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US Tour 2023 : Mindfulness Retreat for Healthcare Professionals, First responders, Caregivers (IN-PERSON & ONLINE)
September 6 @ 2:00 pm - September 10 @ 2:00 pm
Go back and take care of yourself. Your body needs you, your feelings need you, your perceptions need you. Your suffering needs you to acknowledge it. Go home and be there for all these things.– Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh
Please kindly note that registration will close on September 04.
Join the monastic community founded by Thich Nhat Hanh as they host retreats at Plum Village monasteries in New York, Mississippi, and California, continuing the legacy of the beloved Zen Master. We joyfully invite you to practice with us in the upcoming retreats and days of mindfulness, and learn how you can bring the miracle of mindfulness into your daily life. The theme of this year’s US Teaching Tour is “The Beloved Community,” and will be guided by the Monastic Disciples of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in the Plum Village tradition. Monastics from Blue Cliff Monastery in New York, Magnolia Grove Monastery in Mississippi, and Deer Park Monastery in California will gather for this tour.
As a part of our US Teaching Tour, we invite you to join us for a special retreat experience, “ Nourishing Ourselves, Caring for Others,” where we will share the opportunity to look closely at teachings and practices of mindfulness that can bring joy and harmony into our lives. Come and join us for five days of cultivating peace as a community, from September 06, 2023 to September 10, 2023.
Do you remember those wonderful moments when your loving care made a difference in someone’s life? It is great happiness to be of service to others, yet it is also too common to become exhausted, burnt out, and frustrated when we do not have the time to care for ourselves. The past few years have been particularly stressful for many people, especially for those providing medical and mental health care, first responders, and/or caregivers for individuals with special needs. Our wonderful healing recitations of metta – loving kindness – point out to us the importance of self-care.
“May I be free from injury. May I live in safety.
May I be free from disturbance, fear, and anxiety…”
These verses start with “I” before moving on to other individuals, communities, and the world. Sending ourselves loving kindness and practicing self- compassion is the first step we need to take in order for our service to be nourishing and sustainable.
In this “Nourishing Ourselves, Caring for Others” retreat, we will benefit from the collective energy of the Beloved Community as we come home to ourselves. We will have a chance to experience the art of mindful living and apply different meditation practices throughout the day, which include Dharma talks, sitting, walking meditation, eating meditation, deep relaxation, mindful movements, loving speech and deep listening, and Noble Silence. This is a time to relax deeply into our bodies and feelings in order to replenish ourselves. If there is sufficient interest or need, we can form affinity groups for friends with similar interests and for friends who identify as LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) This five-day retreat is open to all in the mental health and medical healthcare profession, first responders, caregivers, and those in training. No prior meditation experience is required. We warmly welcome the diversity of your experience to this place of refuge and healing – wherever you come from, however you look or identify yourselves. In honoring the need to rest and be kind to ourselves, our hearts will naturally open to others. The reality of the profound connection between self-care and caring for others will be deeply felt and evident. Nourishing ourselves is indeed the first and necessary step in caring for others. The healer, the healed and the healing process are not three separate entities, but they are in each other, and they are one.
– Sister Dang Nghiem
Suggested readings:
- How to Relax, by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh
- Mindfulness as Medicine, by Sister Dang Nghiem, MD
Please consider making a donation:
In many traditions, we practice dana by making monetary offerings for the teachings and the teachers. For the Beloved Community tour, all US-based monastics will travel to each center to host retreats. We would like to keep the retreat costs affordable so as many friends can attend as possible. If you are able, please consider making a donation in addition to your retreat fee to help support this special US tour. We bow in gratitude for your generosity.
We hope to make the retreat accessible to all. Please do not hesitate to contact our office (office@magnoliagrovemonastery.org) if you need financial support to attend this retreat and/or if you have any special needs or concerns.
Register for the retreat.
This is a four-night retreat. Prices include the cost of all activities, three meals per day and lodging.
- DORM/CABIN bed in a shared room $100 per night
- TENT / RV/COMMUTER $60 per night. (For RV camping: unfortunately we do not have any electrical or water hookups available. You’re very welcome to come with your RV, but please prepare for dry camping accordingly.)
Discounts for seniors & students 20%.
The following nearby hotels kindly offer a special rate to retreatants of the monastery:
Holiday Inn : (662) 563-1234) Days Inn : (662) 563-4999 Quality Inn : (662) 563-6592) Please ask for Magnolia Rate when making reservations. We look forward to welcoming you soon! ___________________
