joy in the simple acts of daily life.
This Mindfulness Retreat offers a combination of community centered practices inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village, as well as the more personal spiritual practices of Zen Master Thich Thanh Tu. It offers practical guidance on how to live deeply in the present moment, fostering a sense of peace and understanding.
Mindfulness is a kind of energy that we generate when we bring our mind back to our body and get in touch with what is going on in the present moment, within us and around us. We become aware of our breathing and come home to our body, fully present for ourselves and whatever we are doing.
The energy of mindfulness helps us touch life deeply throughout the day, whether we’re brushing our teeth, washing the dishes, walking to work, eating a meal, or driving the car. We can be mindful while standing, walking or lying down; while speaking, listening, working, playing and cooking.
There’s an art to finding creative ways to generate the energy of mindfulness, peace, and happiness in everyday life. And when we practice together with others in community, we generate a powerful collective energy that can help bring healing and transformation to ourselves and the world.
We invite you to approach this retreat with an open heart and mind, ready to embrace each moment with curiosity and kindness. Whether you are new to mindfulness or have an established practice, this retreat offers a nurturing space for everyone to deepen their understanding and experience of living mindfully.
“We think that when we are not doing anything we are wasting our time, that is not true. Our time is first of all for us to be. To be, to be what? to be alive, to be peace, to be joy, to be loving. And that is what the world needs the most. So we train ourself in order to be. And if you know the art of being peace, of being solid, then you have the ground for every action… because the ground for action is to be. And the quality of being determines the quality of doing. Action must be based on non-action.” -Thich Nhat Hanh
Overview of the main themes and activities we’ll explore:
Mindful Awareness: Embracing mindfulness as a way to reconnect with the present moment in various activities.
Deep Relaxation: Techniques to cultivate inner calm and release stress through guided relaxation practices.
Interconnectedness: Exploring our connection with nature and each other, inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings on interbeing.
Compassionate Living: Integrating mindfulness into daily life to foster empathy, kindness, and understanding.
Mindful Movement: Engaging in gentle yoga and mindful walking to enhance body-mind awareness.
Group Sharing: Creating a supportive environment for sharing insights and experiences from mindfulness practice.
Mindful Eating: Practicing awareness and gratitude during meals to deepen our connection with food and nourishment.
Silent Times: Periods of silence to facilitate introspection and deepen mindfulness practice.
Dharma Talks: Discussions on mindfulness principles and their application in modern life.
Community Practices: Engaging in collective mindfulness practices to cultivate a supportive and transformative group energy.
What kind of experience to expect
Two of the keys to happiness are: (1) to have realistic expectations to begin with; and (2) not to be too attached to those expectations, but rather to stay flexible as life unfolds. So, with that in mind, here are some of the things participants should expect (while remembering to keep a flexible attitude):
Balanced programme: A combination of practice, instruction, group discussions, and quiet time for reflection.
Natural simplicity: Rustic accommodations in natural earthen buildings in a beautiful forest setting.
Mind and body awareness: To support the body during the retreat, there will be times for mindful movement such as stretching and simple yoga sequences as well as walking meditation in the beautiful Dharmalaya campus.
Healthy food: Natural and mostly organic, purely vegetarian meals (100% plant-based, vegan).
Digital detox: There will be no use of mobile phones or internet during the retreat.
Yogic lifestyle: Clean and simple ashram-style lifestyle in which everyone contributes to the group experience by helping with washing dishes, etc.
Who is this programme for?
This programme is open to anyone wishing to:
Cultivate mindfulness and deepen their connection to inner peace and well-being, whether you are new to mindfulness or have an established practice.
Be a part of a small, intimate community of kindred spirits collaborating in service.
Reflect honestly on your outer and inner life, with the intention to learn and grow.
Experience well-being through simple, healthy living and daily contemplative practice in an ashram-style environment.
Remain safely within our Himalayan eco-campus for the entire duration of the programme (without visiting town, etc.).
Dates & Times
Start and end dates and times
The retreat will begin at 10:00am on the first day. All participants should plan to arrive between 9:00 and 9:30am .
As this is a traditional ‘closed’ retreat, all participants will stay on the Dharmalaya campus for the entire duration of the retreat.
The retreat will conclude at 12:30pm on the last day.
Daily schedule: What will the flow of the days be like?
Throughout the day, periods of silence and self-reflection are encouraged to deepen the mindfulness experience. The pace is balanced between structured sessions, personal time for integration, and communal activities to foster a supportive and transformative environment.
Although the day-to-day schedule may vary a bit, the schedule for a typical day during this program would more or less as follows:
6:00 Wake
6:30 Morning practice (yoga or your own meditation practice)
7:00 Morning Meditation and Dharma Talk
8:00 BREAKFAST
9:00 Morning session
12:30 LUNCH
2:00 Deep Relaxation Session
3:00 Afternoon session
5:00 Personal time
6:00 DINNER
7:30 Evening session
9:30 Lights out, silent time until breakfast
About Linh Văn
Linh Văn is a Buddhist nun from the South of Vietnam, ordained in the year 2014 at the age of 24. Linh Văn lived and trained at one of the monasteries established by Zen master Thich Thanh Tu near Ho Chi Minh City.
Before her ordination , Văn participated in practices led by the Plum village lay community of Thich Nhat Hanh. After receiving ordination she trained in the various practices of the Vietnamese Zen tradition, cultivating mindfulness meditation and a deeper understanding of Mahayana Buddhism.
Currently Văn is in India completing her PhD in Buddhism at BHU, Varanasi.
Cost
Recognizing that our participants come from diverse backgrounds, we are providing a sliding scale with three tiers, to make it possible for everyone to donate according to their means. Total fees for the retreat (including shared accommodation, three meals daily, and tea) are as follows:
Subsidized rate
(For low-income participants who can’t afford the standard rate)
Rs 6,000
For transparency: This subsidized rate is approximately 33% below our break-even rate, which means it is not enough to cover the Institute’s costs in providing the programme, though that shortfall might be covered by participants who choose to pay the ‘Supporter rate’ to the right.
Standard rate
(For most participants)
Rs 9,000
For transparency: This standard rate is essentially a break-even rate, just enough to cover the Institute’s total average monthly costs in providing this service-learning opportunity.
Supporter rate
(For those who can afford to help subsidize lower-income participants)
Rs 12,000
For transparency: This supporter rate is approximately 33% above the break-even rate, and 100% of that surplus will be used to support lower-income applicants to participate at the subsidized rate. We thank you sincerely for your generosity in choosing this rate if you can.
Application & payment
Participation in this programme is by application and subject to acceptance.
STEP 1 — APPLY: Click the button below to complete and submit the application form here on our website and then wait for our reply. We may email you to ask follow-up questions if necessary.
STEP 2 — ACCEPTANCE: If you are accepted for the retreat, then at that time we will send you an acceptance letter by email, which will include more detailed information about the programme and how to prepare.
STEP 3 — DEPOSIT: You will then have one week from the date of acceptance to make your nonrefundable payment to hold your place in the programme. Once we have received your payment, your registration for the programme will be complete.
We look forward to connecting with you!