Ready to get away, set it all aside, and drop deeply into an overnight retreat? Our lives as mindfulness practitioners deepen when we’re ready to enter into the sustained practice of retreat.
We’re excited to offer this Fall 3-day retreat. Arrive Thursday evening to settle in and get oriented. Practice deeply on Friday, Saturday, and into Sunday morning.
A three-day retreat is a great next step for a practitioner who’s done one of our weekend retreats, or for those ready to go deeper in their practice in general. A prior one-day mindfulness retreat is recommended but not required.
This residential retreat will be held mostly in silence at the beautiful Samish Island Campground and Retreat Center and will include a series of gently guided mindfulness practices including sitting meditation, walking meditation, gentle yoga, and the body scan.
SCHEDULE Details
• Starts Thursday with 4pm – 5pm check in followed by dinner and an orientation, after which we will begin our silence.
• Friday and Saturday are full days of silent practice (6:30am to 8:30pm with breaks after the meals).
• Sunday is a short morning practice period, followed by breakfast and closing activities.
• The retreat concludes at about 12pm on Sunday after cabin clean up, with a sack lunch provided for the road.
WHO THIS RETREAT IS FOR
- Students of mindfulness interested in deepening and maintaining their practice.
- Those who have taken a course in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindful Self-Compassion, or Mindfulness for Healthcare Professionals.
- Adults age 18 and over.
NEW TO RETREAT?
This is a silent retreat with supportive guidance from our teachers including significant periods of silence and few distractions or amusements. While a three-day retreat can be a good way to get started with extended practice, some find it helpful to take a more gradual approach by attending one of our weekend or daylong retreats (offered online and in-person).
If your practice has been primarily at home (guided by apps or recordings, etc.) we do recommend trying longer meditations of 30-40 minutes before signing up for retreat. Take a look at a typical retreat schedule to get a sense of our days of practice.
What past retreat participants say:
"An excellent way to rejuvenate, connect with myself, get clarity, and feel supported by like-minded people. The instructors were wonderful."
"Life-Changing. I was able to accept myself and forgive myself for the first time, and feel compassion for myself."
"The retreat was a calming, introspective, healing time. I was needing to disconnect with my outside pressures and reconnect with myself, and this was accomplished."
"This retreat was a deep gift to me personally, and I have been feeling the benefits to my nervous system this week. The deep invitation toward acceptance and the reminder that we are many things, not just one, feels particularly timely and relevant."
SCHEDULE
October 8 - 11, 2026
Thursday, 4:00 pm - Sunday, 12:00 pm PT
TEACHER
COST
$515 – $865 (or $129 – $216/month)
- Sliding scale: Choose what’s right for you.
- Payment plan option: 4-months, no-interest.
- Limited scholarships available: No need to apply; just choose a scholarship tuition during registration.
- Lodging: Rustic cabin is included in reservation. Optional upgrade to E-cabin at registration.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE
Monday October 5th at 11:55pm
About the Teacher
Rev. Tim Burnett
(he/him) Founder & Senior Teacher
tim@mindfulnessnorthwest.com | 360-830-6439 x1
Tim founded Mindfulness Northwest in 2011 with the hope of offering the transformational practices he'd learned as a student of Zen Buddhism much more widely to the community. He is a certified teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC), and Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT). Tim also co-created our MBSR Teacher Training Program in 2018. A meditator since his teenage years, Tim's background in traditional Dharma practice informs his mindfulness work. Ordained as a Soto Zen priest in 2000, he apprenticed with Zen teacher Zoketsu Norman Fischer and is the Guiding Teacher of Red Cedar Zen Community in Bellingham. Former jobs include educator, carpenter, software developer, and scientist. When not in the classroom, you might find him hiking, paddling, or birding.
FOOD & ACCOMMODATIONS
Simple accommodations and tasty, nutritious meals are included in your registration. The wonderful cooks at Samish can always accommodate gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free and vegetarian diets. If your dietary needs require bringing your own food, fridge space is available, as is a microwave.
Most rooms are comfortable single-occupancy rustic cabins sharing the campground bathhouses. There are Male & Female bathhouses, as well as an All-Gender bathroom with showers, and All-Gender single-occupancy toilets in the dining hall. There is an option for motel-style rooms with a shared en-suite bath for a surcharge. RV and tent camping are also available (water and electrical hookup provided). Find more information about accommodations here.
ABOUT SAMISH ISLAND RETREAT CENTER
This beautiful retreat center maintained by the Community of Christ at the east end of Samish Island (the "island" is accessible by road) offers stunning views, deep quiet, and simple accommodations. Mindfulness Northwest has been offering retreats at Samish for many years. More details about the venue can be found here.
CHORES
Note that Samish is very lightly staffed allowing it to be more affordable than most venues. This helps us to hold registration fees at an affordable level. Every participant helps out with camp chores such as washing dishes.
About Our Multi-Day Silent Retreats
The daily schedule at our multi-day silent retreats includes gently guided sitting and walking meditation, morning teachings, mindful movement, and the body scan, as well as compassion cultivation and loving-kindness meditations.
WHO COMES TO RETREATS?
All are welcome! We are honored to support each participant in their meditation practice regardless of their nationality, ethnicity, race, color, gender, gender identity, sexual identity, age, physical ability, political affiliation, or religion. Our retreats are suitable for beginning through experienced practitioners.
We are committed to offering support for any accessibility needs you have as we are able. Please contact us prior to registering for a course.
YOUR FIRST LONGER RETREAT?
Before sitting a multi-day retreat we recommend that you have teacher-led experience with mindfulness or related contemplative practices. Please contact us if you have questions about whether this retreat will be appropriate for you.
