Retreats

The retreat combines two programs from prestigious universities:

1. Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT), developed by The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University, California.
2. Cognitively-Based Compassion Training (CBCT), developed by The Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics at Emory University, Georgia.

Provided Materials: mats, meditation zafus and a special Psyke notebook to take notes throughout the retreat.

• The retreat will be held at the Monastery of Santo Espíritu in Gilet. An area situated in pure nature, near the Sierra Calderona Natural Park, in Camp de Morvedre, just 25 minutes from Valencia, (http://santoespiritu.org/hospederia/).
• The transfer from Valencia to the Monastery will be by minibus.
• Accommodations: Single room. All meals included. Rooms and dining rooms are located in the same building where the sessions are held.

Cultivating Compassion generates the strength needed that allows us to approach and hold our suffering directly, along with the courage to act with authentic empathy, and a new way of relating to the discomfort of suffering.

Gaining these new capacities fosters adequate resilience to prevent us from falling into “emotional fatigue”,which can arise when we try to sustain pain with resignation without the appropriate resources.

This intensive Retreat aims to evoke, recognize and cultivate specific qualities that are inherent in the human mind and heart, through practices focused on making us able to apply compassion in our daily lives.

Psyke offers you this new and enriching experience, which will combine:

• Nature: Mindful walks through an olive grove
• Flavors: Virgin Olive Oil Tasting with your eyes covered
• Open-air meditations in different spaces of the Area
• A luncheon open to our Five Senses

This One-day retreat will be held on an olive ranch in Macastre,
Los Rincones Cañada del Pinar.
Departure at 9:00 am from Psyke and arrival back to Psyke in Valencia at 5:30 pm.
Transfer by bus / minibus.

In nature, when we pay mindful attention through our five senses, we fully engage with surrounding experiences. Slowly and consciously, we taste, smell, hear, see and feel textures openly and thoroughly. Our rhythms become synchronized spontaneously with our environment, creating a unique connection between our inner and outer world. This event is a healing and revitalizing experience.

In the area of the City of Arts and Sciences gardens in the Turia River in Valencia.

Meeting Point: around the sculpture of the “Andante”, one of the many iron sculptures made by Lucas Karrvaz in 2002, so appropriate for our mindful walk…

It is advisable to bring an insulating blanket or yoga mat to sit on the grass, a bottle of water and comfortable clothing suitable for the weather.

This is a free activity and does not require registration or attendance confirmation, although you do need to have participated in a Mindfulness MBSR Program Initiation course at Psyke.