Insight Dialogue retreat 15.–19.7.2022 in Kruusila, Finland: Bart van Melik – Practical Details

Price and donations

The base price is 223 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 retriitit3@nirodha.fi and let us know how much you are able to pay. If you would like to help sponsor someone who does not have the financial means to pay the full price, you are welcome to pay more than the base price.

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 50 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. 

If you wish to pay via Paypal, please choose ”Registration with PayPal invoice” on the registration form AND contact us via email at retriitit3@nirodha.fi. We will create a Paypal invoice for you then.

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 15th of July 2022 . You may arrive from 4 pm onwards. Dinner will be served around 5.30 pm, and the actual program begins at 7 pm. The retreat ends on 19th of June by 3 pm. Yogis are expected to participate from the beginning of the retreat to the end.

Venue

The retreat will take place at the Friendship Inn in Kruusila, near Salo, about 100km from Helsinki (in the direction Turku). The address is Ystävyyden Majatalo, Kalkkilantie 74, FI-25110 Kruusila. The nearest bus stop is located about 600 m from the inn.

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 bus connections. We will also help to coordinate liftshare so that those who need a ride can connect with those who have extra space in their car. (You might not want to buy a bus ticket for your return trip in advance, because we will also help to coordinate liftshare at the end of the retreat.)

Regarding the pandemic

At the moment, it looks like we can organise the retreat at the venue. However, the Nirodha board actively follows the pandemic situation up to the retreat and will update these practical arrangements accordingly. Participants should note that keeping physical distance to other practicioners can be difficult at the retreat location and sitting meditation will be held as one group in the dharma hall. We do not require participants to wear masks, but wearing them is of course allowed.

We will keep participants informed in case the pandemic situation worsens and we need to cancel the retreat or convert it to an online retreat. If the retreat is converted to an online format, participants can either cancel and get their full reservation and participation fees refunded, or choose take part in the online retreat for a price of 50 € to cover the expenses.

Accommodation, meals and the daily routine

The Friendship Inn has room for approximately 40 yogis. Participants stay in shared rooms of 2–4 people. The rooms will be assigned to yogis in the order of arrival. If you have pet allergies, please note that there are cats living at the inn. They don’t have access to the meditation hall or bedrooms during the retreat, but can come into the dining hall and other general premises.

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 45-minute periods of sitting and walking meditation as well as a one-hour working period during which participants help with chopping vegetables, cleaning common spaces, etc. It is possible to do yoga and stretching or to take a walk during the breaks or during some of the walking meditation periods. If you need a yoga mat, please bring your own 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 or sleeping bag with you. Make sure you have with you a towel, your personal items, medication, etc. It is also possible to rent bed linen and a towel for a small fee. The organizers cannot get items you are missing for you during the retreat, and there is no possibility to use 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. If you easily get cold during meditation, it may be good to bring your own blanket or shawl.

Indoor footwear is recommended as well as outdoor shoes that are easy to put on and take off, since the meditation hall and some of the bedrooms are located in different buildings.

Questions

If you have anything to ask, please contact us at retriitit3@nirodha.fi. We wish everyone a rewarding and meaningful retreat!

Warmly,

Ulla Sillanpää (+358 40 536 4181), registration