Silent retreat with Akincano M. Weber, May 16 to 22nd, 2025 in France

Public

• anyone wishing to deepen their mindfulness practice and cultivate a better understanding of Vipassana meditation (Insight Meditation);
• anyone who teaches or wishes to teach one day mindfulness in different areas of society: health, education, science, politics and business.

Professional training preresquisite

• this retreat meets the prerequisites of professional training courses for teachers of MBP.

Contraindications

• The practice of mindfulness meditation is contraindicated in certain circumstances. If you suffer from acute major depressive disorder, unstabilised bipolar disorder (manic depression), psychological sequelae of physical, emotional or sexual abuse, dissociative disorder, psychotic disorder (hallucinations, delusions), suicidal tendencies, participation in this retreat is contraindicated. If you wish to register, we ask you to seek advice from a health professional (psychologist, psychiatrist, doctor) beforehand. The retreat is not a substitute for medical or psychiatric treatment. Each participant undertakes the retreat under his or her own responsibility.

Akincano M. Weber is a Dharma teacher and psychotherapist. He teaches meditation and Buddhist psychology in Europe and the United States. Initially a Zen practitioner, he later turned to Early Buddhism and lived as a monk in the Forest Tradition in Thailand and Europe for 20 years. Alongside his monastic training in a meditation lineage, he studied Pali and Buddhist scriptures. Grateful for these diverse influences, he is not affiliated with any particular school, tradition, or orthodox transmission lineage today.

Akincano holds a Master’s degree in Buddhist psychotherapy. He is a co-founder of Bodhi College, directs the Atammaya Center in Cologne, and contributes to the training of MBSR teachers in several institutions. His particular interests include the cultural translation of Indian Buddhist teachings, tranquility meditation, and contemplative psychology.

During this retreat, Akincano M. Weber will be assisted by Gwénola Herbette

Gwénola Herbette teaches mindfulness in a secular context since 2008. She founded the Institut Pleine Conscience in Belgium, where she teaches MBSR, trains, and supervises MBSR teachers. She also collaborates with universities in Belgium, Switzerland, France, the United Kingdom, Asia, and the United States.

Deeply curious about the human experience, Gwénola devoted herself to the study of psychology. A Doctor of Psychology and psychotherapist, she later discovered the practice of mindfulness. She immersed herself in the study and practice of Buddhist psychology, which deeply resonated with her sensitivity. She deepened her path through personal practice, multi-year study programs, silent retreats, and teacher training for retreats, which she completed at Bodhi College, among others under the ongoing guidance of Akincano Weber, Bob Stahl, and Pascal Auclair. She has been engaged in the teaching of retreats since 2015.

Her connection to nature and her relationship with horses are also great sources of inspiration, joy, and essential connection in her life.

Friday, May 16 to Thursday, May 22, 2025

• welcoming Friday, May 16 between 4:30 PM and 6 PM
• ending Thursday, May 22, 2025, around 2:00 PM after lunch.

It is necessary to attend the entire retreat.

The detailed daily schedule will be sent shortly before May 16. Typically, days begin around 6:30 AM and end around 9:30 PM. They are structured around sitting and walking meditation, instructions and teachings, small group meetings, as well as contemplative work periods that integrate mindfulness into routine activities and support the life of the group.

Location: la Ferme Fortia, at Montréal-les-Sources in Drôme Provençale, France  (between Marseille, Lyon et Grenoble).

Immerse yourself in an intact nature for a 7-day 6-night mindfulness retreat in silence.

Venue

• Ferme Fortia is located in the heart of the Baronnies Provençales Regional Nature Park. It is a confidential place, built with noble materials according to ancestral methods, where the delicate work of stone, wrought iron and wood are combined in pure Provencal style.
• La Ferme Fortia welcomes guests in its charming gîtes and unusual accommodation (eco-lodges and tree house)*, in the middle of a mountain inhabited by lavender, olive trees, oak trees, pine forests and silence.
• A privileged setting in a protected nature, la Fortia Farm is the ideal place to settle down, return to simplicity and nurture an intimate relationship with the natural world around you and within you. The starlit nights, untouched by light pollution, offer moments of wonder and tranquility.

Meditation hall

• Meditation practice takes place in the unusual space of a riding arena with a vast wooden floor. In this semi-open space, we are both protected from the sun and in direct contact with nature, with the walls that open onto the valley and the setting sun. The Ferme’s gardens, with its secret corners, invite you to continue your meditation outside group time, early in the morning, early in the afternoon, in the evening…

Meals

• Meals are taken in the Orangerie, with its panoramic terrace overlooking the magnificent valley of the Baronnies Provençales.
• Our chefs Philippe and Michel will prepare vegetarian meals with care and generosity, using organic, local and seasonal produce.
• Gluten-free and lactose-free meals are available on request in advance. If you have other allergies, you may bring food that you can keep in the fridge to supplement your meals (it will not be possible to cook on site).

*Sheets, towels and hairdryers are provided. All rooms have comfortable bedding.

Address: Ferme Fortia – 531, Chemin des Vignasses – 26510 Montréal-les-Sources – France

Carpool: Once you’ve registered, you’ll have access to an online space where you can organize car pooling if you wish.

Access:

• by car: Join the A7 Lyon-Marseille highway – Take the Montélimar Sud exit – Follow signs for Nyons – Once in Nyons, take the road to Gap (D94) – As you pass through the village of Sahune, turn right towards Montréal les Sources – At the fountain in Montréal les Sources, dont’ follow your GPS but turn right, following the signs for “Ferme Fortia ».
• by train: book your train ticket to « Nyons cave coopérative ». This will include a train ticket to Montélimar train station and a bus ticket to Nyons cave coopérative. 5 days before your trip, call 04 800 7000 from France or +32 4 800 70000 from all other countries, to book a taxi to Montréal-les-Sources at Ferme Fortia (5€, for the 30-minute drive). Please note that the 5€ taxi service is possible only if you have a bus ticket to Nyons.
• by train + rental car: book your train ticket to Montélimar and from there, you can rent a car at a company.
• by plane: airports of Lyon or Marseille. Then train.

Find the access information also online.

Silence

• Meditation retreats involve a certain withdrawal from active life. With the intention to deepen inner tranquillity, silence allows this noble inner exploration, deep listening and a possible space for discovery. For the benefirt of all retreatants, it is essential that everyone takes care of silence by respecting it.
• To protect your senses and support your commitment to the retreat, at the start of the retreat you’ll be given the opportunity to hand over your electronic devices (phone, tablet, computer, connected watch) to the management team.

Detailed information

• Some time before the retreat, you will receive an email with all the practical information you need to make your retreat run smoothly.

Equipment on site

• a cushion and a meditation mat are provided for each participant;
• feel free to bring your own yoga mat if you wish, as well as a blanket and water bottle.

IMPORTANT: for your registration to be confirmed, you need to:

• complete the registration form
• pay the registration fee
• pay the accommodation fees (full board).

Without receipt of one of these 3 elements, we will not be able to confirm your registration. Please note that the number of places is limited, and registrations will be taken in the order in which these 3 elements are received.

Registration fee

• registering to the retreat: 549,59€ + VAT 115,41€ (21%) = [665€] VAT included
• includes organisation, teaching, 21% VAT and ticketing service

Accommodation rates, full board