Mindfulness Meditation Practice Weekend

Silent retreat

6 pm Friday 15 October till 4 pm Sunday 17 October 2010
Cost: from only $165 to $245 (see below)

This weekend is an opportunity to gain (more) depth in your mindfulness meditation practice by devoting an entire weekend to it. Book Now.

We will be practising sitting, lying down and walking meditation, and we will be using the beautiful natural surroundings and expansive views to help us let go more deeply into the space of ‘just being’.

Instruction will be offered in mindfulness of breathing, various forms of body scanning, walking meditation, mindful movement, mindfulness of sounds, mindfulness of thoughts and feelings, and choiceless awareness. We will also use the practice to improve our four mindfulness skills: direct contact with the present moment, cognitive defusion, opening up/acceptance and Observer Self or Witness.

Weather permitting, we will go on a delightful early morning mindful walk on the property to help us reconnect with nature. There will be an inspirational talk or video on Saturday night, and there will be opportunity for brief one-on-one talks with the facilitator.

The aim of the weekend is to help anyone get (more) established in their individual mindfulness practice, to help you strengthen your inner Witness and to become more aware and less caught up in the antics of your own mind.

For Whom?

Training in mindfulness reduces stress, increases self-awareness and self-acceptance, decreases the influence of negative thoughts, feelings and behaviours, improves general health and wellbeing, and helps us to connect more deeply with who we really are and our inner resources of wisdom, courage, compassion and peacefulness. The weekend is suitable for both people who are completely new to mindfulness practice, and for those who have already participated in some form of mindfulness training.

Noble Silence

The weekend will be conducted in Noble Silence, which means we will not be talking to each other (other than for instructions or in one-on-one interviews), and will also not be communicating with each other through eye contact or body language. The aim of this noble silence is to help deepen your meditation practice. Noble Silence will start after our personal introductions on Friday night and will finish on Sunday after lunch.

Costs and Personal Contributions

If you book before 10 October, the cost for the weekend is just $245 for twin-share accommodation, $195 if you camp in a tent (or on a mattress on the floor in the workroom), or $175 if you sleep and eat dinner and breakfast off-site. If you book with a friend or as a couple, all prices are discounted by 10%.

Costs for day meditators (Saturday only) is $80 including lunch, dinner and evening program, $65 if you leave before dinner.

To keep the costs for the retreat this low, participants are expected to help out with food preparation and also work as a group to tidy and clean the venue before you leave. This way of contributing to the retreat also helps the group to create a sense of community. This method has been practised for thousands of years, and is known as Karma Yoga, or Selfless Service.

Your Facilitator

Astrid has been practising mindfulness meditation since 2001, and has been teaching since 2006. She practised (Goenka-style) Vipassana for about six years, and started practising Insight meditation through various teachers of Insight Meditation Australia in 2007.

Astrid is a professional counselor and has trained in MiCBT (Mindfulness-integrated Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, developed by Bruno Cayoun) and also in MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli. In spite of her extensive training and years of practise, Astrid does not consider herself a ‘Spiritual Master’. In her approach to mindfulness she is focused on helping people develop practical skills and insights for everyday living, particularly around managing difficult thoughts, feelings and behaviours more effectively, transforming people’s sense of self and creating a more purposeful, meaningful life.