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Join us for our annual weekend retreat of mindfulness practices in the style of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction at a beautiful retreat site in the Skagit Valley.
Course details
This residential retreat will be held mostly in silence and will include a series of gently guided mindfulness practices including sitting meditation, walking meditation, gentle yoga, and the body scan. Informative talks on the process of being on retreat, mindfulness, stress reactivity, and other topics will be presented by the instructors. Small and large group discussion centered around our experience together walking, sitting, and breathing in the quiet of the beautiful retreat site. This course is designed for graduates of mindfulness classes - please see the prerequisites below.
Simple accommodations and all meals will be included.
Details on what to bring will be sent upon registration.
Schedule:
Starts Friday with 4pm - 5pm check-in.
Closes on Sunday by 2pm after lunch and camp clean-up.
Prerequisites
Before practicing for a full weekend we recommend that you have experience with mindfulness or related contemplative practices. Please contact us with any questions.
Instructor:
Tim Burnett, Lead Teacher: Executive Director and Guiding Instructor at Mindfulness Northwest.
Cost & Options
Sliding Scale Tuition. We also have special Scholarship Tuition options available for those unable to pay at the low end of the sliding scale. Food, lodging, and teachings are included in our all-inclusive registration fees. There is an additional surcharge for some lodging options (see below).
Note that there will also be an opportunity on-site and during registration to practice generosity by making a contribute to our Scholarship Fund so that others without means can attend.
Payment plans are also available during registration (four equal monthly payments; no financing fee).
Registration
Please Note: Audio/video recordings of our instructors may occasionally be created for certification and training purposes during this program. These recordings will include only our instructors in the photo frame (though they may pick up student voices at some points in the recording) and are for internal use only.
REGISTER ONLINE or register by phone at 360-830-6439 ext 0.
Location
Instructions and details will be provided when you register. Samish is about 90 minutes north of Seattle and 40 minutes south of Bellingham.
This beautiful campground maintained by the Community of Christ at the east end of Samish Island (accessible by road) offers stunning views, deep quiet, and simple accommodations.
It is not really an island - you can drive there.
And it's not exactly a campground - there are simple rustic cabins and motel-like "e-cabins" available (see "Accommodations", below, for more details). RV and tent camping is also available.
Directions and Transportation
Directions and more information about Samish are available here.
Note that there is no public transportation all the way to Samish Island.
Carpooling Services
See our carpooling site for setting up ride shares
Accommodations
Samish Island "Campground" does not require camping. There are two types of cabins: rustic cabins, which are simple plywood cabins built in the 1950's - they have heat, beds, and share campground bathroom buildings; and e-cabins, which are modern motel-level buildings where two units share a bathroom.
The 40 rustic cabins are quieter and simpler but one must walk across the lawn to the bathrooms.
The 16 e-cabins are lighter, more modern, and share a bathroom. There can be more noise in e-cabins due to the sharing of the bathroom and we ask e-cabin residents to be very careful of the noise from doors and bathroom fixtures so as not to disturb their neighbor.
A surcharge is required for lodging in the more modern e-cabins.
Consider helping us make e-cabins available to more people by requesting double occupancy. We will do our best to match you with a compatible roommate and to honor requests for roommates if you are coming to retreat with a friend.
During the registration process, you may request one of these options: rustic, e-cabin with double occupancy, e-cabin with single occupancy, or RV or camping.
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Expectations of Participants
By signing up for this retreat you are agreeing to:
1) Follow the Schedule - participate in the practice schedule as fully as possible. We allow alternate schedules and variations in the schedule due to health needs. This is a structured weekend of practice with a schedule of practices we will do together starting first thing in the morning. That structure is a powerful support for deepening our mindfulness practice.
2) Do jobs and chores - do some chores around the camp. You will have the option of choosing an ongoing job or helping with cleaning and organizing at the end of the week. The Samish Island Campground is staffed by a small volunteer staff and costs are held low by asking the visiting group to leave the camp as clean as they found it.
Our other Classes, Workshops, and Retreats
See our entire schedule of classes, workshops, and retreats.
