Mindfulness Meditation Retreat: Silent – 6 day – Teacher-Led
Open to all. Intended for mindfulness teachers or aspiring teachers of mindfulness, fulfilling the prerequisites for attending the MBSR professional training and continuous training. Taught in French (translation available).
“FINDING SIMPLICITY IN MIDST OF CHAOS”
In midst of chaos and stress, illness and pain, we can access our inner resources for simplicity, confidence and well-being. Mindfulness gives you the key to do this: meeting your experience moment to moment while staying open awakens your heart and develops inner strength and warmth to cope with life’s challenges.
The Mindfulness Meditation Retreat is an intensive 6-day, residential, teacher-led, silent meditation retreat. It emphasizes the deep understanding and practice of the foundations of mindfulness meditation in its most universal and secular expression. While open to all students who are willing to undergo the discipline of silent retreat, Mindfulness Meditation Retreat is intended for mindfulness teachers or aspiring teachers and fulfills one of the retreat prerequisites for attending the Oasis Institute for Mindfulness-Based Professional Education and Training.
The Retreat includes meditation instruction, talks by a senior teacher on the 4 Foundations of Mindfulness, guided sessions of mindfulness meditation practice, simple yoga and movement exercises, mindful eating, as well as sessions of contemplation and teachings to deepen the understanding of the practice.
Program details
The Mindfulness Meditation Retreat is based on the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) principles developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli at the Center for Mindfulness in the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
Program goals
- Provide a safe and nourishing environment for the cultivation and development of a deep and grounded mindfulness meditation practice.
- Foster a rigorous retreat experience, independent of any religious outlook, that fulfills Oasis Institute prerequisites.
- Offer excellent support and guidance from highly trained and experienced teachers and meditation instructors.
- Practice noble silence to develop a strong container for deepening meditation practice.
For those who are new to meditation practice, please be aware that practicing for a week in silence can be an intensive and challenging – as well as a highly rewarding – experience. To guide the way, you will receive instruction and support from highly trained and experienced teachers and meditation instructors.
Attendance: Participants must attend all practice sessions
Attitudes:
- Non-judging
- Patience
- Beginner’s mind
- Trust
- Non-striving
- Acceptance
- Letting go
Expectations:
- Self-care
- Confidentiality
- Listening and participating
- Silence
- Non-disruptive
- Genuine effort
- Not leaving during stretching and meditation
- No food or drink (except water) in meditation room
Details
Arrival day (April 29):Orientation talk at 8 pm. You’re invited to come from 5 pm in order to register and settle in your room. Dinner is served at 6.45 pm.
End of program (May 5): Closing circle and Banquet in the evening.
Departure day (May 6): You may leave anytime (no program). You’re welcome to stay for lunch.
Attendance during the whole session is required
This program is taught in French. Translation into English or other languages are available at no extra costs. Please give us notice of your request as early as possible, so that we can provide translation service.
Teacher 
Mathias Pongracz completed the MBSR professional training and attended the teachers development Intensive.
He is a senior teacher in the Shambhala tradition, has has taught meditation and mindfulness for 25 years in the Shambhala tradtion, was resident teacher at the European retreat center of Shambhala, Dechen Chöling in France 2006-2012. Prior to that, he worked for 20 years as a reporter and journalist for television, at the Austrian broadcasting company (ORF).
