Ten-day silent meditation retreat-online only

Aug 27 till Sept 5, 2021 (10 days)

ZOOM online time zone: Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT-Sydney)

Dharma and meditation teacher: Malcolm Huxter

Yoga and meditation teacher and trainee Dharma teacher: Lisa Brown

This retreat will be based on Theravada Buddhist meditation practices. It will focus on training in the cultivation of mindfulness (sati), focussed attention (samadhi), and the four divine abodes (loving kindness, compassion, appreciative joy and equanimity). There will be evening talks (7:00pm) and workshop style morning instruction (9:00am) with Mal as well as some talks, instruction and morning yoga sessions (6:15am) with Lisa. Short individual interviews with Mal will be possible after the first weekend.

Why it is helpful to attend retreats?

Silent retreats are opportunities to focus on cultivating the heart-mind and awakening psychological freedom. They provide the external circumstances conducive to awakening, 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 no fee for online participation as it will be completely dana based.

Dana

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. It is also a way of demonstrating appreciation of the Dharma being taught.

Online:

Online, this retreat will be conducted over ZOOM and include live connections to: optional early morning yoga, workshop style instruction and guidance in the morning, periods of silent meditation together, the evening Dharma talks and discussion and opportunities to have 1:1 private interviews with Malcolm.

Meditation teacher: Malcolm 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 30 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, a Mindful Self Compassion (MSC) trained teacher and qualified yoga teacher. She is currently training as a Dharma teacher. She 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

Please book early, as places are limited.

For more detailed information contact Mal Huxter malhuxter@gmail.com

Lisa Brown lisa@mindful-wellbeing.com

If the ticket option is "sold out" you can go to a Wait List

May you be well and happy

Contact the host of Cultivating Serenity, Insight and the Heart Qualities. An online silent meditation retreat.