Family Retreat 2025
I Have Arrived, I Am Home: A Journey of Togetherness Retreat
Home is a place for us to come back to after a long day of work and study. It is also a place where we can feel peace, loving warmth, and care from our loved ones. Yet sometimes the stresses from our work, study, and society take away our inner peace, leaving us feeling homeless.
Wednesday, July 2nd to Sunday July 6, 2025.
The “I Have Arrived, I Am Home: A Journey of Togetherness Retreat,” at Magnolia Grove Monastery offers us an opportunity to come back to ourselves, release tension, learn how to listen deeply, use loving speech, take mindful steps and peaceful in-breaths and out-breaths in order to rebuild and nourish our haven: home sweet home. Each family member may strengthen their capacity to offer loving smiles and joy to one another after a hard day of work and study, and as a result, there is more positivity and energy to begin anew each day.
Our Magnolia Grove Monastery monks and nuns would like to invite all of you to return to the world of peaceful, present moment.
We welcome families, couples, and individuals of all ages and all nationalities, to join us during this joyful and colorful time of living mindfully together. The Summer Retreat is a time to be nourished by deep yet accessible teachings, the peace and splendor of the summer countryside and the joy of our community. We will use the practices of mindfulness to touch the miracles of life in the midst of the mundane. The retreat includes daily teachings on mindfulness and sessions of walking meditation, sitting meditation, and eating meditation. We will also have the chance to strengthen our capacities for deep listening and loving speech through the practices of Deep Relaxation, Touchings of the Earth, Beginning Anew, and Dharma Sharing.
The retreat is open to all, including beginners, those who have previously attended retreats, as well as families with children. The first part of the Dharma talks is dedicated to children. Parents are welcome to participate/volunteer to help out in the children’s program if they would like.
This is an opportunity to come together as a spiritual family and cultivate togetherness, refresh our relationships with not only our families, but also alongside our relationship with Mother Earth and our ancestors. It is a wonderful retreat both for those new to mindfulness practice in the Plum Village tradition, as well as for anyone interested in mindful community life. We welcome the participation of people from all backgrounds. We are committed to fostering a practice environment where all may touch the Dharma and find healing and nourishment.
We look forward to welcoming you this summer!
–Magnolia Grove Monastics
Some important information that might be helpful:
– Camping (bring your own tent/camper van): $ 240.00
– Commuter (staying in nearby accommodation): $ 240.00
– Bed in shared room (dorm/cabin): $ 400.00
Please note that cabins are reserved for families and couples, based on “requested roommates.” All families/parents with children will be placed in cabins, if available – if not, they will be waitlisted. Other options are camping or commuter; or staying in the men’s/women’s dorms (if no cabin becomes available), which may mean splitting the group up. If waitlisted, we will follow up about these options – and/or you may include your preference in the notes section.
A 20% discount for seniors (over 64) and young adults (under 27) is automatically included when you register. For students who require financial assistance, please mention this in the Notes section at the bottom of the registration form. For anyone else who requires financial assistance, please contact our office.
The retreat begins on July 2nd with onsite arrival between 2 and 5 pm CT, and ends on July 6th after lunch.
There will be morning meditations, mindful meals, walking meditation, Dharma teachings, chanting, singing, group sharing, mindful services, a Five Mindfulness Trainings transmission, and certain periods of Noble Silence.
Please note the Family Retreat is meant to support families, with both parents, teens, and children attending. It is a very joyous occasion, and can be quite different from a silent retreat.
Yes! In this retreat, our monastics will offer separate practice programs for teens (ages 13-17) and children (ages 6-12). Both of these programs will offer appropriate aged spoonfuls of Dharma for our youth which will also include some games, shorter meditations, and snacks.
All meals will be vegan. Please be sure to let us know in the Notes section if you have certain food allergies when you register.
Wake up
Morning Sitting Meditation; Sutra reading / Touching of the Earth
Walking Meditation
Breakfast
Mindful Service
Dharma Talk
Lunch
Deep Relaxation
Dharma Sharing
Personal Time / Private Consultation
Dinner
Evening Sitting Meditation / Presentation
Noble Silence
If you are interested in becoming a Volunteer for this retreat, please fill out the form below:
Volunteer Sign Up Form
If you have any questions, please contact: volunteers@magnoliagrovemonastery.org
(Being a Volunteer requires you to come a day or two earlier than the retreat, staying behind at least the afternoon of departure day on July 6th to help clean up, to lead a family in service meditation which is one of the following: Potwashing, Meditation Hall, Toilet cleaning, Children’s Program, Teen’s Program… for more exact details, please be in touch with our retreat organizers in the provided email above.)
Offer funds to support Magnolia Grove Monastery
Donations are processed on our behalf through the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation.