Please note: Currently, you can only register for a personal retreat starting on 1.1.25 and onwards.
An extended period of silent meditation is a beautiful way to develop practice, deepen understanding and cultivate self-reliance in the development of Dharma and wisdom. We are therefore pleased to extend this option to the practising community.
The Centre in Ein Dor offers conditions that specifically support a personal practice: a residential building and a meditation hall for practitioners and regular meetings with a resident teacher or the possibility to meet with a teacher in the insight meditation tradition with whom you are familiar though Zoom.
The personal retreat is designed for those who have experience practising insight meditation (also within the association's activities) with the ability to settle into the practice themselves.
Retreat period
Minimum: 7 days
Maximum: 2 months
Prerequisites
A recommendation from a known teacher in the insight meditation tradition; at least three silent, teacher-led retreats in the insight meditation tradition - one of them for a week or more, two for five days or more.
Without the recommendation of a teacher in the insight tradition: at least seven silent, teacher-led retreats in the insight meditation tradition, of which 4 were in Tovana. At least three of all these were for a week at least.
If this is the first time on a personal retreat, your last retreat should have taken place within the previous two years before your personal retreat begins.
Conditions offered for a personal retreat
- The Tovana Centre: A single room in a designated building for personal retreatants. The toilets and showers in the building are shared.
- A dedicated meditation hall for personal retreatants. You can also practice alone in your room.
- Guidance from a resident teacher, twice a week
- Three vegan meals a day
- Access to dharma talks from the web, with players to listen to them
- Access to staff living on the premises for any issue.
Cost
Registration for a personal retreat requires payment in advance.
You can choose from three levels of payment:
- Basic cost - NIS 270 per day - This sum covers the cost of lodging in a single room, food, and basic operational activity of the association involved in the personal retreat.
- Supporting cost - NIS 310 per day - By choosing this option, you cover your costs as well as support other personal retreats for those who cannot pay the basic cost.
- Supported cost - NIS 230 per day - This cost is then subsidised by Tovana to enable access to the Centre for those who are unable to pay the basic cost.
The costs of the personal retreat do not include teacher support. You are invited to support the teacher by offering Dana.
After the request for a personal retreat is approved, in order to secure your place, a registration fee of NIS 450 should be paid.
This amount will be deducted from the remaining cost of the retreat, which should be paid up to two weeks before arrival.
Teacher support during the retreat
There is a supporting teacher at the centre, which meets and assists practitioners in their personal retreats once/twice a week. Right now the teacher is Eran Harpaz, and from November 17th the teacher will be Yahel Avigur.
There is also the possibility of coordinating Zoom support with another teacher in the insight meditation tradition with whom you, as a practitioner, have established a relationship.
Should you wish to be supported by your choice of teacher through Zoom, please let us know and we will consider your request. In addition, we also expect that you meet with the resident teacher once every ten days.
Joining group retreats
If a group retreat is held at the same time as your individual retreat, you are welcome to join the dharma talks of the group retreat but not their practice sessions.
If, however, you do wish to fully participate in the group retreat, advance notice to the administrative coordinator is requested. You will be expected to attend the group retreat in all its aspects (meditation sessions, dharma talks, group talks, and shifts). Most of the group retreats at the Centre are Hebrew-based.
Additional aspects of a personal retreat
- The retreat is carried out in complete silence.
- Phones and laptops are deposited in a safe in the office at the beginning of the retreat.
- To reduce distraction and to support the practice of letting go, we recommend avoiding reading and writing during the retreat, except for practice-related materials.
- Each practitioner will be assigned a fixed shift (Karma Yoga) of one hour a day.
Registration