HomeIn-Depth Mindfulness Retreat:

In-Depth Mindfulness Retreat:

(Mostly Silent Retreat)

Format: 5-day residential retreat

Designed for: Professionals, leaders and managers interested in deepening their meditation practice.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD): 39 Hours

Pre-Requisite: Suitable for developing to very experienced mindfulness practitioners

Certification: You can attend as a single retreat, or as part of the Master Practitioner Certification

Dates 2021: TBC

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Deepen your practice and prepare to teach.

“What could possibly be said in this moment that could improve upon silence”     Traditional Buddhist saying

It is often not until you have been on a silent retreat that you fully grasp how poignant silence is.  Many of us are drawn to meditation practice because of a deep yearning to calm our minds, ease our emotions, and soothe our sometimes ailing bodies (and help others do the same). And yet, we often struggle to make time for ourselves to sit and meditate at home, even for a few minutes. When we do, we sometimes find ourselves reacting to our busy minds, pulled to finish things or start things, reacting to past regrets with guilt, anger or shame; or become distracted with fears and anxieties about the future.  This retreat allows you to be in silence, quiet your mind, soften your heart, and develop profound clarity and depth of insight.

What is the In-Depth Mindfulness Retreat?

This silent, teacher-led retreat gives you the rare opportunity to immerse yourself in dedicated meditation practice and to really experience the beauty, nourishment and insight of mindfulness.  The retreat follows the traditional schedule of sitting and walking meditations for exploring four foundations of mindfulness  and loving kindness.  You will be supported in the steady development of equanimity and presence through guided meditations, talks, question-and-answer periods, practice, and interviews with the teacher.  In addition to traditional meditation teaching, you will have access to some of the most powerfully synthesised concepts and practices across neuroscience, the wisdom traditions, clinical practice and mindfulness.

Who is this for?

The In-Depth Mindfulness Retreat is mainly aimed at those with some prior meditation experience, and is also suitable for those who are new to meditation yet expect they will benefit from the intensive retreat exposure.  You need to be emotionally steady enough to be immersed in meditation for a few days.


2020 Retreat Venue: The Bluff Resort, Victor Harbor SA

The retreat is for three types of people, those who:
1. Want to feel the deep mental and physical replenishment of being in silence, being led through guided meditations, staying in a beautiful resort, and recharging your batteries.

2. Have done some training, like the MBCT, or attended other retreats, like vipassana or calm abiding, and want to continue developing your own insight, presence, trust, courage and stability of mind.

3. Are teaching others mindfulness and are ready to immerse your self in the practice, learn how to teach, and learn how to respond  skilfully to questions and difficulties

During the retreat you will:

• Practice traditional Buddhist meditations and reflections including loving kindness
• Deepen your understanding of mindfulness meditation in an immersive format
• Soften into both inner stillness, and deeper awareness of  the workings of your mind
• Experience how the mind and nervous system are the evolutionary origin of our body and emotions
• Find some relief from personal drama
• See how practice is the way to develop the ‘mental muscle’ to apply mindfulness concepts in daily life
• Develop your capacity to facilitate mindfulness meditation and its related disciplines
• Practice teaching, giving and receiving feedback for basic mindfulness meditations (Certification Students)
• Gain a new sense of connection and delight in your life, and see how clients might too
• Enjoy a rich community of like-minded mindfulness practitioners and facilitators
• Contextualise contemporary mindfulness approaches within the Buddhist tradition

When people say that meditation makes them calm, they are often referring to this stability of the mind.  A stable mind creates the foundation for a happier and more contented person.  Sackyong Mipham

By the end of the  retreat you will:

