This five-day meditation retreat is an intensive and holistic introduction to Buddhist
meditation and philosophy. The retreat is tailored especially with beginners in mind,
although everyone is welcome, no matter their practice history. This is a silent retreat,
meaning that participants do not communicate with each other during the retreat, only
with the teacher. This provides an optimal opportunity for deep peace and reflection.
The retreat is held in English, so at least some skill in English is required for
participation!
What happens on the retreat?
For the most part, we meditate in silence. You will receive plentiful guidance in the form
of interviews, guided meditations, evening talks and questions & answers sessions to
some of the most foundational techniques in Buddhist meditative training. The one-on-
one interviews you will have with the teacher ensure that you will receive instruction
tailored just for you. All participants are welcome to approach the teacher also outside
of these interview times if the need arises, day or night.
Though every day includes at least one fully guided meditation session, most of the time
we practice in silence, letting you explore your own internal space and find your way
towards deeper calm and wellbeing.
Participants are asked to not use their phones or otherwise connect to the Internet
during the retreat! We are, for these few days, attempting to draw within, and phones
and Internet certainly don’t help with this. In this sense the retreat can also be a nice
period of detoxing from technology!
However, you are welcome to bring with you something to read on the breaks if it is
related to meditation, spirituality, or philosophy. Reading and study on retreat can
sometimes significantly deepen the practice!
This is, all in all, a very introspective experience, but you will be aided in this process by
an experienced teacher who will help you use your time on the retreat in the way that is
most beneficial for you, your heart and mind. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Schedule
Participants who wish to join the teacher in traditional Buddhist chanting in the
mornings are very welcome to do so at 7:30 each morning. This is optional but can be a
beautiful experience!
Following this we have breakfast at 8:30, and then several meditation sessions of
various lengths depending on the day until lunch at 13:00. The lunch break lasts for a
few hours during which you may rest, read, exercise, or otherwise spend your time as
you see fit. Again, though: no internet! :)
Following the lunch break we have a few more meditation sessions before dinner break
at 18:00. After dinner there is an evening talk on practice and Buddhist philosophy as
well as a questions & answers session. The days end at 22:00.
The total meditation time per day ramps up as the retreat progresses and participants
grow more accustomed to intensive practice. You are in any case very welcome to feel
out your own limits, and having to skip a session here or there is no problem if you need
a break!
The teacher
The retreat is taught by Santtu Heikkinen (Upāsaka Niccolaggi), a Finnish teacher of
meditation and Buddhist philosophy with a decade of intensive practice experience,
including participation in over a dozen intensive silent meditation retreats in various
traditions in Europe and Asia. Santtu has studied personally with several prominent
Western Buddhist teachers and has taught meditation and philosophy for close to six
years. He has previously taught ten intensive silent meditation retreats.
Santtu is also an academic philosopher at the University of Helsinki, Finland. His
academic research is primarily focused on metaphysics and the philosophy of mind.
See more info about Santtu on his website - klick!
Pricing
The registration fee covers the seminar room and additional costs for the minimum
number of 10 participants. The teaching itself is based on the traditional Buddhist
principle of Dāna, or generosity, meaning that participants can themselves decide after
the retreat how much they want to give to the teacher.