Silent Meditation Retreat, 15-22 May 2020. Mt Carmel Retreat Centre (Sydney)

Cultivating Serenity, Insight and the Heart Qualities

Seven-day (with three-day option) silent meditation retreat

Training and practise in mindfulness, focus attention, loving kindness, compassion, appreciative joy and equanimity

15 – 22^nd May 2020

Mt Carmel Retreat Centre, Varroville, (outskirts of Sydney) NSW, Australia

Meditation teacher: Mal Huxter,

Yoga teacher: Lisa Brown

This retreat will be based on Theravada Buddhist meditation practices. It will focus on training in the cultivation of stillness/serenity and insight meditation. Instruction in the four heart qualities (loving kindness, compassion, appreciative joy and equanimity) will also be provided.  There will be evening talks and workshop style morning instruction with Mal as well as morning yoga sessions with Lisa. Short individual interviews with Mal will be possible after Monday 18th.

Why it is helpful to attend retreats? 

Silent retreats are opportunities to focus on cultivating the heart-mind and awakening psychological freedom at a refined and noble level.   They provide the external circumstances conducive to inner transformation, peace and harmony with oneself and others.

At a basic level, retreats provide a break to recharge and remember what is important in our lives.   For professionals, such as teachers or therapists, retreats give us the opportunity to refine the skills we teach to our students and clients. Meditation retreats provide an opportunity for personal stress management and self-reflection. They often clarify life’s directions so that there is renewed vitality and enthusiasm towards that which is important.  These personal gains help individuals become more effective in whatever they do including their professional roles.   For those therapists who wish to use mindfulness, compassion and loving kindness in therapeutic settings, retreats provide the opportunity to deepen therapeutic skills and understanding of these interventions. In some mindfulness and mindful compassion approaches (e.g. MBSR and MSC) attending silent residential retreats are essential qualifications for teacher training programmes.  

 General aims of the retreat:

• To provide the opportunity to experience first-hand the cultivation of insight, stillness, serenity and the heart qualities (loving kindness, compassion,  appreciative joy and equanimity).
• To free oneself and others from psychological suffering and cultivate wellbeing and genuine happiness.  
• To enhance the skills and understanding of anyone wishing to develop these qualities as well as provide new ideas for therapists, programme leaders and other professionals who already use mindfulness, compassion, loving kindness and related skills as part of their therapeutic and coaching repertoire.

The fees for this retreat outlined below, will cover food /accommodation.

In accordance with Buddhist traditions, the teaching on this retreat is dana based. Dana refers to the economy of generosity where the teachings are given freely and those who receive the teaching have the opportunity to reciprocate with a financial gift that they feel is suitable, after the retreat has finished. Dana focuses on the cultivation of joy from giving.

Single room (7 nights) –     $1110 + dana

Shared Room (7 nights) –   $1020 + dana

Single room (3 nights) –     $650 + dana

Shared Room (3 nights) –   $600 +dana

General aims of the retreat:

• To provide the opportunity to experience first hand the cultivation of insight, stillness, serenity and the heart qualities (loving kindness, compassion,   appreciative joy and equanimity).
• To free oneself and others from psychological suffering and cultivate wellbeing and genuine happiness.
• To enhance the skills and understanding of anyone wishing to develop these qualities as well as provide new ideas for therapists, programme leaders and other professionals who already use mindfulness, compassion, loving kindness and related skills as part of their therapeutic and coaching repertoire.

The Venue:

Mt Carmel Retreat Centre in Varroville on St-Andrews Rd past Campbell town outside Sydney. Here is the link to venue:  http://carmeliteretreats.com.au/

Meditation teacher: Mal Huxter is a teacher of Buddhist meditation and a clinical psychologist in private practice. He is the author of “Healing the Heart and Mind with Mindfulness.” A practicing psychologist for 28 years, he has been teaching mindfulness and the four heart qualities since 1991. He began training in Buddhist meditation practices in 1975, living in Thailand as a Buddhist monk for two years in the late 1970’s.   As well as Theravada he has trained in other Buddhist and spiritual traditions. For more info about Mal go to: www.malhuxter.com

Yoga teacher: Lisa Brown is a Psychologist, Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) facilitator and yoga teacher. She currently works in private practice in Bellingen and Coffs Harbour and facilitates Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction groups and Trauma Sensitive Yoga classes. For more info about Lisa go to: http://mindfulnesspsychologywellbeing.com