IS RETREAT RIGHT FOR YOU? Meditation retreats are not right for everyone. If you have a history of trauma or acute psychological issues, consider checking with a mental health professional to decide if intensive retreat practice would be supportive. If you have questions or concerns about whether a retreat is right for you, please contact us at office@mindfulnessnorthwest.com.
STRUCTURE AND PARTICIPATION
FOUR DAILY PRACTICE SESSIONS
- Mindfulness and compassion practices are offered in four blocks daily: early morning, morning, afternoon, and evening.
- Participants are expected to attend all sessions and follow the printed schedule you will receive on site as fully as possible. However, we are flexible and always willing to work with you on what your body and mind can reasonably do. Speak with the retreat teachers if you have concerns about following the complete schedule.
PRACTICING IN SILENCE
- After the initial orientation and introductions on the first evening, our residential retreats are held in silence.
- Participants are expected to follow guidelines around silence and participation:
- Not speaking to other participants including close friends or partners you are attending with.
- Not using technology of any form.
- Not reading books, magazines, flyers, or any reading materials.
- Reducing interpersonal contact through the eyes or other body language.
- Necessary communication with the retreat teachers can be done via a notes station or by taking them aside.
The intention of silent retreat is to settle deeply into your own experience and to not interact with others, allowing everyone space to have the retreat they need to have -- including you!
PERSONAL AND INTERPERSONAL SAFETY
Participants are expected to be sensitive and responsive to these guidelines and the needs of fellow participants as fully as possible.
- Do not take photos or make recordings of other participants or the teachers.
- Do not use alcohol or mind altering drugs of any kind.
- Emergency contact information to share with loved ones will be sent to you. Venue staff and Mindfulness Northwest instructors will make sure you receive incoming messages promptly while your phone is off. If you are expecting an urgent message please let your instructor know.
- Instructors are available at all times to offer support, including conversation if needed.
WHAT TO BRING
WHAT TO BRING- Warm clothes in layers (sweater, jacket, raingear, etc.). Outdoor walking meditation may be a component of this retreat unless the weather is too challenging.
- Shoes that are (1) fine walking in damp grass and (2) slip-on if possible. We take shoes on and off frequently. Slippers for the practice room can also be nice to have.
- Toiletries and overnight things including a towel.
- Bringing your own bedding (pillows, sheets, blankets or sleeping bag) is required at some of our venues. Please check your registration confirmation email for this information.
- A flashlight can be helpful but venues are generally reasonably well lit. Sometimes there is walking between buildings in the early morning and evening.
- A yoga mat if you have a favorite. We are able to bring mats to share.
- Meditation cushions / supplies – if you have a meditation cushion(s), a bench or other sitting gear, feel free to bring it. We are able to bring a limited supply of cushions. Note that there are plenty of chairs available.
- An extra blanket or two for the meditation hall – nice for body scans and resting.
AFTER THE RETREAT
Silent mindfulness retreats can be psychologically powerful. It's not unusual to experience significant shifts in your mood and energy levels right after a retreat. We recommend that you closely monitor your "mental hygiene" by avoiding overstimulating environments or influences directly after the retreat (i.e. parties, loud events, violent content, harsh substances or emotionally straining company). You can support the integration of your retreat experience with activities like journaling/drawing, mindful movement, spending time in nature or even a shower/soak in a bath. If you feel "off" several days after your retreat we encourage you to seek out support. Don't hesitate to reach out to us at office@mindfulnessnorthwest.com to connect with one of our teachers.
Cancellation Policy
For retreats at Samish Island Campground & Retreat Center:
- Cancel 22+ days before the retreat begins: Receive a full refund less a $60 non-refundable cancellation fee.
- Cancel 7-21 days before the retreat begins: 50% refund. Payment plans may need to continue until 50% of tuition is paid.
- Cancel less than 7 days before the retreat begins: No refunds.
Mindfulness Northwest Health & Safety Policy
To help create a safe and supportive environment for all participants, we ask that you observe the following guidelines:
Before arrival:
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Please stay home if you are experiencing any symptoms of illness (fever, cough, sore throat, congestion, gastrointestinal symptoms, etc.).
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We encourage participants to take a COVID-19 test the day before arrival, as symptoms may not always be present.
During retreat:
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If you begin to experience symptoms of illness while on retreat, we ask that you help protect others by either heading home (if feasible) or isolating as much as possible.
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Please notify the retreat teacher or staff so we can provide support and guidance.
General practices:
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Masks are optional but welcome for anyone who chooses to wear them.
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Hand sanitizer and masks will be available onsite.
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We encourage all participants to practice good hand hygiene and be mindful of others’ comfort levels around physical proximity.
We deeply appreciate your care in helping us hold a safe and nourishing space for everyone.
Our 2026 Overnight Retreats
- Roots of Compassion, 5 day, January 19-24, Rainbow Lodge (North Bend, WA) with Tim Burnett & Nikki Dvorak Larson.
- Spring Weekend Retreat, March 27-29, Samish Island Retreat Center (Bow, WA) with Tim Burnett & Sonia Sahay.
- Fierce Compassion Women's Retreat, May 29-31, Sacred Waters Retreat Center (Union, WA) with Karen Schwisow & Carolyn McCarthy.
- Summer Weekend Retreat, June 26-28, Samish Island Retreat Center (Bow, WA) with Carolyn McCarthy & RJ Rongcal.
- Roots of Mindfulness, 5 day, August 21-26, Samish Island Retreat Center (Bow, WA) with Carolyn McCarthy & RJ Rongcal.
- Fall 3-Day Retreat, October 8-11, Samish Island Retreat Center (Bow, WA) with Tim Burnett.
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