Price and donations
The base price is 190 €. This covers the teachers’ travel expenses, the cost of renting the facility and food 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. 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 take cash with you for this purpose.
Registration and cancellation policy
The retreat has passed.
After confirmation it shall be paid to the following bank account:
Account number: FI83 3636 3010 8888 24
Bank name: S-Bank Ltd
Bank address: Fleminginkatu 34, 00510 HELSINKI, Finland
Swift code: SBANFIHH
Name of bank account holder: Nirodha ry
Address of the account holder: Vetehisenkuja 3, 00530 Helsinki
Type of account: business account
Reference number: 3017100 (It is important to use this reference number in the payment!)
The rest of the retreat fee (160 € in the case of the base price) should be paid by 20.9.2017 to the same bank account (or via PayPal) using the same reference number. If the payment is not received by this date, your place will be given to someone on the waiting list. If you pay from an account that is in someone else’s name, please inform us retriitit2@nirodha.fi and let us know your name, the name of the bank account holder and the date of payment.
Alternatively, you can pay via PayPal. Make the payment to talous@nirodha.fi. Please include the reference number above in the “note” field. To cover the PayPal fees, please add 7 € when you make your second payment. If you choose to pay the entire retreat fee of 190 € in one payment, please add the 7 € then. The due date for the final payment is the same as above.
In case of cancellation, please inform us as soon as possible so that we can give your place to the next person on the waiting list. The registration fee is not refundable, but if the cancellation takes place before 20.9.2017, we will return rest of the fee. If the cancellation takes place after this date, we will return the rest of the fee only if we can find another participant to fill the empty 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 21.10.2017. You may arrive from 16.00. Dinner will be served at 18.00, and the actual program begins at 19.30. The retreat ends on 28.10 by 15.00. 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 in Suomusjärvi, 9 km away. If you come by bus, we will pick you up from there.
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.)
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 might be cats and/or dogs inside the house, but they don’t have access to the meditation hall or bedrooms.
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 practise in a beautiful way.
If someone needs to contact you in case of emergency during the retreat, they may call Aini Väätti +358 50 331 8809.
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 retriitit2@nirodha.fi. We wish everyone a rewarding and meaningful retreat!
Warmly,
Markku Ilo +358 40 413 6833, registration
Aini Väätti +358 50 331 8809