Mindfulness and Insight Meditation (Vipassana)
10-day Silent Meditation Retreatwith Dr. Julia Harfensteller
from 3:30pm (Thu) to 2:30pm (Sun)
Course language: english
For beginners and already experienced
About the Retreat
Vipassana means insight into the interrelatedness of mind and matter with the aim to understand the fabric of our own personality. Vipassana meditation is an ancient and a hugely empowering hands-on approach which starts from the idea that we can learn and understand how our mind works by simply watching it. And if we understand how our mind works, we can free ourselves from unwholesome habit patterns and conditionings including stressing ourselves out and pushing us beyond our limits.
Along this silent retreat we will cultivate mindful awareness in meditation as well as in daily activities.
The emphasis is placed on practicing continuity in awareness in everything we do based on an open and accepting attitude towards us and our experience. The retreat includes guided meditations, periods of non-guided practice, Dharma sharings by the teacher and group discussions.
The retreat is suitable for both new and experienced practitioners.
Dr. Julia Harfensteller teaches mindfulness and insight meditation in the Vipassana tradition. Her teaching is based on her 20 years of meditation experience under the guidance of teachers from the Theravada Buddhist tradition in East and West but also from the Tibetan tradition (among others, Sayadaw U Tejaniya, Dhammajiva, Bhante Rahula, Upul Gamage, Sharon Salzberg, Roshi Joan Halifax, Fred van Allmen, Tsoknyi Rinpoche).During her several months of retreats in Asia, she has visited and got to know centers of various traditions in Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand. These include centers of S.N. Goenka, but also other centers of the Mahasi tradition (Chanmyay Yeiktha, Sayadaw U Janaka) and Pa Auk, but also with teachers whose names she has long since forgotten. Later she intensively studied the Advaita tradition (Ramana Maharishi, Mahesh Maharishi).
For various reasons, Julia has increasingly moved away from traditional teaching methods of strict meditation discipline (e.g. S.N. Goenka) and found her own approach through the open and everyday approach of S. U Tejaniya.
Julia emphasizes a relaxed awareness with all that is in the here and now. Her style is non-esoteric and undogmatic, humorous and open.
You can find more about Julia Harfensteller on our teachers page.
- Respecting the Noble Silence during the retreat
- Full registration
- Willingness to participate in the daily kitchen clean-up after meals and facility cleaning
Further general conditions of participation can be found here.
Arrival day (Thursday, July 30, 2026):
3:30–5:00pm Check-in
6:00pm Welcome and Orientation
7:00pm Evening Snack
8:00pm Introduction and Evening Meditation
Please plan to arrive in good time so that you can complete the check-in process without rush and settle into your room or set up your tent. Participants staying off site are also required to check in. Depending on waiting times, the check-in process takes approximately 10–20 minutes.
Accommodation and Meals
The accommodation in Das Buddhistische Haus is organized by the SAGE Institute. Please indicate your accommodation preferences at registration with SAGE. Also, please mention food allergies and special food intolerances (e.g., gluten intolerance).
Accommodation options at Das Buddhistische Haus:
- Double or triple bedrooms with shared bathroom facilities
- Sleeping in your own tent or camper on site
Please note that due to the small accommodation capacity at Buddhistisches Haus, single rooms cannot be booked. However, private accommodations with single rooms in the neighbourhood are available. On request, we will be happy to give you information on external accommodation options in Frohnau.
Meals:
All participants, including those with external accommodation, will be served breakfast, lunch and a light evening meal. All meals are vegetarian. Vegan options are available on the buffet.
Registration via SAGE Institute
More information and registration for this seminar on the website of our partner SAGE-Institut https://www.sage-institut.de
As Das Buddhistische Haus does not organize seminars, we kindly ask you to contact SAGE Institute directly for all questions, thank you!
SAGE Institut für
Achtsamkeit und Gesundheit
030-2637-2067
www.sage-institut.de