Mind, Heart and Hands: meditation, Earth-care and community
11-17 September 2023
Meditation, Earth-care and community
at Pardesa, center for meditation and ecology
near Bologna, Italy
Looking for an experience that unites a contemplative lifestyle with care for the Earth? At Pardesa, center for meditation and applied ecology, we’ll live in contact with nature, integrating meditation and mindfulness with permaculture and regenerative agriculture. In this week of agricultural work and setting up our practice center, we’ll bring more meaning into our lives: feeling part of a community, sharing our deep aspirations, returning to what is essential and real, and dedicating our energies in service of the Earth.
The week “Mind, Heart and Hands” offers a balance between permaculture work in the field, moments of silence, learning and sharing, all within a program of mindfulness practice. Meditation, meals and other moments of mindfulness practice follow the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village zen school, that are the basis of the practice at Pardesa. Together we’ll engage in activities such as: making compost with the “Berkeley” method, worm composting, organically fertilizing the food forest and orchard, and taking care of our practice center.
The week includes
- Formal morning and evening meditation
- Shared mindful meals
- Offering our hands and hearts working with the Earth
- Instruction in applying mindfulness to daily life, in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh
- Sharing circles
- Time to explore the surrounding nature reserve and for personal practice
- Shared responsibility caring for the group
The facilitators
Julia Ramanoelina is a Dharma teacher from the tradition of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and the international mindfulness practice center Plum Village. She lived as a nun in Plum Village for 12 years and has traveled throughout Europe, Latin America and Asia to help lead retreats and meditation activities for adults, teenagers and children. She is currently active in Montagne du Dharma practice center, located in the national park of the Cévennes in France. Julia cares deeply and concretely about nature and about people; and she focuses her attention each day to embody the spiritual name she received from Thich Nhat Hanh in 2008: true harmony.
Bar Zecharya, Dharma teacher in the zen tradition founded by Thich Nhat Hanh, serves as the caretaker or Pardesa since 2018. Bar encountered permaculture in 2014, finding it a concrete expression of a spiritual path that gives primary importance to our interconnection with the Earth. 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.
Our daily schedule
6.30 formal morning meditation
7.15 breakfast
8.00 permaculture work outdoors
12.00 lunch
16.00 Dharma discussion/community practice/personal time
18.30 dinner
20.15 evening meditation
noble silence (until 8.00 the following day)
Participation
No specific skills or experience are required. In addition to the ability to work outdoors in the field and being ready to get your hands dirty, retreatants are expected to participate fully in the community life of the practice center. This includes arriving on time for activities and respecting the practices of silence, meditation and sharing. All these elements enrich and are an integral part of our retreat experience.
Please also read about daily life at Pardesa.
Living conditions
Lodging is dormitory style or camping.
Information and registration
For more information info@lanaturadellamente.it.