Join mindfulness teachers and activists, Lisa Brown, Lody Levy and Suzie Brown, for a 3-day mindfulness and nature retreat for climate and environmental activists and conservationists
As activists, change makers and earth protectors, we are passionately committed to protecting the earth.This can lead to burnout and overwhelm as we face the accelerating climate and ecological crises unfolding before us.

Many complex and difficult emotions like fear, anxiety, grief and anger will naturally arise and this can lead to burn out, an absence of joy and affect our health and relationships and ability to show up in the world.

This retreat will offer an opportunity to reconnect: with the natural world, with ourselves and with a community of supportive people.
The retreat will provide strategies and practices, silent reflection, yoga and chi gong, connecting with nature and the opportunity to share your experiences with others.
Our aspiration is that through periods of silent reflection, walking in nature, mindful movement, mindful sharing and dialogue with others we can:

Develop emotional resilience
Embody self-compassion practices
Experience deeper openings to love and joy
Connect to nature

Robin Wall Kimmerer said “It is a radical act to reclaim your own attention and turn it to the natural world.” Reconnecting to nature is the portal to deep belonging, which we all crave and reminds us of who we are and why we do this work

We don’t want anyone to miss out for financial reasons so we hope to be able to raise funds to help those who need financial support.
The retreat is offered free to First Nation participants.

Our venue will be the beautiful Springbrook Rainforest Retreat: https://tsretreat.org/

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
The retreat runs from Friday 1st November 5pm (dinner served at 6pm) until Monday 4th November 2pm (after lunch).
The retreat fee includes all meals and beverages plus accommodation in either a private room or camping – all with shared bathrooms.
The retreat fee does not include payment for the teachers. The teaching is provided by Lisa, Lody & Suzie on a dana basis – the ancient Buddhist practice of dana – this means that we offer the teachings generously and ask for a monetary offering from you to the teachers according to your means.
The registration fee includes a $100 non-refundable deposit. If you need to cancel your booking, you can do so up until 7 days before the retreat and we will issue you a refund minus the $100.

ARE YOU AN EXPERIENCED MEDITATOR?
If you have experience with silent retreats, we invite you to stay on after this 3 day retreat for an additional 3 days where we will be doing silent sitting and walking meditation together and some sharing practices. If this additional 3 days of meditation is of interest to you please email us to apply: suziebrown@iinet.net.au

TEACHERS

Lisa Brown is a Registered Psychologist, Insight Meditation Dharma Teacher, Yoga Teacher, certified Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction Teacher (Brown University, USA) and trained Mindful Self-Compassion Facilitator. As an Adjunct Lecturer at Charles Sturt University, Lisa taught mindfulness and retreats for post-graduate students and has a deep interest in the conjunction of western science, Buddhadharma and earth-based wisdom traditions in health, healing and trauma recovery. Lisa works in private practice, facilitating retreats, groups and workshops on Gumbaynggirr Country, Coffs Harbour. For more information see www.mindfulnesspsychologywellbeing.com

Lody Levy is a buddhist psychotherapist, art therapist and meditation teacher. She has worked for many years supporting people to connect and embrace their feelings in response to their own suffering and the suffering in the world. Lody has a passion for the natural world and has been inspired by Joanna Macy for many years. She has always had a strong sense of social and ecological justice and is active in the climate justice movement.

Suzie Brown has been teaching Insight meditation and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for over a decade. She has also worked as a climate and environmental activist for two decades and was the founder and former CEO of Parents for Climate. Working with activists and the community, she teaches nature connection practices and mindful approaches to dealing with climate anxiety and grief. She also works as a Mentor in the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program (MMTCP) taught by Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach, and is a teacher in their online dharma platform, Banyan.