The way home: Mindfulness retreat at Pardesa

Mindfulness retreat
18-21 April 2025
at Pardesa practice center, northern Italy

Peace, joy, liberation, awakening, happiness, Buddhahood, the source — everything we long for and seek after can only be found in the present moment.

– Thich Nhat Hanh

In this retreat we’ll go back to basics and discover that bringing mindfulness into our daily life is possible and adds more quality to our lived experience. In a spirit of simplicity we’ll make each moment an opportunity to unburden our mind from projects and habit energies, and to open up to wonders both big and small. We’ll be guided by the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village school, and at the same time we entrust ourselves to the daily wisdom that each participant brings from their own heart and their own life.

Immersed in the natural beauty surrounding Pardesa practice center, we will co-create a daily atmosphere of practice: sitting and walking meditation, mindful meals, moments of silence and reflection, and also time for singing and for sharing from the heart.

Instruction during the retreat will be given in both English and Italian.

Participation

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. We trust in the sense of responsibility of all practitioners to take care of the collective energy of mindfulness throughout the retreat, including in public places, personal rooms and during moments of rest.

Daily schedule

The schedule may vary. As an example:

6:00 am wake up
6:30 am formal morning meditation
7:30 am breakfast
8:45 am morning circle and service to the community
10:00 am Dharma talk
11:00 am walking meditation
12:30 pm lunch
3:00 pm deep relaxation
4:00 pm community practice/sharing
6:30 pm light dinner
8:00 pm formal evening meditation
noble silence (until 8:45 am the following day)

Our teacher

Bar Zecharya, Dharma teacher in the zen tradition founded by Thich Nhat Hanh, serves as the caretaker of Pardesa since 2018. Topics dear to him include: how we relate to the Earth and to the climate crisis; practicing in contexts and moments of conflict; understanding and working with the mind, the ego and consciousness; living fully our aspirations; and the art of stopping and healing.

Pardesa

is a mindfulness center in the tradition of the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh. Founded in 2018, Pardesa is a unique place that combines care for the mind with care for the Earth. As much as possible, all activities take place outdoors and in contact with nature. In addition to the depth and simplicity of this way of life, it also gives us the opportunity to cultivate a spirit of adaptation and of flowing with the conditions that nature provides.

You are invited to read Daily life at Pardesa

Practical information and retreat cost

The retreat will take place from Friday 18 April (arrival at 5:00 pm) until Monday 21 April (departure at 4:00 pm).
Partial participation is not allowed, in order to take care of the energy of the group throughout the retreat.

Retreat costs:

• Registration by 18 March: €225, with a reduction of €30 for those under 30 years of age.
• Registration after 18 March: €275, with a reduction of €30 for those under 30 years of age.

The retreat cost includes the retreat content, organization and all meals. Lodging is available on-site, either camping (€5/night), dormitory (€15/night), or double room (€30/night) according to availability. The rooms are equipped with bunk beds. For those who are not yet members of the non-profit association “La Natura della Mente” that manages the retreat, the annual membership fee is €13.

We would like this retreat to be available to everyone regardless of economic status. For particular economic difficulties please contact us directly.

Registration

The registration for this retreat is complete. Thank you to everyone who registered

For further information regarding this retreat, please write to info@lanaturadellamente.it