Retreats
Retreats give the opportunity for students to take part in a tradition going back many centuries, and they have always been an essential part of deepening one's practice. Being in a very different environment helps us to find clarity, awareness, simplicity and openness that we can take back into our daily life and practice.
A retreat or gashuku (Japanese for "to do together, to harmonise as a group") is still a essential practice in the East and a way to develop and deepen your experience.
What happens on a retreat?
Living, practicing and working together brings a greater intensity and focused quality to ourselves and our practice. It offers an uninterrupted period of practice within a group setting for personal growth. There is also the opportunity of having regular practice and dialogue with a teacher in a concentrated atmosphere.
During a retreat you will asked to be part of the day to day running of the group and helping out with the samu (work practice). Samu helps us become more mindful, to be present in the here and now within our daily chores, whether this is chopping vegetables, working in the garden or cleaning the rooms. It's a way to create flow and connection between practice and daily life, besides feeling a greater connection with what we are doing and the rest of the community.
What are the benefits of a retreat?
Staying for week or two helps to release tension and relax the body and mind, facilitating conditions that cannot be attained in our usually busy and crowded lives. The deeper the relaxation and openness the greater the supportive background, as individuals and as a group, for us to practice with. You can learn much about yourself during a retreat, and will develop your practice in spirit, body and energy as well as having an invigorating and satisfying break.
Retreats in the Green Forest Centre, France
We have our own retreat centre set in a renovated farmhouse in the picturesque village of Menil sur Saulx in north eastern France. The centre is only two hours away from Paris by train or by car.
The day will start with meditation, breathing and movement. There will be two in-depth classes each day and often another shorter session in the evening. The practice sessions are held in our spacious high roofed hall or in the grassy fields across the river. There is also time within the week to take walks in the cool and quiet forests surrounding the centre or to swim in the lakes a short drive away.
Each retreat will last for five days and there will be one day off for relaxation or time out to visit the beautiful regions of France, all within a few hours drive. For details of upcoming retreats, please visit the Classes page.
The centre is also available for use by other groups. Visit the Green Forest Centre website for more information.