Sit – Breathe – Walk – Sing: The Four Foundations of Mindfulness and Creativity

With: Dorothea Gädeke, Alex Paterson
4 January 2025 – 11 January 2025

Start off 2025 with this retreat on The Four Foundations of Mindfulness, as taught by Chögyam Trungpa. We will explore how these teachings connect to creativity, playfulness and improvisation, including practices of movement and voice. Open to everyone!

Many of the qualities we cultivate in meditation, such as gentleness, fearlessness, bravery and letting go, help us to respond from a place of openness and not-knowing rather than self-consciousness or habit. Theatre and voice exercises can help us practice these qualities off the cushion.

The more we relax and open through the practice of meditation and contemplation, the more freedom we experience in our movements, interactions and voices, both in singing and the spoken word. This invites us to be fully presence.

”When our heart is full, humans naturally long to express themselves.”
(Chögyam Trungpa)

The practices included in the weekend : Shamatha meditation, Dharma talks, movement and voice, singing, exercises in awareness, imagination, play and improvisation.
Our approach will be one of exploration and discovery rather than performance.

Please come as you are – no prior experience necessary!

Meet Dorothea Gädeke in an exclusive interview with Alex Paterson.

Presentation of a programme of Alex Paterson.

Practical

Arrival day (Saturday January 4): You’re invited to come from 4 pm in order to register and settle in your room. Dinner is served at 6.45 pm. Orientation talk at 8 pm.

End of programme (Friday January 10): Closing circle in the evening.

Departure day (Saturday Januray 11): You may leave anytime (no programme). You’re welcome to stay for breakfast.

This programme is taught in English. Requests for interpretation in other languages must be made in advance and confirmed (please indicate your request on the registration page).

The body- and voice-work will be instructed in English, French and German.

Programme price

Regular	360 €
Patron	468 €	Help support lower income participants
Under 30 years of age	180 €

If you require financial assistance to attend this programme please contact [email protected].

Accommodation and food

Full board	60 €	/ night *

* includes standard accommodation and all meals.

Price information

Regular: this is the regular price for participating in the programme. Occasionaly (if specified in the programme description), there may be an additional fee for materials, to be paid upon arrival.
Patron: for those who can offer more than the regular price, your generosity in paying the Patron Price helps cover the costs for others who are not able to pay the full programme price and provides support to Dechen Chöling.
Under 30 years of age: 50% reduction on the regular programme price for persons under 30 years at the start of the programme.

Accommodation: the standard accommodation we provide is in a dormitory for the winter and a furnished two-person tent in the summer. Extra fees for room upgrades can be paid upon arrival. Additionally, room tax will be charged at 0.20 € per person, per night.

See the full price list

Note: participation in any programme offered by the association of Dechen Chöling requires you to be up-to-date with the association’s annual fee (15 €), which can be settled upon arrival.