Holiday Mindfulness Retreat (26/12/26)

Present Moment, Legendary Moment

Join us for a Holiday Mindfulness Retreat with Plum Village Monastics at Mountain Spring Monastery, NSW, Australia. This event is family-friendly and open to all ages.

A Retreat with Plum Village Monastics for Members of Mountain Spring Monastery

    When - starts at 4pm Saturday 26 December 2026 and finishes at 2pm Wednesday 30 December 2026

    Location - Mountain Spring Monastery 2651 Bells Line of Rd, Bilpin NSW 2758

Registration Closes: Sunday 20th December 2026 or until sold out (40 people capacity)

*This event is for current Members of Mountain Spring Monastery. If you would like to become a member please click here to join.

Mountain Spring is a monastic practice centre and during your time with us we ask that you help to nurture the peaceful and solid energy of this place by:

·  Observing the five mindfulness trainings of protecting life, not taking what does not belong to you, refraining from sexual activity, mindful and compassionate speech, and refraining from intoxicants (alcohol, drugs for example) whilst on the property.

We warmly welcome you to join the monastics of Mountain Spring Monastery for this special holiday retreat where we will walk, sit, breathe in mindfulness, anchor ourselves in the presence of nature and the wonderful community. The holiday retreat is a time to pause, to re-centre, and nurture our joy & openheartedness as we prepare to enter the year ahead. Places are limited for this special retreat and we look forward to practicing with you!

    The Plum Village tradition of practice is designed to help us weave mindfulness into all of our daily activities. In this way we can practise meditation throughout the day while eating, walking, working, sitting in meditation, or even enjoying a cup of tea together in silence and attentiveness. In addition to formal practices of mindfulness such as sitting and walking meditation, sutra recitation, Dharma Talks and discussions, tea meditation and Be Ins, each of us will have the opportunity to cultivate mindfulness and joy whilst helping in communal activities such as arranging the meditation hall, preparing meals, washing dishes and so forth as part of our retreat. As this is a retreat for all ages, children are welcome to participate. There will be a special program for children (ages 5+) with joyful and engaging activities to suit their interests.

This retreat has a very limited number of places which are available on a first come first served basis, so please fill out the online registration form and make your payment ASAP to secure your place. This is a fully inclusive event for people of any age, ability, religion, cultural background, ethnicity, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

· During this retreat we will enjoy sitting and walking meditation, sutra readings, discussions, mindful meals, periods of silence, etc.

·  The daily schedule is posted on the whiteboard in the public areas. We ask that you do your best to be on time for and participate in all activities in the hamlet you are staying while you are with us. If you are feeling ill, or are tired, please let the guest master know.

·  The chance to be on retreat for is very precious. In order to fully be here and benefit from the mindful energy here we ask that you minimise your use of electronic devices as much as possible, and not engage in unnecessary conversations about topics that may be uncomfortable or distressing for some (such as politics) etc.

·  Mountain Spring Monastery is a completely non-smoking environment (including e-cigarette).

·  For everyone’s comfort, the dress code at Mountain Spring is smart casual. You will find it helpful to bring clothes that are loose fitting and cover your knees and elbows so that you can easefully sit in meditation. The weather is quite changeable and you will find it helpful to bring a few layers.

·  Food is served at mealtimes and we ask that you refrain from taking food outside of those times. Tea, coffee, fruit etc are available for you if you feel hungry outside of those times. All meals and food are vegan/vegetarian and we ask that you only bring or consume plant-based food whilst spending time with us (no meat, no fish, etc.). Gluten Free options will be available.

·  Please do not enter monastic areas without permission.

·  There is a period of noble silence that begins after the evening practice activity and continues until after breakfast the next morning. We ask that everyone do their best to avoid unnecessary conversations during that period, so that a deep atmosphere of rest can be enjoyed by all.

·  Carpooling - A link to a self-organised Carpooling form will be included in both the registration confirmation email and in the 1-week event reminder email.

Click on the following topics to get all the details:

Sliding-Scale Contributions & Scholarship (Further Reductions)

Cancellation Policy

Accommodation

What To Bring

Getting Here

Privacy Policy

Terms & Conditions

*Donations are warmly welcomed to support basic operational and monastic living costs and to support this monastery for future generations here in Australia.

For further inquiries and concerns please use the contact us form