Four Degrees of Mindfulness Retreat
with John Bruna, Laura Bartels
We are delighted to be able to again return to Waunita Hot Springs Ranch for our annual mindfulness retreat. This year, we will be focusing on developing and deepening the four degrees of mindfulness. All too often people limit their understanding of mindfulness to present moment awareness. Though extremely important and can be transformative, that is the beginning, or one can say, the foundation of mindfulness. As we learn to become more able to be consciously aware of what we are doing in the present moment, we can significantly improve our ability to be an active participant in shaping the person we are becoming, developing the inner qualities that we find meaningful and supportive of the lives we want to live. We can all develop the skills of living mindfully that reduce stress, cultivate our inner resources, build resiliency, and have more joy in our lives. The greater the degrees of our awareness, the more we are able to make healthy choices that foster genuine happiness and fulfilling lives.
While there are many different definitions and perspectives of mindfulness, we can approach mindfulness by exploring different degrees of mindfulness:
- Awareness of what we are doing. This can be described as present moment awareness.
- Awareness of why we are doing it. This relates to insight regarding motives, habits, and tendencies.
- Awareness of whether it is beneficial or not to our lives and the person we want to be. Are we in alignment with our values?
- Awareness of whether what we are thinking, perceiving, or acting upon is based in reality. This relates to cognitive distortions, projections, exaggerations, labeling, and emotional refractory experiences.
Though living with such degrees of mindfulness may seem a bit daunting, it is actually very doable and only requires training and practice. In fact, you have all experienced these degrees of mindfulness in your lives, though often for short moments. Over the course of the retreat, we will unpack methods to bring the four degrees of mindfulness into your lives in ways that are meaningful to you.
The retreat will be facilitated by John Bruna and Laura Bartels
About the Facilitators
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 led 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 is the Executive Director and a co-founder of the Mindful Life Program. In addition to leading retreats across the US and teaching and presenting on mindfulness, Laura is the co-instructor for our in-depth training, the Mindful Learning Year. Laura’s previous professional path in sustainable building and community development, helping people and communities put values into action offered a valuable foundation and perspective on the importance of inner sustainability. Personally and professionally, the skills of living mindfully became an essential part of Laura’s life as the value of meditation and mindfulness became even more clear after a serious car accident. Laura has brought programs to diverse audiences from educators and parents to law enforcement and emergency dispatchers. Laura brings sensitivity to both individuals and groups, and she has been looked to for her calm presence and leadership, her kindness and her thoughtfulness. To learn more about Laura, see her full bio.
Retreat Details
This is a three-day retreat 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. The retreat will be partially silent, morning until midday, with a mix of meditation sessions, instruction, discussion, reflection time, walks, journaling, or simply relaxing in the hot spring.
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 19 – 22, 2023 The retreat begins on a Thursday evening and ends on a Sunday around 11:30 am.
Meals: The meals are vegetarian and Waunita does their best to meet any special dietary needs. Please let us know if you have additional dietary needs and we will contact the retreat staff.
Cost: $470 per person for a shared room. $575 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.
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: The Mindful Life Program only charges enough to cover hosting the retreat. John and Laura offer their teachings on a free will offering basis. You may offer any amount to support their efforts 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.
