Power of Presence Residential Mindfulness Retreat

Thursday, April 28th to Sunday, May 1st 2022
at St. Mary’s Sewanee, TN
This retreat is sponsored by St. Mary’s of Sewanee.

This retreat will focus on the practice of mindfulness (Sati) as it is described in the Satipatthana Sutta – a Discourse on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, the foundational teaching upon which our modern mindfulness movement rests. We will be cultivating wise presence by bringing caring, curious and discerning attention to what is happening moment-to-moment. In our busyness, we often act from habit and reactivity instead of love and wisdom, creating needless suffering for ourselves and others. With mindful presence, we cut through habitual reactivity and access innate states of well-being, creativity and understanding.

The retreat will be held in noble silence and will include alternating periods of sitting and walking meditation, mindful movement, instruction and reflection. The schedule will also include optional discussion periods to reflect on how to skillfully apply the wisdom of the practice in our daily life. This retreat is suitable for all levels of practice, however some meditation experience is suggested.

Held at St. Mary’s Retreat Center, located in Sewanee, TN on Monteagle Mountain, approximately 45 minutes north of Chattanooga. Sited on a bluff overlooking the Cumberland Plateau, St. Mary’s sits on 260 beautiful acres. It was originally founded as a convent and girls’ school and still possesses the peace that years of deep spiritual contemplation impart to a place. Providing serenity, beauty and chef prepared, locally sourced meals, it is the perfect place to rest and recharge. More information on accommodations can be found here.

Our retreat will begin with dinner at 6pm on Thursday and end after lunch at 11am on Sunday. Check in will be between 3 and 5pm on Thursday, to allow for plenty of time to settle in and check out will be after lunch on Sunday. St. Mary’s Retreat Center is located in the Central Time Zone.

Space is being limited to 20 participants.

*Pricing is per person and includes all meals and accommodations. It does not include Dana for the teacher. Dana is the time-honored ethic and tradition of expressing gratitude through generosity that Janka is dedicated to keeping alive by freely offering the teachings and her guidance. What this means is that she receives no compensation for teaching retreats, and relies instead on the generosity of retreat participants. There will be an opportunity to offer Dana at the end of the retreat (financial contributions in the form of a check or cash).

We request that you agree to refrain from using cell phones and other communication devices for the duration of the retreat. This includes phone calls, emails, text and other internet use. Emergency contact information will be provided to share with family, should you require it.

For questions about the content and suitability of this retreat please email me.
For all other questions, please contact St. Mary’s Sewanee at 931-598-5342.