Meditation and Mindfulness
This retreat will be an opportunity to deepen and explore meditation and mindfulness. We will look at the two essential elements of meditation: concentration and experiential enquiry. We will cultivate mindfulness through awareness practices using the breath, the body, listening and feeling tones. We will explore these tools of mindfulness and their application in our daily life. We will also look at the obstacles we might find in this practice as well as the elements that can be supportive.
On this retreat we will practice insight meditation, also known as vipassana. The word vipassana means seeing things just as they are. This meditation technique is over 2500 years old and draws from the Theravada Buddhist tradition. However, taking part in the retreat does not require an adherence to Buddhism or any adaptation of personal faith.
Why attend a retreat? What happens at a retreat?
This retreat is suitable for both beginners and advanced meditators. For beginners, the retreat is a great way to learn the basics of vipassana meditation and insight dialogue as well as see their effects clearly. For advanced meditators, the retreat offers an excellent opportunity to deepen and clarify one’s practice in the guidance of an experienced teacher.
The retreat is held in English. The days are spent in silence and consist of sitting and walking meditation, dharma talks, work period, small group discussions and individual interviews. Vegetarian breakfast, lunch, and a light dinner are served during the retreat. The venue of the retreat is The Friendships Inn in Kruusila near Salo, about 100 km west of Helsinki, Finland.
Who is the teacher?
The retreat will be taught by Martine Batchelor. She lived in Korea as a Zen nun under the guidance of Master Kusan for ten years. She is the author of Meditation for Life, The Path of Compassion, Women in Korean Zen and Let Go: A Buddhist Guide to Breaking Free of Habits. Martine Batchelor is a member of the Gaia House Teacher Council. She teaches meditation retreats worldwide and lives in France. Her latest work is the The Spirit of the Buddha.
How much does it cost? How can I sign up?
The base price of the retreat is 135 euros. The retreat cost covers the traveling expenses of the teachers, the rent of the retreat facility, and the food expenses. The teachers and the organizers do not receive any payment for their services; instead, the retreatants may support the teachers and the organizers by donations after the retreat.
You can sign up by filling in the sign up form at http://tinyurl.com/qgggnj6.
Your place is confirmed when you pay the registration fee 30 euros to Nirodha’s account: The retreat is now fully booked, but you can still sign up for the waiting list. You do not need to pay anything when you sign up for the waiting list. If you are offered a place on the retreat later, you will be asked to pay the retreat fee at that time.
Bank name: Nordea
City where bank located: Helsinki
Swift code: NDEAFIHH
Name of bank account holder: Nirodha ry
Address: Vetehisenkuja 3, 00530 Helsinki
Account number: FI60 1248 3000 2130 60
Reference number: 420156
The rest of the retreat fee (105 euros in case of the base price) should be paid by February 26th. In case of cancellations the registration fee is not refundable. If the cancellation takes place before February 26th, the rest of the retreat fee will be returned.
If you are coming from abroad, please note that we are not able to provide any documents for visa applications because of limited resources.
We feel that financial situation should not prevent anybody from participating, so we are willing to offer the retreat for a reduced price, if needed. If the base price is too high for you, please contact us at nirodha.retriitit@gmail.com and let us know how much you are able to pay. If you would like to support those in dire financial situation, you can pay more than the base price.
If you have any questions, you can contact us at nirodha.retriitit@gmail.com.
Best regards,
Tuulikki Hukka (+358 50 432 9241)
Meri Lundahl (+358 40 526 0787)