The silence that brings us home
28 December 2024 – 1 January 2025
Silent meditation retreat
with Bar Zecharya
at Pardesa practice center in northern Italy
“The basic condition for us to be able to hear the call of beauty and respond to it is silence. If we don’t have silence inside of us – if our mind and body are full of noise – we can’t hear that call.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
The end of one year and the beginning of the next can be a good moment to slow down, reconnect with nature and ourselves, and listen to what is most important to us. In the beautiful context of the “Contrafforte Pliocenico” nature reserve, we’ll combine sitting meditation practice, walks in nature, mindful meals and time for personal reflection in this silent retreat. Reducing our verbal speech to only the essential allows us to discover so many voices: those of the birds, of leaves in the wind, of our steps and our own hearts.
Aside from a short sharing the first and last days of the retreat, the entire retreat will be held in silence. The evening of December 31st we’ll enjoy a joyful special dinner and we will meditate in the evening to welcome midnight of the new year.
No specific skills or experience are required. Retreatants are expected to participate fully in the community life of the practice center. This includes arriving on time for activities and respecting the practice of silence for the duration of the retreat, meditations, service for the community and sharing. All these elements enrich and are an integral part of our retreat experience.
Instruction during the retreat will be given in both English and Italian.
The teacher
Bar Zecharya, Dharma teacher in the zen tradition founded by Thich Nhat Hanh, has served as caretaker of Pardesa since 2018. Topics dear to him include: relating to the Earth and the climate crisis; practicing in contexts and moments of conflict; understanding and working with the mind, the ego and consciousness; living our deepest aspiration; and the art of stopping and healing.
Daily schedule
The schedule may vary. As an example:
6:00 am Wake up
6:45 am Formal sitting meditation and mindful movements
8:00 am Breakfast
9:00 am Service for the Earth and for the community
10:15 am Dharma talk
11.30 am Walking meditation
1:00 pm Mindful lunch
3:00 pm Sitting meditation
3:45 pm Walking meditation
4:30 pm Taking care of the Earth
6:30 pm Mindful dinner
8:00 pm formal evening meditation
Practical information and retreat cost
The retreat will take place from Saturday 28 December (arrival at 5:00 pm) until Wednesday 1 January (departure at 4:00 pm).
Late arrivals or early departures are not allowed, in order to care for the energy of the group and the retreat.
Registration
Registration for this retreat is full. Thank you to all those who registered.
For more information: info@lanaturadellamente.it