WHO OUR ONE DAY RETREATS ARE FOR

Our single day retreats are ideal for people with some mindfulness or meditation experience. Introductory information about mindfulness will not be provided at this session. Rather, we will dive right in to guided practice. If you are totally new to meditation this day may be a challenge; however, all are welcome. For some, “jumping in” is a great way to start!

WHO OUR MULTI-DAY RETREATS ARE FOR

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 a given retreat will be appropriate for you.

Our multi-day retreats are appropriate for:

• Those who have taken a course in mindfulness such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindful Self-Compassion, or Mindfulness for Healthcare Professionals.
• Established students of mindfulness interested in deepening and maintaining their practice.
• Self-taught mindfulness students usually do just fine if they've established a regular practice over at least a few months.
• Mindfulness teachers and students who’d like to strengthen their understanding of the Buddhist roots of contemporary mindfulness.
• Those seeking to fulfill a required teacher-led silent retreat for a teacher training: our 5 and 7 retreats fulfill this requirement for all of the major mindfulness teacher trainings we're aware of.
• Adults age 18 and over.

Our One Day Retreats are an immersion into silent, continuous, teacher-led practice. During this day of practice, we'll ask you to be as quiet as possible and let go of entertainments and distractions for the day.

One Day Retreats are included in our 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Mindful Self-Compassion courses and offered for stand-alone sign up in the Retreats section of our website.

Everyone with some experience of mindfulness and meditation is welcome to try a One Day Retreat. It can be a powerful and important way to explore mindfulness and compassion more deeply. If you are totally new to meditation, this day may be a challenge; however, all are welcome. For some, "jumping in" is a great way to start.

Whether online or in-person, you will be guided in a sequence of meditation and mindfulness practices including: sitting meditation, the body scan, walking meditation (indoors and out!), gentle mindful yoga, and contemplative practices like the loving-kindness meditation.

In-Person Retreats:

A great virtue of in-person retreats is the possibilities that emerge from taking a quiet day totally away from your usual routine and environment. Plus we've found some lovely sites to host our retreats. Be sure to bring your lunch, a blanket, and yoga mat and/or meditation cushion if you have one. We are able to bring some extra yoga / meditation gear to share, and all of our retreat sites have comfortable chairs for sitting.

Online Retreats:

Online retreats are rich opportunity to integrate sustained mindfulness practice into your "regular" life at home. We do recommend having a conversation with the occupants of your home. While it's not reasonable to expect roommates, spouses, or children to be totally silent for a day because you'll be on retreat, sometimes a  simple shift in routine to help you have a quieter, more protected space is possible.

​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.

OTHER GUIDELINES

ATTEND THE ENTIRE RETREAT

Please arrive at the retreat at the beginning and stay until the end, as:

• Arriving late will cause stress as you will miss the orientation.
• Leaving early means you are offloading your clean-up chores on other participants and missing an opportunity for closure.
• Please stay on campus unless invited to take an off-campus break by the instructors.

RETREAT CENTER CHORES

• Several of our venues keep costs down, reducing your registration fee, by asking that event participants wash dishes, sweep floors, clean bathrooms, and do other chores around the facility. Final clean up chores before leaving are also done.
• Participants are asked to do chores as fully as they are able. If you have physical limitations, we will help you find a suitable chore assignment.
• At these venues, we clean our own housing (cabin) before we leave. Should a personal emergency require you to leave the retreat early, clean your cabin and contact the retreat leaders before leaving.

WHAT TO BRING

• Face masks ​​– please check our COVID policy for our current guidelines around masking. While masks may not be required at your training, it's always a good idea to bring some.
• Extra COVID tests, in case you develop symptoms during the retreat.
• Warm clothes in layers (sweater, jacket, raingear etc) Outdoor walking meditation will be a component of this retreat, rain or shine.
• 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 most 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.

LODGING

Lodging assignments will be available on check-in at the course venue. You will have a room to yourself at most of our venues.

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 over stimulating 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.

We've been happy to discover that doing a full day or multi-day meditation retreat online works well. It's a different experience than a residential retreat at a retreat center, but very valuable. With an online retreat done at home there are powerful opportunities to integrate your mindfulness practice experience into daily life within familiar surroundings.

Below are a few suggestions to help you create an optimal retreat experience, realizing each of you has a unique home situation.

PREPARING FOR YOUR RETREAT AT HOME

1. A quiet space - As much as possible, create a separate, quiet space away from family and distraction, even pets if they might distract you or other participants.
2. Unplug - Plan to “unplug” from your phone, clocks, or any other electronic device unless using it to connect to our virtual retreat room. Turn off any notifications that might pop up on the device you're using to connect to the retreat.
3. Free yourself up - Minimize or eliminate as many tasks and activities as you can. Normally we would be in a retreat setting to allow for an immersive experience. Retreating at home offers the benefit of being able to practice mindfulness skills in your regular environment while it offers the potential challenge of home distractions.
4. Have a conversation ahead - We suggest that you prepare your household members ahead, letting them know you’ll be practicing silence during this time. If you're able to, maintaining silence or minimizing talk between practice periods (like we do at our in-person retreats) is a valuable contribution to the retreat experience.
5. Explore integration and accept what happens - See an online retreat as an opportunity to integrate mindfulness practice and your daily life instead of as a way to “get away” – it helps to see this as a different type of experience from an in-person retreat at a retreat center.
6. It won't be perfect - Resistance and wanting things to be other than they are can be a part of all contemplative practices. Please accept that the day will unfold in the way that it does and much is beyond your control. If things are busier or in some way not to your liking in the environment as you do the series of practices offered, please accept things as they are and know that there is benefit.

WE ASK THAT YOU:

1. Sign in a little early to make sure you can connect.
2. Turn cameras on once the retreat starts. This is not a requirement, but we've found that having cameras on best supports a rich and connected experience for all participants.
3. Stay muted unless we are having a discussion.
4. Maintain silence and focus as possible during practice times: refraining from speaking, reading, writing, or using other devices.

Following the guidelines supports a deep dive into practice for you and the entire community. Thank you.