Half Day Mindfulness Retreat

Level 

Beginner/intermediate

Is this retreat for me?

Open for all, whether you are new to mindfulness or have a daily practice already.

Information about the Retreat

Mindfulness is the basis of all mind training. Only with a relaxed, focused, and clear mind can we develop any of the other positive qualities of the mind. In these times of almost infinite distractions, stress, and scattered attention it is also, more than ever, the foundation for mental well-being, resilience, and happiness.

We will have 4 sessions of different types of mindfulness meditation. Each individual session of meditation will be about 20-25 minutes long. The retreat will end with Questions and Answers about meditation, mindfulness, how to establish a daily practice, as well as discussion of how mindfulness can enrich our daily lives.

We will observe silence during the retreat, except for the last session.

What will I take away from this retreat into my daily life

The retreat is part of our MSC Meditation Program. The MSC Meditation program was developed by the world-renowned meditation teacher Glen Svensson based on the work of of Dr. Alan Wallace.

• Learn the art of relaxation
• You will clarify some questions you had about meditation and mindfulness in particular
• Ability to approach all situations in life with a more relaxed, focused, balanced and clear mind.
• A greater degree of self-awareness and understanding of your own emotions, reactions, thoughts, and feelings.
• Less reactivity, the ability respond instead of just react.
• A greater sense of ease and well-being.
• Less distraction, not be so easily caught up in multitasking and scattered attention.
• The foundation of more self-care and self-compassion
• The foundation for more care, concern, and compassion towards others.

Retreat schedule 

More information about sessions:

Session 1: Relaxation  

In general when we focus on any object or task we tend to be quite tight and tense and as a result often become both agitated and exhausted.

What’s the solution? Relaxation. The basis of any sustainable focus is relaxation.

In this session we will look at how we can cultivate this sense of ease and relaxation in both the body and mind. For this we will use the practice of mindfulness of breathing, in particular the practice of simply becoming aware of the rhythm of the breath.

Session 2: Focus

When we try to focus on an object or task we often become distracted. And when we find that we have become distracted we tend to clamp down more forcefully on the object or task. Which then causes us to become even more agitated and also exhausted.

What’s the solution? Cultivating focus on the basis of relaxation.

In this session we will look at how we can improve our ability to focus whilst maintaining a relaxed body & mind. For this we will use the practice of mindfulness of breathing focussing our attention on the sensations of the breath in the area of the abdomen.

Session 3: Clarity

When we try to focus on an object or task our mind also often becomes very dull or drowsy. And when we try to arouse our attention we often become tense and agitated. So we tend to be either focussed and tense or relaxed and dull.

What’s the solution? Cultivating clarity on the basis of relaxation & focus.

In this session we will look at how we can combine the two – to be relaxed and at the same time focusing clearly on the object or task. For this we will use the practice of mindfulness of breathing focussing our attention on the sensations of the breath at the entrance of the nostrils.

Session 4: Observing Thoughts 

Our mind can be our best friend or our worst enemy. Unfortunately in our modern society it often seems to be the latter. We tend to be the slaves of our mind, tormented and often overwhelmed by our thoughts, emotions and memories.

How can we become the masters of our mind? The simple practice of observing thoughts.

In this session we will look at how to use the mind as our object for cultivating mindfulness, specifically how to observe our thoughts and emotions without getting caught up in them. And in the process make our mind our best friend.

Session 5: Questions and Answers

Who is leading the retreat

Martin is the founder and director of Yeshe Norbu Mind Training Centre. For almost 20 years he’s been on a mission to understand more about the mind, both from a western neuro scientific and an eastern contemplative perspective.

Martin is a licensed CBT Psychologist and has practiced meditation for almost two decades. He is also a graduate of the two-year program Foundation of Buddhist Thought. Among other things, Martin has taught mindfulness in the corporate world as a accredited trainer of Corporate Based Mindfulness Training. He is also the co-author of three books; Fokus på jobbet in Swedish, and I’m Sorry You Were Saying and The Mind of The Leader in English.