Being Together

A family and youth mindfulness retreat for parents and young people

From 16:00 July 27 to 17:00 July 29, 2012

at the Asian Institute of Applied Buddhism, Lotus Pond Temple,
Ngong Ping Village, Lantau Island, HK

Children and monastics play at AIAB

June 15, 2012

Dear friends,

For the past two years, Plum Village Hong Kong has organized its annual mindfulness retreat for family and youth at the HKFYG Jockey Club Sai Kung during the last weekend of July. The parents and children enjoy just being themselves and being present for each other. The retreat has become a space for families to have open communication and their loving care expressed. Everyone has lots of fun along the way of transformation and healing.

We are happy to announce that our third family and youth mindfulness retreat will be from July 27 to July 29, 2012 at our new home in Ngong Ping, Lantau Island. Families with children, young people and individuals are welcome to attend the retreat. The retreat will be in a camp setting. Parents, young people and children will have separate as well as joint activities. The children, teens, young people and adults will be divided into groups according to their age: Children program: 6 to 12 years old, teen program: 13 – 16 years old, young adult: 17 – 22 years old, and adults: 22 years old and up.

The activities held in this mindfulness retreat are similar to the ones offered in Plum Village France every summer. We will learn and practice mindful breathing, mindful walking, and pleasant smiling; the foundation of the Plum Village tradition. We will also practice deep listening and loving speech. By embodying these basic skills, we can offer our true presence to our loved ones, our children, and our parents.

In the retreat we will study the Four Pillars of the Plum Village practice: work, study, practice and play, along with the Four Gratitude: gratitude to our parents, teachers, friends and all beings. When we are able to balance our work, study, practice and play, stress is less likely to dominate our life on the contrary, we feel quite fulfilled. When we have gratitude, it is easy to be happy and to feel alive.

The tentative program is as follows

Accommodation and cost: Accommodation for this retreat is limited to dormitory-room and camping. Participants will be housed in dormitories (bunk beds) and tents at Lotus Pond Temple and at the nearby SG Davis Youth hostel (15-minute walk to Lotus Pond Temple). Pillows, bed-linens, and blankets will be provided if staying in dormitory. For camping, please bring your own bedding supplies. The cost per person is listed below (in HK Dollars), based on bed/tent space taken.

*Please write us at  retreats@pvfhk.org to arrange accommodation for children under 6.
Single-person tents are provided. If camping as families/groups, please bring your own tents.

Working Meditation: Because the retreat is held in the monastery, all the preparation and cooking will be done by the monastics and some volunteers. During the retreat, we need help from participants in preparation works like: setting up the meditation hall and dining hall, washing up after meals… Participants will be grouped into Dharma discussion groups and will work together in the same groups to help with the retreat.

How to register: Registration is available online at the Plum Village Hong Kong Website at http://www.pvfhk.org on a first-come-first-served basis. There will be children and teenagers programs for children and young people from 6–18 years old. There are no separate programs for children under 6, and they have to be under full care of the parents. Registrations are not final until we receive your payment. Please make payment within one week after you register. If payment is not received within one week, your registration will be placed on a waiting list. For means of payment, details will be sent along with the confirmation email to those who completed online registration

Closing date for registration: July 19^th , 2012. Payment is not refundable for cancellation after July 14^th , 2012. For enquiries, please contact us by e-mail: retreats@pvfhk.org or by phone from 14:30 – 17:00 (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday):  2985-5033 (English), 9771-6453 (Chinese).

We are looking forward to seeing you at the retreat!

A lotus to you,
A Buddha to be.

For the Family and Youth Mindfulness Retreat Registration Team
Sr. Hanh Nghiem & Br. Phap Dung