Opening to Stillness: A Silent Meditation Retreat to Nourish Self Compassion in Times of Uncertainty 

Forget about enlightenment.
Sit down wherever you are
And listen to the wind singing in your veins.
Feel the love, the longing, the fear in your bones.
Open your heart to who you are, right now,
Not who you would like to be,
Not the saint you are striving to become,
But the being right here before you, inside you, around you.
All of you is holy.
You are already more and less
Than whatever you can know.
Breathe out,
Touch in,
Let go. 

–By John Welwood 

Indralaya, with its beautiful natural setting of sea, meadow and forest scapes and palpable living history of meditation and healing practice, will provide an exquisite container to support our experience of “coming home to self.” 

Join us in this welcoming space as we turn inward to nourish body, mind, and spirit in these times of uncertainty and challenge. This retreat is open to experienced meditators, as well as those who are new to meditation and curious about silent meditation retreats.   

Participating in intentional silence and meditation in community can help us open to deeper levels of stillness within ourselves. The nourishment and grounding this provides supports a more appreciative and mindful engagement with the circumstances that arise in our daily lives.  

Program
Silence will begin Thursday evening after the program orientation and end before breakfast on Sunday.  The schedule will include silent, guided and walking meditation sessions and experiential exercises focusing on mindfulness and self-compassion. There will also be time to just wander and be.
Leonie van Gelder and Tama Recker look forward to sharing this retreat focused on self-compassion and connection.

Things to bring/not bring:  

• Bring journals/paper and very basic art materials if you are so inclined. 
• Walking outside will be part of the practice so please bring walking shoes and clothing layers for rain and shine. You may also want to bring slippers for inside the meditation space.  
• There are some meditation cushions available, but you may want to bring your own cushion or bench.  Note: Chairs are available for sitting.  
• Bring your own meditation blanket.  
• Please do not bring books to read.  

Program Fees:

Program fees are all-inclusive and cover accommodation, food, and program specifics for the entire program. Participants may choose their accommodation type preference (Plumbing, Non-Plumbing, RV/Tent)  and may select to work on daily staff (3 hours commitment per day) for a substantial discount.

See Accommodation Types here: https://www.indralaya.org/home/guest-information/accommodation-types-indralaya/

Non-Accommodation rates are for program and meals only. Daily Staff discount for non-accommodation rates covers meals.

Registration Instructions:

1. You may register one or more persons in a single registration. To register more than one, select multiple persons for your accommodation type.
2. If you are selecting Daily Staff please indicate in notes who in the party is taking the daily staff discount (available to adults, young adults, teens). Daily staff discounts (except for No-Accommodation rates) are indicated by checking Daily Staff as an additional item. The discount will be applied on checkout.
3. You have an option of making a donation to Indralaya as part of your registration.
4. On checkout, please indicate if you are a “friend of Indralaya” (if you are not you can become one by selecting this option) – this will confer a 5% discount on your camp accommodation fees.

Cancellation Policy

1. Free cancellation through August 25 – $0
2. Cancellation fee August 26 – September 10 – $50
3. Cancellation fee September 11 and later – $100