Beginner’s Mind, Three-Day Retreat

Beginner's Mind is a three-day silent meditation retreat at the Chan Center Hartovski Vrh in Hartje, near Zagreb, Croatia. It is a gentle retreat for people who already have some grounding in practice: it is open to anyone who has attended a meditation course and a one-day retreat. The focus is cultivating beginner's mind, a quality of freshness, and returning again and again to the present moment.

What to Expect

The practice combines meditation on the breath in stillness with mindfulness of the body in movement. Both aim to relax body and mind.

Conduct on the retreat rests on four simple rules: silence, punctuality, tidiness and attentiveness. Silence extends to mobile phones and smart devices. The day begins at 6 a.m. and moves through periods of sitting meditation, yoga practice, mindful work and lectures, with the opportunity to speak with the teacher. Rest time is at 9:30 p.m. All participants are expected to follow the daily schedule.

Participants arrive on the starting Thursday by 4:30 p.m., and the retreat concludes on Sunday around 4 p.m.

The Setting

The retreat is held in person at the Hartovski Vrh Retreat Center, in Hartje, Kostanjevac. Accommodation is in modern shared dormitories, and participants may use all other facilities of the Center. Three balanced, carefully prepared vegetarian meals are served each day.

Before You Go

Please check that you meet the prerequisite: a meditation course and a one-day retreat attended beforehand. Places are limited, and a spot is reserved once the suggested donation is paid. The donation is set at different levels for patrons, full members, associate members and non-members. It covers meals, accommodation, use of the Center's facilities and organizational costs. It does not include a donation for instruction.

Further notes on arrival and stay at Hartovski Vrh are available through the Center.