• Gain experiential understanding of deep mindfulness practice
• Understand how to incorporate mindfulness meditation in your own life, and for clients
• Know what ‘embodying’ the mindfulness practice is and bring new meaning to ‘presence’
• Understand the importance of deep meditation to developing a steady mind and cultivating kindness towards yourself and others
• Understand how to apply the principles of equanimity and compassion for meeting stress, pain and burnout with kindness and wisdom
• Understand how habitual reactions lead to chronic stress
• Will have an extensive tool-kit for managing yourself and teaching others
• Feel driven to developing and sustaining a daily practice
• Feel replenished, rejuvenated and inspired

You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day, unless you are too busy, then you should sit for an hour. Old Zen saying

Presented by Liana Taylor, MPsych, Clinical Psychologist

Liana is a clinical psychologist, relationship therapist, leadership coach, and an international mindfulness teacher.  She offers you some of the most forward thinking and in depth mindfulness training in the world.  Liana started meditating with transcendental meditation in 1980, has explored many different meditation techniques and spiritual traditions and came to understand the profound value of mindfulness meditation while healing herself in the mid 90’s.

Liana has taught at the University of Adelaide and a Tibetan Buddhist centre, started three meditation communities (called sanghas) with Anna Markey.  She has retreated with, taken teachings from, or trained with the creators of MBCT, MBSR and ACT, and leading teachers of Insight Meditation.   Liana is one of the leading teachers of traditional and applied mindfulness to professionals across Australia and has taught basic through to advanced mindfulness skills to thousands of professionals.   Participants report Liana’s teaching style makes traditional meditation – including mindfulness – accessible and comprehensible to to people of all backgrounds.

How does it work?

Just as we can read about a song, or a piece of music, but not truly know and understand it until we experience it with our own senses, so too with mindfulness training.   Experiencing mindfulness is the only way to learn mindfulness, and, like most skills, mindfulness improves with practice as we strengthen the neural networks until a state of calm becomes a habitual place of ‘home’.   Participants are asked to switch off phones, computers and any kind of connection to the outside world. You will be given the retreat manager’s phone number in case anyone needs to contact you urgently.  This is a time for you. You will receive a notebook to record your learning and experiences.

Schedule: Five days, and four nights

Note that Course numbers  are strictly limited to support a rich learning environment.

Fee (incl. GST)

  • Standard $3,495
  • Early bird $3,295 – register up to one month before retreat
  • Super early bird $2,995 – register up to two months before retreat
  • 6 month payment plan: $708.20 per month, Total $4,249.25 – Contact us

This fee includes:
• Beautiful accommodation (2020 Retreat venue: The Bluff Resort),  lovely nutritious meals and refreshments, and teaching.

Please note that retreats are run subject to enrolments meeting minimum numbers.

Full terms and conditions

Where does this retreat fit in the Applied Mindfulness Certifications?

The retreat is one of two retreats in Level 2 of the International Trainer of Applied Mindfulness Certification. Both retreats focus on different aspects of applied mindfulness. Both cultivate kindness, awareness, focus and emotional intelligence. You can attend either, in any order.

What does the International Trainer of Applied Mindfulness Certification involve?

It involves 3 levels of training:

Practitioner of Applied Mindfulness Certification – 1st level program:

  • Mindful Conversations Course- 3-day intensive
  • MBCT – Mindfulness Essentials Course – 3-day intensive
  • Mindful Leadership Course – 3-day intensive
  • Assessment – take home

Master Practitioner of Applied Mindfulness Certification – 2nd level program:

  • In-Depth Mindfulness Retreat – 5-day residential
  • Vulnerability & Strength Retreat – 5-day residential
  • Teacher Training Masterclass – 6-month online
  • Assessment – take home

International Trainer of Applied Mindfulness Certification – 3rd level program:

  • Mindfulness in Action Retreat – 10-day retreat in South Island New Zealand
  • Wisdom in Leadership Masterclass – 6-month online
  • Assessment – take home

NB: Retreats are run subject to enrolments meeting minimum numbers.

Check out the other retreat within the Master Practitioner of Applied Mindfulness Level 2 Program:
Vulnerability and Strength Retreat