A 5-DAY SILENT MINDFULNESS RETREAT: ESTABLISHING MINDFULNESS
Dates: January 4th to 9th, 2025
Venue: Poinciana Resort, Bali, Indonesia
Retreat Teachers: Carmen Teo and Patrick Kearney
Retreat Description: The Buddha taught a path that leads to full human flourishing, which he called “enlightenment.” While his path eventually became a religion, the Buddha himself was more interested in how we live rather than in what we believe. The practice of mindfulness is central to this path. Mindfulness refers to awareness, but awareness unbroken.
Normally our awareness is scattered, easily lost, pushed aside by our deep habits, desires and traumas. In practising mindfulness, we learn to extend awareness throughout our day. As awareness becomes continuous, it becomes powerfully transformative. In this retreat we will learn practical methods to cultivate mindfulness itself, along with the wisdom and emotional balance that mindfulness brings.
This retreat will include:
Stillness and movement meditation
Meditation instruction
Gentle stretching
Dharma talks
Periods of mindfulness work and rest
Regular private interviews with the retreat teachers
ABOUT THE RETREAT TEACHERS
Patrick Kearney has practised mindfulness meditation (satipaṭṭhāna vipassanā) since 1977. He is a senior Dharma teacher and has taught mindfulness meditation full-time for over 20 years, both in Australia and abroad. Most of Patrick’s practise has been in the insight meditation lineage of Mahāsī Sayādaw of Burma, which included several years as a Buddhist monk. His main teachers were Sayādaw U Paṇḍita and John Hale. He has also trained in the Diamond Sangha lineage of Zen Buddhism. He has studied early Buddhism at post-graduate levels and has a particular interest in the original teachings of the Buddha, before the invention of “Buddhism.” This allows him to bring the radical insights of the Buddha to our contemporary situation.
Carmen Teo, EdD, E-RYT 500, has practiced yoga since 2004 and discovered mindfulness meditation in 2007 as a graduate student in the US. She found her life transformed in bittersweet ways through self-inquiry and exploring the wisdom traditions of Yoga and Buddhism. Carmen's root practice is in the Theravada Thai Forest tradition of Ajahn Chah and the Mahasi method, with Patrick Kearney as her primary Dharma teacher. A dedicated meditator, she has attended nearly 20 silent retreats. Carmen has been a teacher, teachers’ mentor and researcher of contemporary mindfulness and yoga for the last twelve years, including serving as a MBSR Teacher Mentor with UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness and completing her doctoral dissertation on mindfulness and its teaching practice.
WHO IS THIS FOR?
This silent retreat is open to individuals who would like to further develop their mindfulness meditation practice. Some experience with mindfulness meditation is expected.
In addition, this retreat is also for those already teaching or interested in teaching mindfulness-based programs (MBP) such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention Therapy and Mindful Self-Compassion. It fulfils the silent retreat prerequisite for all Mindfulness-Based Interventions.
An important aspect of teaching MBP is the requirement to have a personal mindfulness practice, our intention for this retreat is to support your personal practice. This 5-night silent retreat will consist of sustained periods of silence, alternating sitting and walking meditation, with periods of Mindful Movement. There will be meditation instructions exploring the cultivation of mindfulness with additional practice guidance to foster and strengthen kindness and compassion throughout the day, and evening talks.
The container of Silence includes refraining from speaking (except with the teachers as scheduled and as needed) reading, writing, and technology, with the exception of emergencies of course. It is a rare opportunity to slow down and give our hearts and minds some space to access our inner wisdom and compassion.
The Retreat meets the requirements for teacher training and certification at the Mindfulness-Based Professional Training Institute, University of California at San Diego.
Join us to nourish and sustain your practice, in a safe and beautiful environment, with wonderful healthy food and supported by experienced teachers.
*Note: A silent meditation retreat may not be suitable for some people currently seeking psychiatric treatments, recently experiencing distressing life situations, or with severe unresolved traumas. As such, we request interested participants to complete an application form.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Step 1: Complete an online application form. Click on the link here to get to the Google form
Step 2: We will contact you within a few days to inform you of your suitability and if so, you can go ahead and make the deposit or full payment. Full payment must be made at least 30 days before the start date.
Closing date: December 12th 2024, or when application is full. [Please note: your place is confirmed only upon completing Steps 1 and 2 above]
RETREAT FEES + Dana*
Retreat fees cover the cost of accommodation, food, retreat administration and the teacher’s air-tickets. It does not cover for the teachings which is covered by donation or “Dana”.
A) *What is Dana?
