What makes nature’s voice so compelling? The call of moon and forest was irresistible…We awoke with the awareness that twenty four brand new hours were before us, we would not allow anyone or anything to violate this time of ours- no meetings, appointments, or waiting for buses. The whole day was for us. – Fragrant Palm Leaves, Thich Nhat Hanh

We are delighted to invite you to the second Wake Up Sydney Retreat, which will be held on Saturday 20th May to Sunday 21st May 2017. Our theme is Cultivating Love and Compassion. By first understanding our own minds and loving ourselves, we can begin to understand and love others. We will be meditating, walking, eating, sharing and working mindfully in the tradition of Plum Village.

The retreat will be lead by experienced Dharma teachers Tony Mills, Jenny Pittman and John Barclay (tbc) and we will enjoy the crispness of autumn on a mountain in the Southern Highlands.

May is the fourth month of the lunar year, during which time Buddhists all around the world observe Vesak- the commemoration of the birth, death and enlightenment of the Buddha. Let’s allow this special time of year to imbue our retreat with spiritual energy and make contact with the Buddha within.

First come, first served. Limited to 20 participants. Please register at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeZYHzfJ5EkblLslBYUbQheDve3Y343NSfkFDWpCPZkiMEy6g/viewform.

RETREAT DETAILS
When: Saturday 20th May 9am till Sunday 21st May 4pm. Arrive at 8.30-9am on Saturday to be allocated a room and settle in.

Where: 73 McGuinness Drive, Mount Murray, a 1.5-2 hour drive from Sydney to the Southern Highlands. This property has picturesque views of Kiama and is set on an eleven acre block.

Cost: $80 minimum to cover costs of food. You are most welcome to donate more, as amounts on top of this will be donated to the owners of the property to cover water, gas and electricity (the owners are sangha members who have kindly offered us the use of the property for free) and as a donation to our teachers. Please donate in cash at the retreat.

RSVP: This retreat is limited to 20 people and available on a first come first served basis, so please fill out the online registration form by Saturday 13th May 2017 5pm. We will need to allocate rooms and carpooling.

Meals: They will be cooked by talented chef Khanh. She will prepare simple wholefoods-based vegan meals. Please inform us if you have any food allergies.

For the duration of the retreat, we invite you to refrain from using social media/internet. If required, you may use your phone to make contact with family.

Accommodation is shared. There are a few beds and most of us will be sleeping on the floor, dorm style. If you require a bed, let us know. If you snore or prefer solitude, there is plenty of room to pitch a tent outside.

Carpooling: If you can provide a lift or are in need of a lift, please let us know your suburb.

Working meditation: This is a time to practise mindful team work while sweeping leaves or helping to prepare meals.

What to bring
Towel
Flashlight
Loose pants for comfortable sitting
Meditation cushion (if you have one)
Ear plugs and eye mask, if you are a light sleeper
Shoes for bushwalking
Slip-on shoes, that can be easily removed for entering meditation hall
Indoor shoes to wear in the house, where outdoor shoes are not allowed
Water bottle
Please bring your own cup for drinking tea/coffee.
To reduce our impact on the environment, consider bringing a handkerchief or tea towel to use instead of paper serviettes.
For campers: tent, all camping gear and and sleeping bag
Enough warm clothes as the mountain will be colder than Sydney (jacket, jumper, scarf, beanie, thick socks). Also clothes for wet weather, insect repellant, sun hat, sunglasses
All bedding (blanket, sleeping bag, pillow, sleeping mat to put under your sleeping bag)

Saturday Schedule (draft)
8.30am-9.30am Arrival and settle in
10.00am Orientation/chanting
11.30am Walking meditation
12.30pm Lunch
2.00pm Deep relaxation
2.30pm Tea break
3.00pm Singing meditation
3.15pm Dharma talk
4.30pm Creative visioning
5.00pm Personal time
6.00pm Dinner
7.00pm Personal time
8.00pm Sitting meditation
9.00pm Sharing
10.00pm Noble silence OR Bonfire

Sunday Schedule (draft, subject to change 🙂 )
6.00am Wake up
6.30am Sitting meditation
7.30am Mindful movements
8.00am Breakfast (Noble silence ends)
9.00am Working meditation
9.30am Walking meditation
10.30am Dharma talk / Q&A
12.30pm Lunch
2.00pm Be-in/Sharing
3.00pm Reflections by waterfall
4.00pm Farewell

Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/events/1293991397344777/