Themed Retreats
A themed retreat is a retreat of practicing mindfulness, in the Plum Village tradition, with the focus on certain group of professionals or providers (teachers, caretakers, business owners, veterans, etc.)
Monks, nuns, and lay practitioners come together to listen to a Dharma Talk (i.e., a Buddhist teaching or lecture), and to practice sitting meditation, walking meditation, mindful eating and mindful breathing together.
The following is a sample of a daily schedule during a themed retreat:
- Morning Sitting Meditation/ Sutra reading
- Walking Meditation
- Breakfast
- Mindful Service
- Dharma Talk
- Mindful Lunch
- Deep Relaxation
- Dharma Sharing
- Personal Time / Private Consultation
- Mindful Dinner
- Evening Sitting Meditation / Presentation
- Noble Silence
Mindfulness Practices for Trainers Working Children and Teens
This program is intended to introduce the practice of mindfulness to people who work closely with children and teens in youth programs such as local chapters of the Vietnamese Buddhist Youth Association, afterschool programs, summer camps, etc. By engaging in the mindfulness practice themselves, the trainers shall be able to generate more peace and joy in their work and thus avoid being burnt out. They can also introduce mindfulness to the children and teens they are working with.
Instructors are experienced Plum Village monastics and experienced lay practitioners working under the guidance of the Plum Village monastics.