Cultivating Our Well-Being Mindfulness Retreat
with John Bruna, Laura Bartels and Mark Molony
Join us as we joyfully return to Waunita Hot Springs Ranch, bringing the practices and wisdom of the Mindful Life Program, and the kind offerings of teachers John Bruna and Laura Bartels, and in addition, co-founder Mark Molony coming from Melbourne, Australia, in this three-day mindfulness retreat in the Colorado Rockies.
Our own well-being is ultimately based in a balanced and healthy mind. Cultivating such a mind is foundational to living a meaningful life and flourishing in our lives. This retreat will allow guidance in developing the practice of shamatha meditation (calm abiding) as a basis for well-being. Shamatha is the practice of developing single-pointed concentration, helping you develop a calm, clear, and focused mind. It is foundational to establishing mental and emotional balance.
We will explore and identify our causes of stress and the methods to cultivate inner resources, resiliency, and well-being. We will then expand the view of well-being from ourselves to others, exploring our interconnectedness. Recognizing our interconnectedness with others, we discover the unselfish value of cultivating our own well-being and its benefit to others. Clarifying and developing the skills to be of benefit to others, we develop our potential to integrate and respond out of our capacity for transformation and healing.
This retreat is beginner friendly and also beneficial for seasoned meditators. We will focus on developing the essential elements of shamatha and bring this meditative clarity to attend to well-being. Shamatha is a universal practice that is used to become more mindful and present in your life and can be applied to any spiritual or religious practice. It develops the stability of mind to help improve other meditation practices.
This is a partially silent retreat with multiple short meditation sessions and plenty of breaks, quiet reflection, group discussion, and guidance in the group teachings.
About the Facilitators
John Bruna
John Bruna is a former Buddhist monk, an author, and a mindfulness teacher and trainer. John is also the co-founder of the Mindful Life Program™ and of Mindfulness in Recovery®. Drawing from his extensive training and rich personal experiences over three decades, John has lead retreats and facilitated trainings throughout the country, becoming a leading voice in the field of mindfulness. He is the author of The Wisdom of a Meaningful Life: The Essence of Mindfulness and The Essential Guidebook to Mindfulness in Recovery and has presented at TEDx and other conferences throughout the country. John is known for his warmth, humor, and ability to make teachings practical and accessible. To learn more about John, see www.ameaningfullife.us.
Laura Bartels helped to create the Mindful Life Program and regularly teaches mindfulness courses, facilitates mindfulness groups and gives public talks on living mindfully. She is one of the instructors for the year-long MLP Teacher Training and Personal Development program. She also serves as the Executive Director of the Mindful Life Program. Laura’s professional path of 20 years brought her to be a leader in the field of sustainable building and community development. This provided a unique and valuable perspective on the need for “inner sustainability.” As Laura’s path has been one of navigating what it means to live consciously and meaningfully, it’s been a natural transition to move from outer sustainability to inner sustainability; when we are not in balance, we cannot be of benefit to ourselves or others. To learn more about Laura, see her full bio.
Mark Molony is a co-founder of the Mindful Life Program and a licensed social worker, therapist, and coach. Mark’s intention is to support others in generating new sustainable ways of being in themselves and with others that will encourage genuine happiness in their lives.
Mark first became involved in mindfulness practices and meditation in 2001 when he experienced a major health challenge and looked to support his recovery through mindful awareness practices. Since then, Mark’s learning in mindfulness has grown, as has his practice and experience in teaching mindfulness to others in a range of settings. Over the last 15 years, Mark has been fortunate to work with a broad range of inspirational friends and clients who have shared their life challenges and their learning with him.
Mark is an engaging and experienced facilitator who loves what he does and derives great joy and gratitude in exploring the mindful life with others.
To learn more about Laura, see his full bio.
Retreat Details
This is a three-day retreat is located at Waunita Hot Springs Ranch. The retreat fee includes lodging, meals, and use of the Hot Springs. There are options for single and shared rooms.
Location: Waunita Hot Springs Ranch, located high in the Colorado Rockies at an elevation of 8,946 ft., is 10 miles west of the Continental Divide, east of Gunnison, Colorado. The ranch is surrounded by Gunnison National Forest. The main lodge and Hillside lodge include single and shared rooms, all with private bathrooms. The retreat activities take place upstairs in the barn, with views of the surrounding mountains. Fed by natural hot springs, the 35×90 ft pool is one of the largest private pools in Colorado and has an adjacent hot tub and bathhouse.
Dates: October 20 – 23, 2022 The retreat begins on a Thursday evening and ends on a Sunday around 11 to 11:30 am.
Meals: The meals will be vegetarian. There are gluten-free options available. Please let us know if you have additional dietary needs and we will contact the retreat staff.
Cost: $435 per person for a shared room. $535 per person for a private room. The price for the retreat is all-inclusive for the retreat, lodging, breakfast and dinner (light snacks midday), and hot springs and is not tax-deductible. With this retreat, the teachings are offered on a free-will donation basis. You may make a donation for the teachings either at the retreat or online below. This donation is not tax-deductible.
Travel: Waunita Hot Springs Ranch is located 27 miles east of Gunnison, Colorado. While Gunnison operates a regional airport, retreatants also fly into Grand Junction or Denver airports and travel by car to the ranch.
*Registrants must be fully vaccinated and boosted to attend the retreat.
Register: You can register securely online with a credit card, choosing your room type below. If you prefer to pay by check, contact us at [email protected] or (970) 633-0163. Space is limited. Please inquire if you have questions.
Donations for the teachings are optional and can be made online or at the retreat. The teachings for this retreat are offered on a free-will donation basis. If you would like to make a secure donation online, you can use the link below or offer one at the retreat.
Retreat Schedule
Thursday
3:oo pm to 5:30 pm: Check-In
6:00 pm or 6:30 pm: Dinner
7:30 pm to 9:00 pm: Opening Session
Friday and Saturday (Noble silence is observed in the morning until brunch)
7:30 am – 8:30 am: Morning Meditation
9:00 am – 10:00 am: Breakfast
10:30 am – 12:00 pm Morning Session
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Break/Personal Time – light snacks
2:00 pm 5:00 pm: Afternoon Session
6:00 pm: Dinner
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm: Evening Session
Sunday
7:30 am – 8:30 am: Meditation
9:00 am – 9:45 am: Breakfast
10: 00 – 11:30 am: Closing Session and Farewells
You may stay and soak in the hot springs if you would like.
If you have any other questions or if we can be of help in any way, please let us know. Please contact us at [email protected] or (970) 633-0163.
