Awakening the Heart
Mindfulness Retreat
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, BC, Canada
August 8-13, 2011
Offered by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh & Plum Village International Monastics,
and dedicated lay friends
“When we practice deep looking directed toward the heart of reality, we receive understanding, we receive the wisdom that makes us free.”
– Thich Nhat Hanh, True Love: A Practice of Awakening the Heart, Shambhala 2009
“Thich Nhat Hanh shows us the connection between personal, inner peace and peace on earth” —The Dalai Lama
Dear Friends,
We are happy to announce that The Awakening the Heart Retreat is FULL and we are not accepting any further registrations or wait list applications.
If your registration accommodation has been confirmed by the Registration Team in Deer Park, you will receive a detailed e-mail Confirmation Package with ALL the information you need, including registration time and place, how to make your final payment, and so on.
If you think you are registered and you have not received your email Confirmation Package by July 01, 2011, please email us at tnhvancouver2011@gmail.com
You are warmly invited to join Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and the fourfold sangha of monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen for a special residential retreat at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. When we take time to slow down, breathe and smile we can become truly present for ourselves, for our beloved ones and for our environment. We see the smiles of our children, know the wonder of being alive and understand how deeply we are connected to one another. Out of this awareness our true heart of understanding and love awakens. During this five-day retreat, we will practice together as a community, as a spiritual family, learning to lovingly embrace our sorrows and fears with the art of mindful living and bring about healing and transformation.
Each moment is a moment to awaken, to be truly alive. We will learn and practice how to breathe, sit, and walk freely and peacefully so we may truly enjoy the many conditions for happiness already available to us. We will share our experience of the practice within dharma discussion groups and enjoy the deep peace of total relaxation.
These are some of the practices that we will engage in during this retreat:
- daily Dharma Talks by Thich Nhat Hanh (Thây)
- sitting meditation together
- outdoor walking meditation as a community
- mindful meals in silence – taking time to truly enjoy the food and the company of other practitioners
- Dharma Sharing in small groups – practicing loving speech and deep listening, sharing our experiences with the practice of mindfulness
- Total Relaxation – learning how to rest and relax our body and our mind
- Observing Noble Silence
If you are young or old, new to mindfulness practice or experienced we welcome you all to join us for this retreat.
Families with children and teens are welcome and encouraged to attend the retreat. Normally the first part of Thây’s Dharma talks is dedicated to the children.
A Children’s Program will be offered for ages from 6 to 12: joyful play and mindful practice adapted to our young friends. The program will be lead by monastic and lay practitioners with the help of parents.
A Teen’s Program will be offered for ages from 13 to 17.
Below is a list of the usual daily activities at a retreat. Actual times will be set just before the retreat. We usually start the day at around 5:30 am and end the day at around 9:30 pm.
Sample Schedule:
| Morning Activities | Afternoon & Evening Activities |
|---|---|
| Sitting Meditation | Lunch and Rest |
| Breakfast | Dharma Discussion/Tea Meditation in small groups |
| Working Meditation Dharma Talk Walking Meditation |
Dinner Five Mindfulness Trainings Presentation, Q & A, Total Relaxation or Touching the Earth. |
| Sitting meditation |
All meals will be vegetarian, with an emphasis toward vegan whenever possible. Each meal will consist of a number of dishes served buffet-style. We regret that we are unable to cater to individual dietary needs. In order to support the mindful energy, retreatants are requested to refrain from smoking, drinking alcohol and eating non-vegetarian products during the entire retreat.
Everyone is requested to practice The Five Mindfulness Trainings which are the foundation of the mindfulness practice taught by our Teacher, Thây. The Trainings help bring happiness and meaning to all that we do. A full text of the Five Mindfulness Trainings will be sent to you, along with the retreat confirmation package, before the retreat begins. There will be an opportunity to formally receive the Five Mindfulness Trainings with Thây (normally on the last day of the retreat, Saturday morning).
Dorm Halls consists of mostly single rooms and the shared hallway washrooms are by gender on alternating floors.
Parents with children under 12yrs old: Limited twin rooms in dorm halls with shared hallway washrooms on alternating floors by gender.
Couples: please be aware that all rooms in the shared apartments are single rooms with 1 twin bed.
Shared apartments: please note that some will be of mixed gender to accommodate couples.
For people with limited mobility or special needs, please contact us before registering at +1-760-741-CALM so we may better serve you.
Cancellation Policy
Before July 1: Of deposit paid, 85% refunded, 15% cancellation fee.
July 1-21: Of total contribution due, 50% refunded, 50% cancellation fee.
After July 21: No refund
No refund of any portion of the registration fee is available for late arrivals or early departures.
Transportation to University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada:
Ride Share Forum can be found on our tour website: http://www.tnhtour.org/blog/canada/august-8-13-retreat/.
Directions to UBC: UBC is only a 20-minutes drive from Vancouver International Airport or Downtown Vancouver; www.attractions.ubc.ca/traveling_tips_maps
Public transportation: 604.953.3333 or www.translink.ca.
The Facebook event page.
IF your inquiries are not addressed in the FAQ at www.tnhvancouver2011.org,
then please contact us: via email or
Tel: (760) 741-CALM Fax: (760) 291-1172 or write
Deer Park Monastery, Awakening the Heart, 2499 Melru Lane, Escondido, CA 92026, USA.
Thich Nhat Hanh is a Zen Master, an author of over 100 books, poet, gardener, peace maker… During the Vietnam War he founded the School of Youth for Social Service and the movement of Engaged Buddhism. Most recently, he is the initiator of the European Institute of Applied Buddhism in Germany. He was nominated for the Noble Peace Prize by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
“…this gentle Buddhist monk from Vietnam…is a scholar of immense intellectual capacity. His ideas for peace, if applied, would build a monument to ecumenism, to world brotherhood, to humanity.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in nominating Thich Nhat Hanh for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967.
