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.
Donate
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.
Mindful Living Skills Webinar – August 2022
The Mindful Life Community™ is excited to announce our next Mindful Living Skills webinar: Bringing Nature Into Mindfulness and Mindfulness Into Nature
August 20, 4 pm MST US
Register today to save your spot!
The panel for this month’s webinar:
Laura Bartels, Executive Director of the Mindful Life Program™ and instructor in the Mindful Learning Year.
Mark Molony, Co-Founder of the Mindful Life Program™ and instructor in the Mindful Learning Year.
Wayne Kinrade, a Mindful Life Community™ Member
Our monthly webinars bring Mindful Life Program™ founders, teachers, and guests together in a collective conversation on key aspects of practice. Join us to learn, explore, and have a chance to ask questions during these live events.
The webinars are open to anyone, so feel free to invite friends. They are free to members of the Mindful Life Community™ and Mindfulness in Recovery® Community. If you’re not a member of either, register for just $10.
This event has limited seats available. After checkout, look for an email with your personal link to the webinar.
Already a member?
Register at no charge from the Event link within your community. For ease, we’ve copied them below!
Mindful Life Community™
Mindfulness in Recovery® Community
MLP Online Mindfulness Foundations Course
In this time of national and global challenges such as an ongoing pandemic, a deeply divided electorate, and grief-inducing climate chaos, basic mindfulness skills can help us to reduce anxiety, eco-despair, and fear, to live our precious lives with genuine happiness, loving-kindness, and compassion. This course is a transformative first step on a lifelong journey into our more authentic and joyful selves.
Join the Mindful Life Program Foundations Course, October 7 – November 25, 2022. Give yourself the gift of this lively and engaging opportunity to learn to live mindfully, with attention and intention, cultivating genuine happiness and a meaningful life. The MLP Foundations Course combines the practice of meditation with the application of mindfulness in daily life and guides you to develop the habits that support you. Our goal is to help you to live your life with attention and intention, cultivating the skills that empower you to make healthy choices that are in alignment with your values and that are meaningful to you. Empower yourself to integrate the four key areas of mindfulness – attention, wisdom, values, and an open heart – into your life in practical, accessible, and universal ways.
Attention – Developing attention skills through meditation training.
Values – Living a meaningful life. Developing healthy habits and responses that are in alignment with one’s personal values.
Wisdom – Understanding one’s biases, labeling, projection, and pre-judgment. Increasing emotional intelligence and learning to respond rather than react.
Open heart – Developing healthy relationships and connections. Cultivating skills of compassion, loving-kindness, empathic joy, and equanimity.
Enrollment includes:
Read the full description for the course under the Programs tab, and read more feedback from recent participants here.
Dates: Fridays, 2:00 – 4:30 pm MST from October 7 – November 25, 2022
Cost: $299 ($350 value), contact facilitator for information on scholarships
To register: click here
Contact: Rita Clagett, [email protected], 970.216.8020
Facilitator: Rita Clagett
Facilitator Website
Cultivating Our Well-Being Mindfulness Retreat
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.
Donate
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.
Online Mindfulness in Recovery® Online Course
The Mindfulness in Recovery® Course is an 8-WEEK online course open to anyone.
We are excited and grateful to be able to offer this online course with daily activities and teachings, and live sessions facilitated by our co-founder, John Bruna, and live sessions facilitated by Dan Piquette. With our online format, you can attend from wherever you are in the world.
This is an eight-week course open to everyone for personal development and for those working with others in the treatment field. It is experiential and focused on helping participants cultivate a daily mindfulness practice that integrates the MIR skills into daily life.
About the MIR Course
In addition to the course, participants receive:
This course begins with an opening session on Monday, July 25th, followed by weekly live sessions on the following Monday evenings. In between sessions, there are videos with instruction from John and exercises from the Essential Guidebook to Mindfulness in Recovery.
Everyone in the United States receives a copy of either the Essential Guidebook to Mindfulness in Recovery or the Family and Friends version of the guidebook, and access to the private course online community platform accessible by computer, tablet, or mobile phone. You are able to interact with others in the course on that platform and in the course sessions.
*If you live outside of the USA, we will work with you to get you access to the guidebook.
Course Facilitator: Dan Piquette
Course Schedule
July 25th – September 19th
Live Session Times – Mondays at:
Price: $349 US. There is a $50 discount for Mindful Life and Mindfulness in Recovery Community members. Contact us at [email protected] for your discount code.
Payment Plans and Scholarships: We always offer scholarships and payment plans. We never want anyone to not access our services due to financial difficulties. To apply for a payment plan or scholarship, click here.
Registration: Once you have registered, please fill out this information form. You will receive a confirmation email with details for the course. Look for your Essential Guidebook in the mail unless you live outside of the United States. If outside the US, we will contact you about options.
Questions: Email [email protected] or call (970) 633-0163.
Mindful Living Skills Webinar – June 2022
The Mindful Life Community™ is excited to announce our next Mindful Living Skills webinar: Living with an Open Heart in a World with Uncertainty and Suffering
June 25, 4 pm MST US
Register today to save your spot!
The panel for this month’s webinar:
Laura Bartels, Executive Director of the Mindful Life Program™ and instructor in the Mindful Learning Year.
Mark Molony, Co-Founder of the Mindful Life Program™ and instructor in the Mindful Learning Year.
Our monthly webinars bring Mindful Life Program™ founders, teachers, and guests together in a collective conversation on key aspects of practice. Join us to learn, explore, and have a chance to ask questions during these live events.
The webinars are open to anyone, so feel free to invite friends. They are free to members of the Mindful Life Community™ and Mindfulness in Recovery® Community. If you’re not a member of either, register for just $10.
This event has limited seats available. After checkout, look for an email with your personal link to the webinar.
Already a member?
Register at no charge from the Event link within your community. For ease, we’ve copied them below!
Mindful Life Community™
Mindfulness in Recovery® Community