Silent Week Retreat: Yoga, Meditation, Satsang

This silent meditation retreat at Mandali Retreat Center in Italy is a five-day silent week of yoga, meditation and satsang, led by Evelyne Vuilleumier, a yoga and meditation teacher and spiritual psychotherapist. It is for people who want a longer silence than a weekend allows, and who would like to meet themselves, the group and the surrounding nature without the usual chatter. The retreat is held in January, the month when the whole center goes quiet.

What to Expect

Speaking stops after the first dinner and resumes after the last lunch. In between, the days follow a steady rhythm that moves from the body toward stillness.

Mornings begin with a silent sitting before breakfast. From 10:00 to noon there is yoga, either soft vinyasa flow or therapeutic yoga, followed by meditation. The aim is to open the body so the inner world is easier to reach, and to gain some distance from sticky thought patterns.

Afternoons, from 14:30 to 16:30, are given to silent nature walks, self-inquiry and Kundalini and Nadabrahma meditation. Diads, inner journeys and walking meditations also belong to this part of the day. The time from 16:30 to 18:30 is left free for the sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and pool. A second silent sitting comes at 18:30, then dinner at 19:00.

Evenings, from about 20:15 to 22:00, bring satsang, spiritual psychotherapy and meditation. These are the sessions where speaking is allowed, so you can bring questions about your path or life challenges and look into essential ones such as "Who am I?" One evening is set aside for dance, a chance to loosen the body and celebrate what has surfaced.

Arrival is at 14:00 on the first day, with a welcome and introduction, gentle yoga and meditation, dinner, and a first evening satsang. The last morning has silent sitting, breakfast, vinyasa yoga, a closing circle and a final lunch.

About Evelyne Vuilleumier

Evelyne Vuilleumier is an experienced yoga and meditation teacher and a spiritual psychotherapist. She guides the retreat through both its silent practices and its spoken sessions, pairing silence with satsang as complementary ways of recognizing one's true nature.

The Setting

Mandali Retreat Center offers peaceful practice rooms, scenic hiking trails, contemplative outdoor nooks and permaculture gardens, along with a body care center with a sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and indoor heated swimming pool. Walks in silence take in the views around the center.

Five nights of accommodation are included, in a single, twin, premium or shared room, or in a hermitage, depending on what you choose. Three vegetarian meals are served each day, with fruit, teas and filtered water available throughout. Yoga and meditation props are provided.

Flights to Malpensa International Airport are not included, and neither are transfers to and from the center. Massage and therapies at the body care center are available at extra cost.

Before You Go

The retreat is taught in English. No particular level of yoga or meditation experience is stated. The program is built around soft vinyasa, therapeutic yoga, silent sitting and walking meditation, and it deepens gradually rather than asking for advanced technique.

Each room type includes full board.