Bodywork – 2 day body awareness workshop

 This retreat is now fully booked. If you leave your details below there may be a cancellation space we can give you. Sorry for this, but there are actually only 13 rooms in the building.Announcing:

a close and small group 2 day meditation workshop on

BODYWORK :   ‘Mindfulness of Body’

at YBAT 1 (Thonburi)

for 13 serious yogis ….

Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 February

Overview

Intensive 2 day retreat for experienced yogis on ‘body awareness’. Led by Phra Pandit and yoga/Qi Kong instructor Marisa Cranfil.

We’ll be bringing together raw mindfulness of body techniques with mindfulness yoga and Qi Kong – with the aim to bring attention firmly into the body. Of all the kinds of mindfulness the Buddha praised mindfulness of body the highest. It is the foundation of practise, that can be taken all the way through Jhana and to enlightenment (see the Kayakathasati Sutta). It is also the foundation of self healing, and of healing others. We’re aiming at the integration of Vipassana and yoga traditions to produce grounded and lasting body-based attention.

There is space for only 13 yogis. You should be competent to practise on your own and make use of the time and space. Each yogi has an air-con private room and bathroom. This is not a suitable workshop for complete beginners.

Booking cost is 2000 baht. Only those paid in advance are assured of a space, since there are only 13 rooms we cannot accommodate cancellations. You can deposit the funds at any of our events with Rubby or Dr Holly .. or if you don’t know who contact ask Phra Pandit for directions. Note the full cost of the retreat is 3000 baht/person (due to the individual air-con rooms). We are leaving the last 1000 baht optional in case anyone is short of funds.

Pandit Bhikkhu

  

Forty-one year old Pandit Bhikkhu, who was born in the UK, has been living in Thailand since 1996, and has practiced in several ‘Insight’ meditation lineages. He finished a degree in Psychology from Thailand – and is known for comparisons and the using of tools from both the psychological and meditation sides of the practice. Currently he is finishing a further degree in Buddhist Studies and teaching meditation and psychology in the same university. Since 2007 he has been leading Bangkok’s only active meditation group for English speakers, arranging events large and small on a regular basis under the banner of the Little Bangkok Sangha. Pandit Bhikkhu will walk us through both the concepts and science of mindfulness meditation as well as engage with us in a practice of mindfulness sitting and walking meditation.  He will also share tips on how to enhance our practice and mechanisms for accelerating the learning of mindfulness.

Marisa Cranfil

Frequent trips to Thailand as a child led to Marisa’s early interest in Asia. These impressions motivated her to study to meditation and expression through academic and experiential learning for the past 14 years around the world. Her university major from LIU in Comparative Religion included the study of qi gong, mid-eastern dance and an undergraduate thesis on comparative meditation techniques of Buddhism in China, Taiwan and Thailand. Although first exposed to Hatha Yoga in India, Marisa was trained as an Ashtanga yoga instructor in Bangkok with the intention to integrate her experiences of meditation into movement.

She has also has experience with a range of meditation methods including S.N. Goenka, Chinese Cha’n, the Pureland school and the Japanese Zen Mo’zhao.

She has assisted meditation teacher Ajahn Helen Jandamit and with retreats at the Young Buddhist’s Association of Thailand.

Schedule:

Meet at YBAT 1 at 8:30 am (there’s little traffic early Saturday morning)

Session

Saturday 26th
9:00	Orientation
9:30	Mindfulness of Body sitting meditation
10:30	Yoga – emphasis on body awareness
12:00	Lunch
1:00	Private practice
2:00	Walking and Sitting Mindfulness exercises
4:30	Break
5:00	Qi Gong and movement routine
6:30-7:30	drinks/tea/coffee  after qigong
7:30	Evening dhamma talk. Sitting meditation
9:00	Retire/private practice
Sunday 27th
5:30	Group sitting meditation
6:30	Yoga/movement
8:00	Breakfast/private practice
9:30	Sitting/walking meditation
12:00	Lunch
1:30	Intensified body awareness practises
3:00	Private practice
4:00	Short yoga/sitting/walking
5:00	Wrapping up with Pandit Bhikkhu and Marisa

s will continue through Saturday and Sunday, with time for personal practise also.

6 pm Sunday evening finish.

Detailed schedule will go up soon

Bring light loose clothes for yoga

Facility:

The YBAT facility in Thonburi should be well known to Thais – known as ‘Yuwaphut’ in Thai this group arrange continual insight meditation retreats throughout the year for tens of thousands of people.

We will be in the brand new Boonyong Wongwanij Building which is spacious, air-conditioned for both sitting and walking meditation rooms, and very quiet. There is a great sound system too, so it is easy to hear. There are plenty of sitting mats, and chairs for those who need them.

The place is very easy to get to – don’t be afraid of crossing the river !!  Easiest is to take the skytrain to Wong Wien Yai, and there take a taxi to Petch Kasem 54. The roads are wide and empty on this side of the river,  so it should only take 10 – 15 minutes. Perhaps 80 baht taxi fare from Sathorn. On the way back we will arrange car/taxi pooling.

If you take a taxi all the way, it should be very quick on a Saturday morning. You can come via any of the main bridges, from Pinklao, Saphan Phut, Sarthorn, or the extra speedy Rama III. From Central Sukhumvit area should take about 35 minutes, and cost about 140 baht.

All taxis will know Petch Kasem Road. Entering soi 54 go to the end of the soi, and turn right. You will see the big new YBAT facility right in front of you!

YBAT do run occasional retreats in English also, so it is worthwhile getting to know this venue (their main hall can hold 2000 people!) If you are coming from outside Bangkok you can hire a bedroom at YBAT and stay overnight – please let us know via the form below (room rate is about 600 baht/night – we’ll confirm this if anyone wants to book)

Click the map below for an even larger version: