Weekend Mindfulness Meditation Retreat

Mindfulness Madrid

In a center in a beautiful green valley near Cercedilla (accessible by public transport).
Mindfulness retreat in English: at 8pm to at 2pm
Mindfulness retreat in Spanish: at 8pm to at 2pm

Join us for a weekend of mindfulness meditation practice in a beautiful green valley in the Sierra de Madrid. The teacher, Darran Kilbride, has trained in world-recognized meditation centers in the United States and Asia and has trained as a mindfulness teacher with the University of Massachusetts.

Benefits of mindfulness meditation

o Reduced Stress
o Greater peace of mind and well-being
o Improved ability to concentrate
o Better sleep
o Reduced anxiety
o Understanding ourselves more deeply
o Improvements in relationships (when we have less stress and are more present, that affects how we interact with others)

The best way to experience these benefits is to have a daily meditation practice and to periodically spend time on meditation retreats.

By setting aside an extended period of time in supportive conditions (beautiful nature, meditation teacher, other people practicing alongside you, less distractions and responsibilities), a retreat allows you to deepen your practice and to more fully experience the benefits of meditation and mindfulness.

If you would like to deepen (or re-start) your meditation practice, then this retreat is a great way to do that.

What participants at our recent daylong meditation retreat said

(This was in the same center as the weekend retreat will be)

“Great experience. The place was also amazing. ¡¡Thank you!!”

“I really liked it. The environment and the kindness with which everything was done.”

Before I came to the retreat, I was thinking about going for a vacation for a week or more as I felt off center. After the retreat it wasn't necessary. And I learnt techniques that I have been applying in my daily life ever since.

Here the teacher, Darran Kilbride, describes a bit about the retreat…

Schedule

Here is a rough schedule…

— Friday —
6 – 8pm Arrive, check in, explore the center, meet the other participants.
8 – 9pm Tea (Cena)
9 – 10pm Opening talk and guided sitting meditation

— Saturday —
7:30am Guided sitting meditation
8am Breakfast

9am Sitting and walking meditations,
talk about meditation and mindfulness,
mindful walk in nature

1:30pm Lunch

3:30pm Sitting and walking meditations,
talk about meditation and mindfulness,
mindful walk in nature

8pm Tea (Cena)
9 – 10pm Sitting meditation. Questions and answers.

— Sunday —
7:30am Guided sitting meditation
8am Breakfast

9am Sitting and walking meditations,
mindful walk in nature.
talk about meditation and mindfulness,
Mindful talking. Retreat closing.

2pm Lunch (Optional)

Some more information about the retreat

The center is in a beautiful green valley in Cercedilla. It has accommodation, a meditation hall and lots of outdoor space with views of the Siete Picos.

Meditations will be around 30 minutes in length. We will start with guided meditations and gradually have less guidance over the weekend.

At the dinner, on Friday we can meet the other participants. After the dinner we will go into noble silence – the silence helps us to deepen our meditation and mindfulness practice and to maintain a greater continuity of awareness. We’ll end the silence on Sunday morning and have time to talk with each other and have lunch together.

The teachings will be based on modern mindfulness courses and also on the meditation traditions that mindfulness comes from (primarily the Buddhist meditation tradition).

All meals will be provided and the food will be vegetarian. (If you have any dietary restrictions please contact us to see if we are able to accommodate them)

Who the retreat is suitable for

This will be ideal for people who have some meditation experience. If you’ve done meditations of 30 minutes before, then this retreat would be suitable for you.

If you’ve never done a meditation retreat before, then this would a great first retreat. If you have done meditation retreats before, this retreat will help you to further deepen your practice.

Some photos of the center…

The Teacher of the Retreat – Darran Kilbride

Darran has trained in world recognized mindfulness meditation centers in the United States and Asia and has trained as a mindfulness teacher with the University of Massachusetts.

He has trained with some of the best-known meditation teachers in the world, including with teachers of Jon Kabat-Zinn (the person who first brought mindfulness into mainstream Western settings, often called “the father of mindfulness in the West”).

Darran teaches Mindfulness at IE University and teaches on the Mindfulness teacher training program of Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. For the past decade he has been dedicated to the practice and teaching of mindfulness meditation.

How to Get There and What to Bring

You can come by car, train or bus from Madrid.
This page has more information about how to get to the center and what to bring.

Pricing

The cost of accommodation and meals for the weekend is €119 in a double room (shared with one other person) or €159 in an individual room (a room just for you).

This includes accommodation and all meals from dinner on Friday until lunch on Sunday.
(Note to those who did the retreat before: Previously lunch on Sunday was not included, now it’s included too!).

The teaching and organization of the retreat is offered on a donation basis. Participants will have an opportunity to make a donation at the end of the retreat if they wish. There is an ancient tradition of offering mindfulness and meditation teachings in this way.

Registration