Mindful Yoga 6-day Summer Retreat

Gullnäsgården, Strömstad, Sweden

July 16- 22, 2023

Welcome to this summer retreat for the practice of Mindfulness and Mindful yoga with international teacher, Jonathan Weber. We will explore the practice of Mindful yoga, a gentle and therapeutic movement style, together with Mindfulness and self-compassion meditation, to help us regain and maintain our balance and inner peace. This retreat is also an opportunity to relax in a nurturing and supportive environment, eat healthy food, have time for self-reflection, connect with like-minded community, and enjoy the beauty of the Swedish islands in a summer vacation destination.
Mindfulness and Mindful yoga are an excellent way to bring the body and mind back into a natural resting state and develop greater resilience in facing the demands of everyday life. Being on retreat in this way gives us the space to both recharge our batteries and practice tools that can help us manage stress and emotional reactivity, so that we can realize greater well-being in everyday life. And through the cultivation of positive attitudes like self-acceptance and self-compassion, we can have a more healing effect on ourselves and our ability to relate to the world in a meaningful way.
This mindfulness and yoga retreat is an invitation to quiet the mind, open the senses, renew the body, and heal the heart!
Jonathan Weber is an accomplished senior teacher of Mindfulness and Mindful yoga, residing in Norway. He will be our skillful guide for this retreat as we rediscover our natural peace and enjoy the healing power of being in the present moment. Teachings will be in English.

Daily program
Every day starts with silence until lunch. This gives us the environment for self-reflection, which supports mindful and intentional practice. Morning practice begins with a guided mindfulness meditation, together with some waking movements. After breakfast there will be a gentle Mindful yoga session followed by deep relaxation and meditation. After Lunch is personal time, during which you can explore the island or the farm; kayak on the water, walk in the woods, lounge in the garden on hammocks, bike around the islands, write in your journal, connect with others in group activities, or just enjoy the moment doing nothing. In the afternoon sessions, there will be some guest teaching by other Mindful yoga instructors, and some group sharing. After dinner, in the evening sessions, there will be teachings on the theme, with an evening practice for deep relaxation, which may include chanting or restorative yoga.
There will also be the opportunity to practice some Karma yoga while we are in retreat, doing some simple gardening or cleaning… some of the best ways to practice mindfulness in daily life! 🙂

General Schedule:
Sun 16th
15:00 – 17:00 Arrive, registration
17:30 – 18:30 Orientation meeting
18:30 – 19:30 Dinner
20:00 – 21:30 Evening session

Monday 17th – Friday 21st
7:30 – 8:30 Meditation
8:30 – 9:30 Breakfast (silent)
10:00 – 12:00 Mindful yoga
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch
13:30 – 17:00 personal time (or group activity)
17:00 – 18:30 Afternoon practice
18:30 – 19:30 Dinner
20:00 – 21:30 Evening session

Saturday 22nd
7:30 – 8:30 Meditation
8:30 – 9:30 Breakfast
10:00 – 12:00 Closing session
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch
13:30 - Depart

Jonathan Weber, E-RYA 500, is a certified teacher of Mindful Hatha yoga and educated in MBSR/MBCT (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction/Cognitive Therapy). Originally from the USA, he has been practicing yoga and meditation for over 30 years and has been a leading teacher in the integration of mindfulness with yoga. He started teaching mindfulness and compassion meditation in 2006, introduced Mindful yoga in 2015, and established the first Mindful Yoga Education at Oslo Yoga studio in 2018. He is a Master Trainer in the SATS and Hiyoga system of Norway, teaching Recover and therapeutic yoga classes, where he currently runs the Mindful Yoga training. And he has been a co-therapist and program developer with Maja Thune in the first Therapeutic Yoga Teacher training in Norway, using mindfulness and yoga as therapeutic tools in psychiatry. With a background in traditional Buddhist yoga practice, he has studied with many respected Buddhist and yoga teachers, including Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, Lama Surya Das, Allan Wallace, Ani la Tsering Chodron, and Ram Dass. And over a decade of leading international retreats, trainings, workshops and classes, Jonathan has become known for his calm, open-hearted presence, and wisdom.
Gullnäsgård is an old farm that has been converted into a retreat center on the beautiful coastal islands next to the famous Koster islands, outside Strømstad, just under 2 hours’ drive from Oslo. It has been used as a healing center for decades, and this year they are celebrating 60 years of offering healing retreats!!! The healthy vegetarian food that is served at the retreat is made with the highest quality organic ingredients to nourish us the best way.
More info about the retreat center: gullnas.se

Price:
All-inclusive:
• lodging for 6 nights
• 3 daily vegetarian meals
• Teacher fees; all classes and course material

In a cottage or house with detached shared/bathroom (walking distance)
8,200 SEK / 8,030 NOK -- private room/cottage
7,500 SEK / 7,350 NOK -- shared room/cottage

In modern rooms with attached bathroom:
8,650 SEK / 8,470 NOK -- single room
7,850 SEK / 7,690 NOK -- shared room

Mindful Yoga Graduate discount (for students who have completed the Mindful Yoga Training with Jonathan):
1,020 SEK / 1,000 NOK

Lodging:
Rooms are in different cottages and houses on the land. The style is a charming old Swedish farm, and things are kept very simple and rustic in a back-to-the-land fashion. It is important to remember, as the amenities here are not all modern. Some of the houses and rooms are with modern standards, as stated in the price. All the rooms share a bathroom, so there are no private bathrooms. Please inform us if you need the bathroom close to your room.
If you want to have a longer retreat, you can come earlier and have food and board. Please contact Gullnasgard directly: lisa@gullnas.se

Registration:
Register by filling out the form, and paying the deposit:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1US2BGCHXShwWp75W1b-hC4Scra__vENnMlOS5CtVJqA/edit

For inquiries or registration questions, email Jonathan: jonathan.rigpa@gmail.com
Subject heading for emails: Summer Retreat Sweden

It is recommended that you have some previous experience in meditation/yoga or self-exploration to join. If you have not been on any retreats with Jonathan before, please introduce yourself with an email; say something about your experience with meditation or yoga, any retreat experience, and your intention to join.
Space is set to 16 participants maximum, and private rooms are limited, so reserve your space early!