Spiritual action, peaceful action: Mindfulness retreat at Pardesa

18-21 September 2025
Mindfulness retreat in nature
in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh
at Pardesa practice center in northern Italy
with Dharma teachers Bar Zecharya and Dorit Shippin

The retreat will be held in English and Italian.

In this world, hatred has never been defeated by hatred.
Only love can overcome hatred.
This is an ancient and eternal law.
– The Dhammapada

How can individual and collective action support peace: in ourselves, in our relationships and in society? How to connect our inner and outer worlds in a way that they support each other in creating awareness, freedom and healing? You are invited to join us for a retreat where we’ll be guided by the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, the experience of our teachers, and the collective practice of mindfulness that we’ll generate together.

Immersed in the natural beauty surrounding Pardesa practice center, we will co-create a daily atmosphere of practice: sitting and walking meditation, mindful meals, moments of silence and reflection, and also time for singing and for sharing from the heart.

Participation

No specific skills or experience are required. Retreatants are expected to participate fully in the community life of the practice center. This includes arriving on time for activities and respecting the practice of silence for the duration of the retreat, meditations, service for the community and sharing. All these elements enrich and are an integral part of our retreat experience. We trust in the sense of responsibility of all practitioners to take care of the collective energy of mindfulness throughout the retreat, including in public places, personal rooms and during moments of rest.

Daily schedule

The schedule may vary. As an example:

6:00 am wake up
6:30 am formal morning meditation
7:30 am breakfast
8:45 am morning circle and service to the community
10:00 am Dharma talk
11:00 am walking meditation
12:30 pm lunch
3:00 pm deep relaxation
4:00 pm community practice/sharing
6:30 pm light dinner
8:00 pm formal evening meditation
noble silence (until 8:45 am the following day)

Our teachers

Dorit Shippin was ordained into the Order of Interbeing in April 2015, and as a Dharma Teacher in Plum Village, France in 2022. Since 1984 she has been a member and resident of Oasis Of Peace, a coexistence village of Jewish Israelis and Palestinian citizens of Israel, and served as director of its Pluralistic Spiritual Center. Together with Hagit Harmon she helped to organize Jewish Palestinian delegations to Plum Village in a project called Peace Begins Here Today she is involved in the building and creating “Garden Of Hope”, a peace and dialogue mindfulness center in the West Bank, Palestine, together with its Palestinian founder, Issa Souf.

Bar Zecharya, Dharma teacher in the zen tradition founded by Thich Nhat Hanh, serves as the caretaker of Pardesa since 2018. Topics dear to him include: how we relate to the Earth and to the climate crisis; practicing in contexts and moments of conflict; understanding and working with the mind, the ego and consciousness; living fully our aspirations; and the art of stopping and healing.

Pardesa

is a mindfulness center in the tradition of the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh. Founded in 2018, Pardesa is a unique place that combines care for the mind with care for the Earth. As much as possible, all activities take place outdoors and in contact with nature. In addition to the depth and simplicity of this way of life, it also gives us the opportunity to cultivate a spirit of adaptation and of flowing with the conditions that nature provides.

You are invited to read Daily life at Pardesa

Practical information and retreat cost

The retreat will take place from Thursday 18 September (arrival at 5:00 pm) until Sunday 21 September (departure at 4:00 pm).
Partial participation is not allowed, in order to take care of the energy of the group throughout the retreat.

We will be helping to coordinate rides from the Pianoro train station at 4:30pm on Thursday, and departing from Pianoro at 4:30pm on Sunday.

Retreat costs:

• €225, with a reduction of €50 for those under 30 years of age

The retreat cost includes the retreat content, organization and all meals. Lodging is available on-site, either camping (€5/night), dormitory (€15/night), or double room (€30/night) according to availability. The rooms are equipped with bunk beds. For those who are not yet members of the non-profit association “La Natura della Mente” that manages the retreat, the annual membership fee is €13.

We would like this retreat to be available to everyone regardless of economic status. For particular economic difficulties please contact us directly.

Registration

Registration for this retreat is closed

For further information regarding this retreat, please contact us.