Over the past few weeks I’ve been giving a lot of different ways that you can incorporate mindfulness into your life.  Some of you may be doing fine with these ideas.  But what if you’re looking for something more?  What if you’re looking to take the next step in your mindfulness journey?

One of the best ways to deepen your mindfulness practice is to go on a retreat.  Not only do these retreats allow us to meet people who enjoy mindfulness as much as we do, but they also allow you to learn firsthand from some of the leading mindfulness teachers.  Another bonus is that these retreats can last anywhere from a couple hours to a couple days.  This essentially allows you to have a long term exposure to mindfulness, which can really deepen your practice.

I found an organization that offers all sorts of mindfulness retreats.  It’s called Spirit Rock, and it is classified as an insight meditation center.  It is located about 45 minutes away from San Francisco.  While this may be a long trip for some of us (myself included).  Think of it as a vacation that will benefit you as well as relax you.

The next upcoming mindfulness retreat from this organization is titled: Well-Nourished: Mindful Practices for Heart, Mind and Body.  This event will be held on Sunday July 9 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  The description states that the program includes meditation, walking, and yoga.  The main theme revolves around eating and how being mindful of your eating can benefit both your mind and body.  The best part about this retreat is that young adults (ages 18-26) only have to pay $45 for this retreat which is a great deal!  Registration is still open so be sure to check it out!

Another event from Spirit Rock is called: Opening the heart, freeing the mind.  This event is on July 14 and is also from 9:30-4:30.  This retreat is centered around love and compassion for one another.  There will be a variety of sitting and walking meditations all geared toward compassion.  This seems very appropriate considering compassion is a very big topic in many different meditations.  This retreat also offers the young adult discount which is super helpful.  This event still has open registration, but I also feel like I should mention that you can register at the door.  However, it costs $5 more to do so, therefore I would recommend that you register online as soon as possible.

I found another retreat that could be particularly interesting if you’re a writer like me.  It’s called: Writing as a path to awakening.  This retreat is a little different than the others because it’s five days long.  However, the website does offer a link with more information on various hotels where you can stay during the retreat.  Unfortunately this retreat is also a bit more expensive.  But there is still a young adult discount available, however it only brings the price down to $225.  Although this price isn’t horrible when you consider that this retreat is five days long.  The meditations all revolve around writing and they offer different writing sessions with various prompts to really help you practice your craft.  They will also have educational sessions where they will discuss the writings of some of the pioneers of mindfulness.  This is definitely a retreat worth looking into if you enjoy writing.

The other retreat I found that seems particularly useful was the introduction to insight meditation.  This one will be on July 22 from 9:30 to 4:00.  It seems very useful because it’s all about being able to channel a state of calm and peace even in the most stressful situations, which is something that I think all of us could use!  There will be a variety of walking and sitting meditations, so there will be something for everyone.  This is another retreat that has a young adult discount and for those young adults it will only cost $45.

These are only a few of the meditations that are available, so be sure to check out their website to see the full list of retreats and other resources that are available.  I hope one of these retreats has piqued your interests!

Do you have a desire to go on a retreat like this? Let me know in the comments! (Seriously let me know I’d love to go to one of these with someone).

Remember: Everyone starts out as a beginner, if they can do it then so can you.

Mindful Musings

A mental health journey through mindfulness