Individual Retreat Dates
2010
July 11- 16 | 18-23 | 25-30
August 1-6 | 8-13
September 5-10 | 12-17 | 19-24 | 26 - Oct 1
October 10-15 | 17-22 | 24-29
December 21-26 | 28-January 2
2011
January 4-9
March 13-18 | 20-25 | 27- April 1
April 10-15 | 17 (Palm Sunday)-22 | 24 (Easter) -29
May 1-6 | 8-13 | 15-20
June 12-17 | 19-24 | 26 - July 1
July 17-22 | 24-29 | 31- August 5
August 7-12 | 14-19 | 21-26
September 4-9 | 11-16 | 18-23 | 25-30
October 9-14 | 16-21 | 23-28
We have 4 guest rooms each with their own private bathroom in our lovingly restored Farmhouse. They are given on a first serve basis. If you wish more retreat time please us ask about an extended stay. See more details about our farmhouse..
Retreat Description
Whether this is a person's first retreat or they have been a spiritual pilgrim for years, meditation retreats in Assisi are a powerful healing experience. Here we can rest and renew.
Each day offers opportunities where we can soften our awareness and honor our humanness. The teachings include the steps of spiritual development practiced by St. Francis and the great mystics of all religions. In an environment of silence and contemplation, participants find new inner resources and energy for creativity, life, and joy.
We are discovering the spirituality of the heart. Slowly the personality is letting go of it’s fears finding greater inner peace and God. Bruce and Ruth are available after the morning teachings for private counseling and spiritual direction. Sacred Yoga, a moving meditation, is available for those who wish.
Cost Review
REGISTRATION / TRANSPORT FEE
A non-refundable registration / transport fee of € 100. is due upon registration. This will cover the daily round-trip shuttle service to Assisi. Please note: This does not include arrival and departure transport.
ACCOMMODATIONS:
Assisi Retreat Center, Farm & Silent Stay
Alle Porte del Paradiso ~ At the Gates of Paradise
06081 Assisi (PG) Italy
€ 49. Euro per day Single Room & Bath or € 78. per day shared double room. You have access to your own Kitchen, Living Room, Fireplace, Terrace, Laundry. Pay at the end of your stay. Limited Rooms available on first serve basis. Each day we help you get to and from Assisi for groceries, restaurants or to visit the sacred sites. There is a local restaurant near the farm as well. We provide initial food supplies upon your arrival.
RETREAT FEE - Donation based
The retreat fee is donation based. This is offered at the end of the retreat. No money is due now for the retreat fee. Suggested donations are €200.- €300. depending on income.
EXTRAS
A one hour Massage is available at an additional fee of € 60 (subject to availability) Paid at time of service.
Registration
Daily Program
Daily Schedule
8:00-8:30 am Breakfast
9:00-12:00 Morning Meditation & Teachings, private retreat sessions, meditative movement.
Hatha Yoga is provided for those that wish. During the morning session there is time to enjoy the meditative gardens, farmland and forests as you wish.
Afternoons free to explore Sacred Assisi. We provide shuttle services.
Morning Meditation & Teachings
Each day offers new teachings about expanding our own spiritual practice, discovering the spirituality of the heart. We learn about simplicity, how we can soften our awareness, honor our humanness, and let go of struggles. As we become more present we begin to live from our own quiet place inside.
Each day has a focus of sharing the steps of spiritual development. We learn how the personality slowly lets go of its fears and finds the gentle peace of God inside of us, our soul. These talks include the spiritual steps and practices of the mystics of all religions including St Francis and St Clare. We feel the beauty of devotion, acceptance of our nakedness and emptiness. 
The retreat teaches us how to find and live from our own inner truth, heart, our ground of being. From here we are more free in life, forgiving of ourselves and others while finding ourselves unfolding our love and joy in our lives. Each retreat ends with a special session about how to continue your retreat in your normal life.
Afternoons
The afternoons are an opportunity to continue enjoying the farm or visit the many monasteries and gardens of Assisi. In the special peace of Assisi we find the spirit of Francis and Clare.
During these visits, we are encouraged to remain in our own retreat, in silence, and continue the practices given in the morning sessions. If you stay at the farm you may wish to enjoy a massage with our certified massage therapist.
More About Making a Retreat
A retreat is a time to step out of the busy-ness of daily life and into the sanctuary of our hearts. It includes spiritual teachings and psychological tools which give us the ability to find our own authentic, true and joy filled life.This is an opportunity to explore our own spirituality and be with others who are also pilgrims of the heart.
The tradition of making a spiritual retreat is in every religion. In the West, Jews take retreat every Sabbath where they find time for family and God. Since the beginning, Christians have gone into the desert, mountains, and monasteries on retreat to be sensitive to the presence of God. In the East, it is routine for people to visit an ashram, temple, or monastery for days, weeks, or longer to find new direction and spiritual renewal. All over the world, lay people and religious of many traditions, take retreat from the commitments of everyday life to have time for matters of the heart. The Buddhists call this our Buddha nature, the Christian our Christ light, the Hindus the atma or soul. A retreat is a time to find the inner steps to spiritual development, the steps common to all religions.
The first step is to say "no" to the busy-ness of our daily life and "yes" to ourselves. It is to slow down and find space for our spiritual self. In the simplicity of the retreat experience, we can find more of our true selves. We discover once again our spiritual nature, openness, and faith. We feel connected.
The retreat atmosphere invites us to be fully in the present with a soft heart. Here is so much presence. There are worlds and worlds of God inside of us to discover. This is the peace, the fruit of the retreat experience. Sacred space, prayer, meditation, community, nature, all support us to affirm once again the life of our soul.
