8 day silent zen meditation and yin yoga retreat in algarve, portugal

Join us at Karuna Retreat Centre, in Serra de Monchique, Algarve, Portugal for an 8 days / 7 nights silent zen meditation and yin yoga retreat.

The first seven days will be spent in silence and the schedule will include zazen (seated meditation), Kinhin (walking meditation), mindful walk in the nearby hills, Yin Yoga and dharma talks by Hamid.

Traditionally at the end of a silent retreat, the participants all leave with a little time to discuss the thoughts and feelings that came up for them during the silence.

However, at this retreat, we will have a group meeting on the last  day, during which time we can share and open up with regards to whatever we have processed during the meditation sessions.

We can explore further different aspects of the teachings to offer a framework to help you make better sense of your experience, so as to support incorporating it into your daily lives. This is an opportunity to spend time away from distractions and dedicate yourself wholeheartedly to meditation. When the ripples of an over-active mind are calmed as you focus your attention on the present, the look you take at your life deepens.

Connecting your mind through Zen meditation will help you see the world and yourself with a greater sense of clarity. 

For a sense of the atmosphere on our retreats, click here to watch a short video from a recent retreat in Monchique, Portugal.

ABOUT THE TEACHERS

Hamid Ebadi

Hamid has been a student of Zen for thirty years and was ordained as a monk in 2000. He is a disciple of Zen Master Ryotan Tokuda who in 2012 gave him sanction to teach. Hamid is a counsellor in practice. He has spent over ten years in India and Indonesia where he has taught meditation, philosophy and comparative spirituality. He is now living in Bali.

The teachings are inspired by both Eastern and Western spiritual traditions, particularly Zen Buddhism.

Helen Briggs

Originally from the UK, Helen has been in the Algarve for 4 years, and has recently opened her third Yoga Studio. Helen has been practicing yoga and meditation for over 35 years now, exploring the physical and the spiritual aspects of yoga and experiencing many different “styles” of yoga and meditation around the world.  She took her first Yoga Teacher Training Course in 2003 with the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, going on to take further certifications in Yin, Restorative, Vinyasa Yoga and Yoga for Pregnancy and Children.

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Helen has been teaching full time for 17 years, drawing on her extensive experience of the different yoga traditions. She aims to provide clients with a safe and supportive environment in which to explore, heal and transform their inner world, allowing them to fully experience their outer world with love, joy and gratitude.

ABOUT THE RETREAT CENTRE

Karuna Retreat Center is a dedicated meditation retreat centre located in the green and scented mountains of Serra de Monchique in the Algarve. Serra the Monchique is known for it’s healing thermal water, medicinal plants, pure air and lush green landscapes. The Retreat Center offers a stunning view over Portugal's southern coast and the Atlantic Ocean and is just 20 minutes away from pristine beaches and less than 10 minutes away from the picturesque village of Monchique and Caldas de Monchique (Thermal SPA). Karuna is amongst one of the most secluded and silent places in this area and is home to a variety of local flora and fauna. The Retreat Center’s property is isolated and perfect for those in search of silence, seclusion and peace.

DAILY SCHEDULE

Day 1

230pm: Pickup from Faro train station to drive to Karuna retreat centre

330pm: Check in to your rooms

5pm: Opening circle

7pm: Dinner

8pm: First meditation and the start of silence

10pm: Sleep

Day 2 - 6

530am: Wake up

6am - 740am: Zazen (meditation)

8am: Breakfast

9am - 1030am: Yin yoga

11am - 1240am: Zazen (meditation)

1pm - 3pm: Lunch and rest

3pm - 340pm: Mindful walk

4pm - 540pm: Zazen (this block of meditation is optional)

540pm - 610pm: Tea and snack

620pm - 7pm: Talk given by the retreat facilitator about the practice

7pm - 8pm: Dinner

8pm - 940pm: Zazen (meditation)

10pm: Sleep

Day 7

530am: Wake up

6am - 740am: Zazen (meditation)

8am: Breakfast

9am - 1030am: Yin yoga

11am - 1240am: Zazen (meditation)

1pm - 3pm: Lunch and rest

3pm - 340pm: Mindful walk

4pm - 540pm: Group discussion (retreat participants will have the opportunity to share their experiences from the week together, silence will resume after the group sharing.)

540pm - 610pm: Tea and snack

620pm - 7pm: Group discussion continues

7pm - 8pm: Dinner

8pm - 940pm: Zazen (meditation)

10pm: Sleep

Day 8

530am: Wake up

6am - 740am: Zazen (meditation)

8am: Breakfast

9am - 10am: Yin yoga

10am - 11am: Pack all belongings and clean rooms ready for departure

11am - 1pm: Closing circle

1pm: Lunch

230pm: Taxi to Faro train station

NUMBER OF PLACES

Limited to 30 people.

COST

750 euros per person. Deposit of 200 euros payable to secure your place and the remaining sum of 550 euros to be paid 30 days before the start of the retreat.

INCLUDED IN THE PRICE

• All meals from dinner on the first day of the retreat to lunch on the final day
• Yoga matts and props
• Meditation cushion (if you have a preferred cushion for meditation, we recommend bringing your own)
• Accommodation and bedding
• Instruction on meditation technique
• Meditation and yoga each day
• Dharma talk each day

NOT INCLUDED

• Travel insurance
• Flights
• Transport to the retreat center. (We will contact everyone before the retreat to arrange shared transport to the centre at a very affordable price.)
• Towels and toiletries

CANCELLATION POLICY

A deposit of 200 euros is needed to secure your place and the balance of 550 euros is payable by bank transfer 30 days before the start of the retreat.

Cancellation policy

• Up to 30 days before the retreat: Your deposit is non-refundable, but we will refund any balance you have paid.
• Less than 30 days before the retreat: The deposit is non-refundable and your balance can be transferred to a future retreat of your choice.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

For more information about the retreat, read our detailed practical information here