Come for a full weekend of mindfulness practice in a gorgeous forest setting, a truly hidden gem of nature within Charlotte. Practicing mindfulness means dwelling in the present moment, touching the wonders of life within and around us, and compassionately attending to the sources of stress and suffering that arise. This retreat is an opportunity to let go of the busyness of city-life, unwind in a beautiful setting, and open the wellsprings of peace, joy, and healing within.
Retreat Teachers:
The retreat will be led by David Viafora and Nick Neild. David is an ordained member of the Order of Interbeing, and has been practicing meditation in the Plum Village Zen tradition for over 20 years. He has organized and led mindfulness retreats around the world, throughout Europe, in Oceania, and North America. David teaches mindfulness courses and retreats for physicians, educators, families, young adults, children, and teens, among others, while also working as a licensed clinical social worker. He is finishing a book on the art of mindful community building called, Thriving Together: 9 Principles for Building True Community (Parallax, Fall 2024).
Nick has been practicing in the same tradition since 2011 and is an aspirant for the Order of Interbeing. He has been facilitating, staffing and supporting meditation communities, tours and retreats in the U.S. and Europe. He is the author of Just Bee, a mindfulness-based children’s book that helps readers with a common stumbling block in meditation. He has taught mindfulness to children, teens and adults in schools, rehabs and one on one with private clients. He works as a teacher, is a Certified Anger Management Facilitator (CAMF-1) and is the Executive Director of Greatwoods Zen.
Finances:
The retreat fee is based on accomodations and programming.
1) Programming includes all retreat activities and meals, and costs $75 per day for everyone.
2) Accommodations are flexible and range between $0 and $100 per night. Please see the different rates for accomodations and the total for the weekend retreat.
Commuter: $0 / night; $150 total for weekend retreat
Camping: $ 30 / night; $210 total for weekend retreat
Common room: $45 / night; $240 total for weekend retreat
Dorm: Twin sized bed: $75 / night; $300 total for weekend retreat
Dorm: Full size bed: $85 / night; $320 total for weekend retreat
Cancellation Policy: All monies minus a $50 admin fee will be returned up to 7 days before the retreat begins. There are no refunds within a week of the event.
Scholarship:
Greatwoods Zen is dedicated to making every event and retreat accessible for anyone, regardless of their access to resources. It’s a delight to share that generous donors have provided Greatwoods Zen with a scholarship endowment for select programs including this retreat. If anyone would like a scholarship, please indicate the chosen level of support on the registration form. The scholarship will be provided with no questions asked, and those who register with a scholarship can keep their financial situation or reasons for receiving scholarships to themselves. At Greatwoods Zen, building a community of autonomy, trust, and collective generosity that flourishes naturally is a precious pillar of support that maintains strength for all.
Dana:
Participants are also invited to offer ‘dana’, a Sanskrit word for ‘generosity.’ The retreat has been priced to be as financially accessible for people as possible. The funds primarily go to food costs, organizing costs, renting the facility, and administrative labor costs. Dana is a financial offering towards the retreat teachers, for their time, energy, care for the retreat, and skillfulness in transmitting practices that help people heal, strengthen, and transform.
Expectations:
The retreat includes programming for Friday evening, all day Saturday, and Sunday half day (see schedule below). Breakfast will be provided on Saturday and Sunday mornings, and a catered vegan dinner will be offered on Saturday evening and Sunday for lunch. Dinner will not be served on Friday evening. Participants are invited to bring a picnic lunch with them for Saturday. Participants are also invited to notify the staff about any other dietary needs and are more than welcome to bring any food that will make the stay comfortable. Lastly, a refrigerator is available for people to bring any foods or medicine that are necessary for them.
Guests are also asked to bring their own bedding (an appropriately sized fitted sheet, flat sheet, pillow and blanket —or sleeping bag— if staying indoors) as well as a towel and toiletries. Guests who will be camping are expected to provide their own tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, headlamp and anything else that might be needed to camp. The common room space is shared by others of the same gender (men, women, or non-binary) and twin sized memory foam mattresses are provided.
Arrival day/departure day
Please register only if you are able to arrive on the first day and be here for the entire retreat. Our intention with retreats is to build and hold the collective energy and for that reason we all benefit by having people arrive at the start of the retreat and leave at the end.
No Multiple Reservations
Please do separate reservations for each registrant.
Retreat Schedule:
March 15-17, 2024
Friday
6pm - Arrival
7:30pm - Orientation, Intros, and Opening meditation
9pm - Noble Silence
Saturday
6am - Wake Up
6:30am - Guided Meditation and Sutra Reading
Individual time for tea / movements
8am - Breakfast (silent)
9am - Community Games and Singing
9:30am - Service Meditation
10:45am - Walking Meditation
11:30am - Dharma Talk
12:30pm - Lunch (silent for first 15 minutes)
Rest and Free time
2:30pm - Deep Relaxation
3:30pm - Dharma Sharing
5pm - Free time
6pm - Dinner (silent for first 15 minutes)
7:30pm - Happiness Meeting with tea and dessert
9pm - Noble Silence
Sunday
6am - Wake Up
6:30am - Guided Meditation and Sutra Reading
Individual time for tea / movements
8am - Breakfast (silent)
9am - Community Games and Singing
9:30am - Walking Meditation
10:30am - Dharma Talk
11:15am - Closing Dharma Sharing
12pm - Picnic Lunch
1pm - Closing Clean Up & goodbyes
*This is a sample schedule to provide an idea of the retreat weekend, and is subject to change.
Song Sheets:
During our retreat we will get a chance to use some practice songs. These songs aid our practice in many ways. We will provide song sheets at the retreat, but if you would like to see the words for the songs in advance and listen to them, you can click the button below for a printable song sheet with embedded links to online videos. Enjoy!
Register here:
If you would like to register for this retreat, click the following button to get to our registration page.