Nothing Is Missing

A 3-night silent meditation retreat in the Southern Highlands of NSW.

There's a moment that arrives a day or two into a retreat. You're out walking and you notice you're not walking anywhere -- you're just walking. Or you're sitting on the back deck with a cup of tea, the sun on your skin, looking at the red magnolia flowers, and hearing the kookaburra's song. You notice there's nothing you need to do. You're just being. Nothing is missing.

That kind of spaciousness is hard to come by in ordinary life, where most of us are pulled in many directions at once and practice gets squeezed into the gaps. A few nights of silence create space by letting you be exactly how you need to be.

The retreat is held at Vejjasala, a beautiful centre in the bushland of the Southern Highlands, with comfortable rooms and nourishing food. Our small team creates a supportive environment so you can relax into the practice. The core team of Kynan and Ju have facilitated nine of these retreats and built this offering over many iterations. People often tell us afterwards how easily they settled in. No meditation experience is needed and many people come for their first retreat.

On retreat there's time for the body and nervous system to regulate and the mind to settle. This is the chance to be with whatever you find -- the difficult included -- with kindness rather than a struggle. This comes from two movements. One is practising being with yourself and letting some calm and steadiness gather. The other is learning to see through -- to loosen the grip on things, so a thought or a feeling starts to seem less solid, less like the whole of you. Together, these practices cultivate the resources and insight to meet what comes.

What you experience here will stay with you when you're back home. That quiet sense of presence -- of simply being -- becomes a resource you reach for in the small gaps of a day. You can find your way back to it quickly: in your daily sitting and in small moments of shifting perception.

At a glance

• Dates: Thursday 10 to Sunday 13 September -- arrive between 4 and 6pm on the first day, depart around 2pm on the last.
• Cost: $435-795 depending on accommodation, including three meals a day. Scholarships available.
• Capacity: limited to 15 participants. This offering has filled up the last eight times it's run.
• Registrations close: 6 September

What it's like on retreat

The days follow a clear, supportive schedule -- alternating sitting and walking meditation, a daily talk and two guided meditations, gentle movement, and time for a one-to-one with Kynan. Three meals are provided. We keep noble silence from the first evening through to the final day, though you can always speak with the facilitators.

What people say

"These retreats are amazing. For me it was a heart opening experience that's very well scaffolded and supported by Kynan. The whole retreat site and community felt like a special little temporary home." -- Jen H

"This retreat was everything I'd hoped it would be and more! It was my first silent multi-day retreat, so I was a bit unsure what to expect. Kynan offered so much guidance, encouragement, and humour the whole weekend. I walked away feeling grounded and more connected to the world around me." -- Rachael C

"I am deeply comforted by the consistent and thoughtful way Kynan facilitates a meditation space. He meets you where you're at and pushes you when needed, with a delightfully warm and calm demeanour -- truly a great teacher." -- Lillian C

Venue

Vejjasala, just outside Wingello in the Southern Highlands, is a retreat centre run by the Association of Engaged Buddhists. The name means a place for healing. The accommodation is comfortable and recently renovated, set in bushland with plenty of wildlife. Three nourishing vegan meals a day are included -- let us know of any dietary needs. Accommodation options and what to bring are on the Vejjasala website. It is a safe and inclusive space for LGBTQIA+ people. You can get there by car, carpool, or train to Moss Vale with a pickup.

Cost and dāna

We keep the price as low as we can, covering food and venue. Registration does not include payment for the teacher: following tradition, the teachings are offered freely, and you're invited to give dāna (generosity) afterwards at a level that feels sustainable and generous for you.

Booking early helps us confirm the retreat will run, and secures your choice of accommodation while there's still choice. We know life three or six months out is uncertain, so we want to give you some flexibility: cancel for a full refund (minus booking fees) up to 28 days before; after that, you're welcome to transfer your place to someone else. If we don't reach our minimum numbers, you're refunded in full. Put your name down when it feels right, and we'll hold the rest lightly with you.

Scholarships

For this retreat we are holding places for people the full cost would otherwise shut out. They're funded by the retreat itself -- the registration rates are set a little above what those places cost to run, so the people who can pay more make room for those who can't.

There are two scholarships:

• A First Nations place -- offered freely, at no cost, with nothing to prove. If you're First Nations and you'd like to come, it's yours.
• Supported places -- for anyone on a low or precarious income, where the full cost would be a genuine barrier. That might be you if you're a student, unwaged, on a pension or a concession card, or simply if money is the thing standing in the way.

To apply, fill in the short form here. The application takes about ten minutes. Your answers can be as short as a sentence or two for each question. There's no paperwork and nothing to document -- we take you at your word. Places go to the first people who fit them, so it's worth applying before the retreat fills; if they've already gone, we'll point you toward the next retreat.

Additional scholarships are available through Open Dharma Foundation, which has its own application process. Check the closing dates and apply here.

Before you book

• Suitability: intensive practice can occasionally surface difficulty. This may not be the right setting if you're in a period of serious mental health difficulty, or recent or severe trauma -- our team aren't able to provide mental health support. Kynan arranges a short call with each person who hasn't yet been on retreat with us to understand how best to support your practice. Reach out to us if you're considering joining but not sure how this applies to you.
• Fire danger: Vejjasala is in the bush and can't be occupied on days rated extreme or catastrophic. If the forecast requires it, the retreat won't proceed and you'll be refunded in full.
• Refunds: full refund (minus booking fees) up to 28 days before; within 28 days, refundable if someone takes your place.

Questions

Email hello@kynanmeditation.net. For more on noble silence, see the Retreat Code of Conduct. You can read more about Kynan here.

If your accommodation type is sold out, join the waiting list.