Days of Mindfulness

You are welcome to join us for Days of Mindfulness. These days offer a small taste of Plum Village mindfulness practice.

If you are travelling from further afield, we recommend that you stay with us for at least a weeklong retreat, so you can have a complete introduction to our mindfulness practices and „full immersion“ experience of Plum Village.

Below is information for typical Days of Mindfulness that usually take place in Spring, Autumn and Winter:

Upcoming Days

• Please note that the Day of Mindfulness in New Hamlet on Thursday, 11 September will only be a half-day, ending after lunch.

Dear friends, we will add more dates as we get closer to the Days of Mindfulness. Registration for these days is not necessary. 

*Please bring your earphones and an extension cord to listen to the Dharma talk.

What is a Day of Mindfulness?

Days of Mindfulness are a full day of practicing mindfulness, in the Plum Village style, as a community. Monks, nuns, and lay practitioners – Plum Village residents, guests, neighbors and friends – come together to listen to a Dharma Talk (ie. a teaching or ‚lecture‘), and to practice sitting meditation, walking meditation, mindful eating, smiling and breathing together.

The Dharma Talks will be given by a resident senior monastic Dharma Teacher, and from time to time we may watch a video of a past Dharma Talk by Thay (Thich Nhat Hanh).

The day unfolds naturally, with as little guidance as possible, so everything can flow relaxingly. Days of Mindfulness in Plum Village are not structured as „mindfulness workshops“ or „classes“.

Days of Mindfulness take place every Thursday and Sunday during seasonal „General Practice Weeks“. During the themed retreat weeks like June Retreat, Summer Opening (July), and Wake Up retreat (August), the monastery will not host a Day of Mindfulness.

The location of Days of Mindfulness alternates between Plum Village’s hamlets: Upper Hamlet (Thénac), Lower Hamlet (Loubès-Bernac) and New Hamlet (Dieulivol). The entire community gathers in one hamlet for the whole day.

Important: The Days of Mindfulness are the ideal times to visit for a day if you cannot join a retreat. If you want to visit on a day when we are not hosting a Day of Mindfulness, please contact the registration office of the hamlet before to check if it’s possible to come, as there will be times when the hamlets are closed or not open to visitors.

Typical Schedule for a Day of Mindfulness

8:45 Arrive
9:15 Sitting Meditation
(please do not enter if the sitting has already started)
9:30 Chanting and Dharma Talk 
(please do not enter the Meditation Hall if the Talk has already started)
Short Break for tea
11:30 Walking Meditation through the fields & forest
12:30 Lunch Together in the Meditation Hall
13:30-15:00 Rest / free time
15:00 Dharma Sharing
(small circle discussions on mindfulness practice, or another activity)
16:30 Day ends

Please remember to arrive early so you can enter the meditation hall calmly before the program begins.

Practical information

How to prepare

We recommend that you read a little about Plum Village mindfulness practice before you attend, as Days of Mindfulness unfold naturally with minimal introductions to the practices.

Please check this page a few days ahead of time to find out where the next Day of Mindfulness will take place as there may be last-minute changes to location. Parking is available at each hamlet.

What to bring

• Please bring a set of wired earphones, and an audio extension cable (jack 3.5mm and at least 3m in length). The Dharma Talks are given in either French, English or Vietnamese. If you do not understand any one of these languages, live translation is available via the translation boxes, which you can access with wired earphones and an audio extension cable. Some spare sets are available to borrow in the entrance of the hall.
• If the weather is rainy, please bring appropriate footwear for our country paths (and mud).
• A self-service tea table and vegan lunch is provided for everyone.
• Please don’t forget to bring your donation in gratitude for the teachings and to contribute towards the meal and facilities provided.

Dana (donations)

We welcome donations, or dana (generosity), in gratitude for the teachings and to support our community to be able to continue to offer those teachings long into the future.

Your donation is also a contribution towards the meal and the facilities provided (meditation hall, sound system, bathrooms, and so on). The suggested donation is €20-35 per person, depending on your means. Donation Boxes are located in the hamlets‘ Dining Halls or you can donate online via this link.

All donations go to support the Plum Village community, officially recognised in French law as a Buddhist congregation known as „Communauté Bouddhique Zen du Village des Pruniers.“

Your generosity is deeply appreciated. Thank you.

Accommodation nearby

We regret that we cannot host you for one-night or two-night stays (the minimum stay is one week booked via the Retreat Calendar). We also cannot accommodate you if you want to stay in a tent or camper van. We recommend you consider booking a room in a Chambres d’hôtes in the region of Thénac (Upper Hamlet), Loubès-Bernac (Lower Hamlet), or Duras (New Hamlet), or finding a nearby campsite.

We look forward to seeing you at a Day of Mindfulness soon!