Price and donations
The base price is 310 euros. This covers the teachers’ travel expenses, the cost of renting the facility, food expenses, and this retreat’s general expenses.
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 retriitit2@nirodha.fi and let us know how much you are able to pay.
Please note, due to rising costs the requests for reduced prices have increased and at the moment we may not be able fulfill them all. We are very sorry about this and hope to find a solution soon. If you are in a good financial situation, please consider supporting those in need of a discount by paying more than the base price for the retreat.
The teachers and organizers do not receive any payment for their services but offer them freely so that as many as possible have the chance to benefit from the teachings regardless of financial situation. This principle of generosity is very central to the teachings of the Buddha and has made it possible to continue the practice of meditation still 2,500 years after his life. The teachers live primarily off of donations. Retreat participants may support the teachers and organizers by donations at the end of the retreat. We ask that you bring a payment card or cash with you for this purpose.
Registration and cancellation policy
You can sign up for the retreat by filling in the registration form. Once you have registered, you will receive an invoice for the 35 euro registration fee. Please pay the invoice using the reference number by due date. The registration fee cannot be transferred to another retreat.
Before the retreat we will send you a second invoice for the rest of the retreat fee. Make sure you pay the invoice by the due date, or your place will be given to the next person on the waiting list.
In case you need to cancel the retreat, we kindly ask that you tell us as soon as possible, so we can give your place to the next person in the queue. In case of cancellations, the registration fee is not refundable. If you have already paid the second invoice but need to cancel, we will unfortunately be able to refund you only if we can find another participant to take your place.
If you are coming from abroad, please note that we are not able to provide any documents for visa applications because of limited resources.
Arrival and departure times
The retreat begins on 19th of June 2023 in the evening and ends on 25th of June by the afternoon. A more detailed schedule will be announced closer to the retreat. Yogis are expected to participate from the beginning of the retreat to the end.
Venue and arriving
The retreat will take place at the Knipnäs Center for Wellbeing, located in Tammisaari, Southern Finland. The address of the retreat venue is Linnunlaulu 1, 10650 Tammisaari.The venue is 2 kilometres away from the Tammisaari train station.
We will send you an email approximately one week before the beginning of the retreat with detailed information on how to get to the site, such as recommended routes and train connections. We will also coordinate ride sharing between people arriving by car and people needing a ride. If needed, we can also arrange car rides from the train station for those arriving by train. (You might not want to buy a train ticket for your return trip in advance, because we will also help to coordinate ride sharing at the end of the retreat.)
Accommodation, meals and the daily routine
Participants stay in shared rooms of 3–5 people. The rooms will be assigned to yogis in the order of arrival.
Three simple vegetarian meals will be served daily: breakfast, lunch and a light dinner. There will be tea and instant coffee available during the breaks. Please mark any food allergies you have on the registration form.
A typical day on the retreat includes alternating periods of sitting meditation, qigong practice as well as a working period during which participants help with household chores, such as chopping vegetables and cleaning common spaces. It is possible to do yoga and stretching or to take a walk during the breaks. If you need a yoga mat, please bring one with you.
Silence and abstinence from alcohol or drugs
Use of intoxicants is not permitted during the retreat. Smoking is allowed only in a special area designated for this purpose.
During the retreat we maintain noble silence, which means yogis do not talk with each other, read, write, or use mobile phones. Talking is only done with the teachers. Experience shows that silence deepens the practice in a beautiful way.
If someone needs to contact you in case of emergency during the retreat, they may call the main manager.
What to bring
Please bring your own bed linens with you. Make sure you have with you a towel, your personal items, medication, etc. The organizers cannot get items you are missing for you during the retreat, and there is no possibility to use a washing machine.
It is possible to meditate on the floor or in a chair. Nirodha will provide one set of cushions (zafu and zabuton) for each yogi. We will also provide about twenty meditation benches. If you need extra cushions or blankets – for example, to support your hands or knees – please bring your own with you.
Indoor footwear is recommended. If you easily get cold during meditation, it may be good to bring your own blanket or shawl.
Questions
If you have anything to ask, please contact us at retriitit2@nirodha.fi. We wish everyone a rewarding and meaningful retreat!
Warmly,
Marianne (Nella) Woodbury, registration, retriitit2@nirodha.fi
Phone (Whatsapp, iMessage or Telegram only): +1 470 641 7056