One-Day Retreats

About Retreats

man sunrise meditatiion

Start the New Year with resolve to be on the right path or simply to unwind from the hectic holiday season. This day of silent retreat begins with a review of meditation methods, includes a personal interview session with the instructor and mindful eating at lunch, and closes with an inspirational talk.

Reap the benefits. The retreat setting is a special opportunity to deepen your mindfulness practice and allow the time needed to open up the intuitive side of the mind to promote positive neural changes in the brain. These include:
  1. Concentration: Paying undivided attention to breathing in the present moment provides the necessary medium for plasticity to take effect in the mind so that beneficial neural changes can occur.
  2. Mind training: In neuroscience the axiom is “neurons that fire together wire together.” Consciously directing the mind back to the breath when it wanders away during meditation makes a person more capable of changing his or her brain’s responses instead of merely reacting unconsciously to stimuli.
  3. Rewards: Reaping the benefits of relaxation, joy, bliss, and peaceful feelings in meditation is the necessary positive reinforcement needed to secrete hormones that biochemically seal the desired changes to become effective.
Easy does it. The January mindfulness meditation retreats are offered in two convenient Portland area  places. It’s simple to join in. See registration information below. Remember to bring lunch and snacks. Questions about retreats? E-mail: surja@mindfulnessmeditation.us

Lake Oswego

Date: Saturday, January 12, 2013

Time: 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.snow drifts Place: West End Building, 4101 Kruse Way, 2nd Floor Santiam Room, Lake Oswego 97034 Cost: $33 Lake Oswego residents, $38 non-residents

Registration: Use course #1328365 to register online at www.lakeoswegoparks.org or by calling (503) 794-8092.

West Linn

Date: Saturday, January 19, 2013

Time: 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.trees in misty haze Place: Sunset Fire Hall, 2215 Long Street, West Linn, OR 97068 Cost: $25 per person Registration: Call West Linn Parks and Recreation at (503) 557-4700 or go online to www.westlinnoregon.gov. Use course # 10650.201 when you register.