(No availability) Embodying Grace: 12 Day Somatic Meditation Retreat in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas

Your retreat in detail

During this retreat, you will be guided through a series of 'somatic meditation' practices. These practices teach you how to access and deepen your natural capacity of interoception, the capacity of your being/body to know itself from the inside, without the interpretation, imagination, or abstract conceptualization of your rational mind.

You will see directly and experientially the way that our emotions and mental states have been somatized (meaning held in the body) through years of unconscious repetition of thoughts and behaviors. You will then learn how to release the tension habitually held in the nervous system.

This foundation of profound relaxation provides the ground for the deeper exploration of our true body. Freed from neurotic tensions and holding patterns of the ego-mind, you experience the body as a vastly open field of a living intelligence, named the Vajra (diamond) body in Tibetan Buddhist tantra. This term refers to the experience of your body, as it actually exists.

Here, you meet your true being, the infinite unconditional openness and loving embrace of your essential being, named Buddha-nature in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, or the ‘awakened state’ as it is sometimes named in today’s spiritual culture.

What you will explore

• Profound relaxation practices using the breath and awareness to release tensions from the system;
• Practices for exploring the inner experience of the vast expanse of alive presence that is our true body;
• Ways of exploring our relationship with the earth, not seen as a separate external object, but as a living reality, an extension of our own essential being;
• How to process intense emotions, traumatic memories and painful experiences through creating a loving and safe internal environment of non-reactive, non-judgemental openness and embodied presence. This kind of profound inner alchemy is a hallmark and foundation of the tantric traditions.
• the cultivation of unconditional self-love and love of others;
• Trust in and acceptance of our experience of life, no matter what conditions present themselves to us.

Retreat structure

Each day, there will be three practice sessions. Some practice sessions will include short talks and technique introductions (when learning new techniques or furthering the practice of a previously introduced technique).

in the beginning, practice sessions will be via guided meditation, usually lying down and later bringing these practices into the seated posture of meditation. Later in the retreat, some sessions may be self-guided or with very few instructions to allow space for individual exploration of the practices.

Some sessions will include conscious movement practices where the inner realities discovered will be brought into full expression through gestures, postures, movements, etc.

Each day, there will be opportunities for group sharing, question and answer sessions and if requested, individual meetings with the facilitators of the retreat.

This retreat will not be in full silence. There will be time each day where gentle, conscious conversations may be shared among willing participants. There will also be periods each day where you will be asked to remain in complete silence and interiorization, without communicating with other participants.

You are requested to abstain from general ‘chit-chat’ and loud conversation that may disturb others wishing to remain in contemplation. You are also asked to refrain from reading, listening to music, checking messages, emails, surfing the internet, and using electronic devices in general.

Recordings of all retreat sessions (talks and guided practices, excluding sharing circles) will be uploaded to Google Drive after the retreat. Alternatively, they can be taken directly via a USB drive.

Schedule

Each day will follow more or less the same schedule as detailed below. If requested, short meetings with the facilitators of the retreat can be arranged during the lunch breaks. These are not mandatory meetings but are offered in order to support the process of retreat participants.

Daily program

• 07:00 - 09:00 Morning session 1
• 09:00 - 10:00 Breakfast
• 10:00 - 12:00 Morning session 2
• 12:00 - 15:30 Lunch break, time for contemplation, reflection and rest
• 15:30 - 18:30 Afternoon session including Q&A and/or group sharing
• 18:30 - 19:30 Dinner and rest for the night

Arrival, welcome and orientation session, and departure info

• April 15, 2021 orientation starts at 4:30 p.m. followed by dinner together.
• The retreat will begin with the first session at 7:00 a.m. on April 16, 2021.
• The retreat ends around 6:30 p.m. on April 25, 2021, with a final sharing.
• The accommodation is included until the night of April 25, 2021, and you are of course welcome to extend your stay until April 29, 2021 (when another program begins at the center).
• Transport to San Cristobal de las Casas can be arranged for April 26, 2021.

