Mindfulness Retreat: The Four Heavenly Abodes

This mindfulness retreat in Sint-Niklaas, East Flanders, Belgium, is a residential meditation retreat built around the Four Heavenly Abodes, a teaching from the Buddhist tradition. It is led by mindfulness trainer Luc Rombaut and open to everyone, from people who have never meditated to those with years of practice behind them. Sessions run in Dutch and English.

The retreat combines the study of the Four Heavenly Abodes with guided mindfulness practice. The emphasis is on conscious attention: being fully present with whatever arises, whether thoughts, feelings or physical sensations, without judgement.

What to Expect

Over the retreat you study and practise the Four Heavenly Abodes in the Buddhist tradition, alongside guided mindfulness sessions. The sessions aim to ease stress and bring more clarity, and to help you step out of the automatic pilot and make conscious choices rather than reacting to impulses.

A good part of the work is learning to meet difficult emotions and situations with more steadiness. The retreat is meant to build resilience in that way. It is not meant to change who you are, but to help you see who you are more clearly.

About Luc Rombaut

Luc Rombaut is a mindfulness trainer and coach based in Sint-Niklaas. He came to this work after a career in marketing and communications, including eight years as managing partner at the training company Itam. In 2006 he founded Aora together with Katleen Janssens. The name comes from the Spanish "ahora", meaning now: being attentively present in the moment and acting with focus. Since 2018 he has been training and coaching again under the Aora banner.

His main focus is Mindful@Work trainings. He trains and coaches people dealing with stress and burnout, and those looking for more resilience or for what really matters in their lives. He has worked with organisations such as Telenet, SDWorx, Euroclear, ING, Fuji, Solvay and the Flemish Parliament. Luc also coaches people who have difficulties with alcohol or other drugs.

The Setting

The retreat is residential, held in Belgium, with a private single-occupancy room available for the duration of your stay. All meals during the retreat period are provided, so there is nothing to arrange beyond arriving.

Before You Go

No prior meditation experience is required. The retreat suits both beginners and experienced practitioners.

The price covers all mindfulness instruction and guidance, accommodation and all meals during the retreat. Teaching is offered in Dutch and English.