Dana is a Pali term referring to ‘giving’ or ‘offering’, which fosters a spirit of selflessness and cultivates a generous heart, benefiting both the giver and the receiver. Through Dana, we learn to let go of attachments and develop a deeper sense of interconnectedness with others. Because the act of giving is so powerful, it is a crucial force in the development of the heart/mind. The cultivation of this quality leads to wisdom. Since the time of the Buddha, people have felt that the teachings of awakening are priceless and cannot be bought or sold.
In this spirit, teachers offer their teachings on retreat as a gift. In response, individuals are encouraged to give voluntary monetary gifts to teachers as a form of gratitude, taking into account their personal financial situation. This is a declaration of mutual respect and recognition of our shared human concerns and values.
We will provide a box at the venue for your dana contribution.
Alternatively, to give dana via EFT we will provide one of the teacher’s bank details during the retreat.
B) Retreat Fee
Note: Spaces and certain room types are limited. You are encouraged to sign up early to be guaranteed a space and have a choice of your preferred room type.
Room & Board (includes 3 meals a day)
Single Occupancy (Ocean-facing): US$950 + dana* — Fully booked!
Single Occupancy: US$850 + dana* — almost Full
Twin Share Occupancy: US$700 + dana*
Triple Share Occupancy: US$550 + dana*
Cancellation Policy
A refund (minus US$300 non-refundable deposit) will be made for cancellations submitted by emailing hi@transformheartminds.org on or before 30 days prior to the start of the course. No refunds will be allowed after this date. Fees and deposits are non-transferable.
In the unlikely event that the course is cancelled, Transform Heartminds is responsible only for a full refund of the retreat fee and not for transportation, hotel accommodations or any miscellaneous expenses.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE (subject to change at the discretion of the teachers and may vary depending on the venue’s kitchen schedule)
First Day
Registration: 3 - 5:30 p.m.
Dinner: 6 - 7 p.m.
First Session: 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Last Day Session Ends: Noon
Daily Schedule
6.30 a.m. – 7:00 a.m. Optional sit
7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. Posture and Flexibility / Mindful Movement
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Breakfast
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Practice Period
(sitting and walking meditation, with some guidance in the early days.)
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lunch
2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Practice period
5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Dinner
7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Practice and Dharma Talk
9:00 p.m. Lights out
Frequently Asked Questions
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The venue is located 3 (up to 4 hours depending on the traffic) from the international airport. About 4 weeks before the event, we will contact you to ask if you would like us to arrange car transfer to/fro the venue for those arriving by air at local airports.
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We will begin checking people into the retreat at 3 pm on the first day of the training. However, it may be possible for you to arrive before 2 pm and have access to your room. We ask that you plan on arriving no later than 5.30 pm so that we can begin with the full group in attendance at dinnertime. We plan to end the retreat by noon on the last day so please plan your travel accordingly, using the time guidelines above. Sometimes situations arise in which people have to leave the retreat earlier than noon on the last day but we strongly urge you to avoid this if at all possible.
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As this is a silent meditation retreat, we highly encourage retreatants to set the intention to restrain from any device-related communication unless for emergency reasons. Phones and any communication devices may be stored and locked in your personal locker at the resort's office.
Please do not expect to get consistent, reliable wireless internet service while at the retreat center. It is most advisable to leave your computer at home because of the retreat nature of the training. Most cellular phones will work in this location. Again, however given the nature of the training there will be limited opportunities to use them, so informing those who may need to contact you of these limitations ahead of time will be helpful.
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The retreat center is often booked both right before and right after our training, so arriving early or staying an extra night or two after the retreat is over is not likely to be a possibility. You can of course arrange to stay at lodging near the retreat center if you would like to extend your stay.
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If it is at all possible, please bring a meditation cushion (zafu) and a yoga mat. We will have a few cushions but not enough to go around, so if you have one and can squeeze it into your luggage or bring it as a carry-on please consider doing so. It is always advisable to check the weather forecast prior to traveling, to help guide you in proper clothing choices. The relatively remote location makes security a minor concern, but we do want people to know that with shared sleeping quarters and very limited availability of keys to lock rooms, we highly recommend leaving valuable items at home to reduce the possibility of anything being lost or stolen.
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This training is taught in a retreat format, which means there is a great deal of mindfulness practice embedded in the training, and we want to reiterate that now so you are not surprised when you get here. The venue very much facilitates this format; we will meet, eat and be housed in a relatively secluded area. There are no other large groups planned in the center that week so it should be relatively quiet and secluded. The rooms are clean and comfortable, but not by any means luxurious.
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While you are asked to note specific food restrictions on your registration application, if there are any additional food or medical concerns we should be aware of please let us know of these in advance so we may assist you.