Hridaya Family retreat center

In this magical and quiet place, situated in the very heart of authentic Mexico and surrounded by forests, valleys, and mountains, you are invited to dive deep into Stillness and come back to your True Essence.

Chiapas - from mountains to the jungle and ocean coasts

The center is located in one of the most beautiful and authentic regions of Mexico, Chiapas. It is located 15 minutes from the characteristic indigenous town San Cristobal de Las Casas in mountains covered with pine forest. There, you will enjoy the quiet atmosphere and healing power of nature: mountain air, balanced climate throughout the whole year(neither too cold nor too hot), long walks in the pine forest.

And at the same time before or after your retreat, you may easily visit numerous treasures of Chiapas, the region which has Mayan ruins, jungle, lakes, canyon, waterfalls, ocean coasts, etc.

San Cristobal de las Casas

San Cristobal de las Casas is the cultural capital of the state of Chiapas where numerous indigenous tribes live side by side with a large number of European immigrants. The city has an amazing ambiance with plenty of pedestrian zones and cozy cafes/restaurants with live music. Moreover, San Cristobal is the place to try the best Mexican coffee and cacao.

It is located in a small valley at an altitude of 2,200 meters and is surrounded by green mountains and hills with thousands of pine trees. San Cristobal was founded in 1528. San Cristobal is recognized as the Patrimonio Cultural e Historico of Mexico because of its historical center with its numerous colonial houses and churches.

Distances

• San Cristobal de las Casas ancient town - 10 minutes
• Ángel Albino Corzo International Airport (TGZ) - 1 hour

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Delicious and healthy vegan and vegetarian meals with love

Hridaya Family offers wholesome vegan and vegetarian meals and desserts, based on the principles of the ancient Indian medicine Ayurveda. It takes into consideration not only the psychophysiological type but also the area where you live, season, and time of the day. All meals are designed by Irina, their in-house nutritionist.

This area is particularly abundant with fruits and vegetables because there various climate zones in the same region. So in preparation, the meals use local and seasonal products as well as some delicious fruits (mango, papaya, watermelons, guayabas (guava), guanabanas (soursop), lychees, melons, passion fruit, etc.) from the nearby areas of the tropical jungle.

The basic menu is vegan, but for those who wish, some organic eggs, milk, and honey can be provided. There is no refined flour, refined sugar, refined oils, and trans-fats used in the meals. All food is made and served with love.

Hridaya Family is happy to accommodate any special nutritional needs or preferences to make sure you have a delightful and transformational relationship with food during your stay.

Sumidero Canyon

One of the most beautiful natural wonders of Mexico is Sumidero Canyon, with slopes reaching as high as 1,000 meters (3,300 feet). You can take a breathtaking boat ride along the Grijalva river on the bottom of the gigantic canyon and see numerous crocodiles living there.

San Juan Chamula and Zinacatan

In the indigenous town of San Juan Chamula, you'll be able to explore the modern life of ancient Maya descendants, the Tzotzil tribe. The tribe is very extraordinary especially in the terms of its religious rituals some of which still include a special form of sacrifice. You will visit the main shrine of Tzoztiles, the church of St. John the Baptist. The local religion is a vicious mixture of the Catholic faith and ancient paganism. For those who want, it is possible to participate in one of the Tzotzil rituals.

• All teaching and practice sessions
• Additional short, private meetings with instructors (on request)
• 11 nights accommodation
• 3 meals per day during the 10 days of retreat
• Dinner after the orientation session the day before the retreat begins
• Tea
• Drinking water

• Taxis and airport transfer
• Travel insurance
• Laundry (can be done on-site for 1 USD per kilogram)
• Additional nights accommodation before or after (also available on request for the same price per night as during the retreat)

Recommended Airports

• A reservation requires a deposit of 30% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid 7 days before arrival.