ONLINE Silent Meditation Retreat, Aug 28-Sept 6, 2020.

Cultivating Serenity, Insight and the Heart Qualities

Ten day (9 night)  with eight day (7 night)  option, silent meditation retreat 

DUE TO CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS WE  HAVE MADE THIS RETREAT ONLINE ONLY. 

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

Aug 28 till  Sept 6,  2020 (9 night option)

Aug 28 till Sept 4,  2020 (7 night option)

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 the first weekend.  Please be aware that due to the current COVID19 situation in Sydney we will be conducting this retreat Online only. Mal  will give Dharma talks, meditation instructions, guidance, and hold interactive discussions via Zoom. He will also provide 1:1 individual interviews online.  Lisa, the yoga teacher will  lead yoga sessions and generally be available online and phone  support and assistance.

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.

There will be a registration fee of $50 AUD.  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.

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.

Online participation:  Online participants will  be able to stay at home or where ever good internet is available and attend daily sessions of the retreat via Zoom.   These sessions  will include on a daily basis:  optional morning yoga from 6.15am till 7.45am with Lisa,  guided workshop style instructions from from 9.00am till 10.30am,  the evening dharma talk, discussion and Q&A from 7.00pm till 8.30pm every night as well as time to be with the group in  silent meditations.  As online participation is off site there is no accommodation and meal fee.  Dana by bank deposit will be possible after the retreat has been completed.  Though in physical isolation,  online participants will be invited to engage in the group retreat schedule in order to maintain the connection and support a group offers.   

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

For any queries contact  Mal:  malhuxter@gmail.com mob 0431768299 Lisa: lisa@mindful-wellbeing.com  mob 0400491477 or Amy:  amydempseypsychologist@gmail.com  mob 0412707105