Fully Alive – Fully Aware
The invitation of this retreat is to cultivate a calm abiding in body, heart and mind which allows us to explore the Buddha’s path that leads to inner freedom.
We will enter the exploration by cultivating stability and sensitivity of the body and experiencing the inner joy that this can bring to practice. This nourishing ground will be the basis for a deeper investigation into the 4 foundations of mindfulness to help us see those habitual patterns that prevent us from flourishing and from feeling fully alive.
To be fully alive, fully aware, we need to experience the joy of relief of the heart that allows us to sense/feel/see/look deeply and realize the wonder of being alive.
The meditation techniques we practice are over 2,500 years old and are mostly based on the Theravada Buddhist tradition. Taking part in the retreat does not, however, require an adherence to Buddhism or any adaptation of personal faith.
Why take part in the retreat? What happens on a retreat?
The retreat is suitable for both beginners and experienced practitioners. Beginners have a chance to become familiar with basic meditation techniques and to see their effects clearly in practice, so a retreat is a good way to begin a meditation practice. For experienced meditators, a retreat is a great opportunity to deepen and clarify their practice under the guidance of qualified teachers.
Teachings are offered in English. The daily routine consists mostly of sitting and walking meditation and also includes instructions for meditation, periods of mindful movement, an evening talk and a working period. The retreat is held in silence except during individual or group interviews with a teacher.
The retreat includes a daily breakfast, lunch and light dinner, all vegetarian. Participants stay in 2-4 person rooms. The retreat will take place at the Friendship Inn, which is located in Kruusila, near Salo, on the shore of beautiful Lake Pernjärvi.
Who are the teachers?
Gerit Stöcklmair is a microbiologist, psychotherapist and Body Movement Therapist, originally from Austria.
Curiosity about the inner and outer world has put her on many journeys, and she has lived in England, Scotland and South Korea, before settling in Denmark, where she now lives. She has been practising meditation since 1994 and has been on extended retreats since 1998, mainly Vipassana, but also within the Zen and Triratna tradition.
She graduated from the Bodhi College Teacher Training in 2022 and has an interest in personal development through body-mind-soul integration, which means you might also find her dancing on various occasions.
Gerit is also co-founder of Copenhagen Insight Meditation.
Christin Illeborg is a Dharma-based meditation teacher. She offers mindfulness-based programs, Buddhist psychology and insight meditation shaped to the Nordic living conditions. She is a mentor for professional mindfulness teachers, individuals, and companies.
Christin has practiced meditation since 2000, where she started in a Japanese tradition. Later she fell in love with mindfulness and the secular Insight movement. In 2022 she graduated as a Dharma teacher with Christina Feldman at Bodhi College.
Christin is also a trained film editor, yoga teacher and cognitive therapist. She lives at the countryside with her husband and their border collie. She is a co-founder of Copenhagen Insight Meditation.
How much does it cost? How can I sign up?
The base price is 270 euros, but it is also possible to pay more or less than this. Sign up for the retreat and find out more information about the price, registration and other practical details here.
Warmly,
Anu Pasanen, manager (+358 40 756 1095)
Ulla Sillanpää, registrations (retriitit3@nirodha.fi, 040 536 4181) retriitit3@nirodha.fi