Summer Retreats

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Miraflores de la Sierra (Madrid)

In early July, we held a three-day retreat in the lovely spot of Miraflores de la Sierra, not far from Madrid. Titled ‘Letting Go of Negativity: How to Break the Shackles of Resentment and Judgement’, the retreat offered an opportunity to practise and reflect on specific teachings of the Buddha, with the aim of softening our minds, our conversations and the way we relate to others. Throughout the retreat, we explored the aspects we need to let go of and the qualities we can cultivate, using suttas and meditation practices to support this transformative process.

The beautiful gardens surrounding the house helped to temper the heat, providing a cool and welcoming setting for our meditation sessions, both seated and walking, as well as for the group gatherings where we learned and reflected together on the Buddha’s teachings regarding how to handle negativity in the mind.

Amidst flowers and trees, laughter and tears, silence and conversation, a warm and welcoming atmosphere emerged, helping us to soften our emotional burdens a little and fostering a sense of trust and inspiration. The delicious iced teas lovingly prepared each day by one of the participants, the care shown by the cook and, above all, everyone’s sincere dedication, all combined to create a truly heartwarming weekend. This allowed us to return home with a greater sense of lightness and joy in the Dhamma.

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Casa del Tibet (Barcelona)

In mid-September, we enjoyed a retreat in the heart of the city, titled ‘The Practice of Dhamma in Our Urban Lives’, which aimed to demonstrate that it is possible to cultivate a clear, stable and compassionate mind amidst the noise and urgency of urban life. We are deeply grateful to the Dharma-Gaia Foundation for collaborating with us on this event.

Retreats typically involve travelling for a few days to a location that is different from our usual surroundings. However, work and family commitments sometimes make this impossible. This is why we wanted to create a space for reflection and meditation in our own environment, allowing the practice to permeate our daily lives. The Buddha’s teaching style always involved connecting with the reality of the people before him, and his words were filled with similes drawn from ‘ordinary’ life.

During this retreat in the heart of Barcelona, we sought to bring the Buddha’s words into our modern-day reality. We endeavoured to do so just as he did: in a practical, vivid and transformative way. We held talks on topics relevant to 21^(st)-century urban life, including Q&A sessions, and practised meditation (both seated and walking) to help us integrate everything at a deep level and equip ourselves with tools to transform our lives.

It was wonderful to share these days with people from various Buddhist traditions, some with years of practice and others attending their very first event, and to walk this path together.

We were truly surprised by the enthusiastic response: demand was so high that we had to create a waiting list as there wasn’t enough space for everyone who signed up. Thanks to this warm reception, we are currently planning new retreats. We are exploring dates for another urban retreat in Barcelona and a residential retreat conducted in Catalan.

We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who wrote to us with such kind words of encouragement and gratitude. Special thanks go to all those who participated. We would also like to thank the wonderful team at Casa del Tibet for making everything run smoothly and providing such a delightful experience. May the Dhamma continue to flourish wherever we are. 🙏