Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Online Retreats

After you apply for a scholarship, you will receive an email confirming the reception of your application. Our team will review your application. If approved, you will receive a further email which contains a unique scholarship coupon. You can use this coupon when you finish registration. Read the step-by-step guide of claiming the coupon here.

You can log in the registration page and enter your coupon code (under ‘Order Overview’ in the ‘Coupon field’) and click ‘Apply Coupon’. You will see the updated price afterwards. Click ‘Continue’ to finish your retreat registration. You can find the step-by-step instructions here.

The intention of this retreat is to offer a transformative and healing online learning journey, helping people to cultivate insight, compassion, and resilience. This retreat has been created with much hard and loving work. To help us sustain the retreat and the community that is offering it, the refund policy is as follows:

• Within four  weeks before the retreat start date – 100% of the full fee may be refunded. An admin fee of €30.00 will be charged.*
• Within two  weeks before the retreat start date – 50% of the full fee may be refunded. An admin fee of €30.00 will be charged.*
•  Five days before the retreat start date – Refunds or transfers are no longer eligible.

*The admin fee is waived for scholarship recipients.

After selecting your rate, you will create an account by entering your name and email address (or log in if you already have an account). You will then receive an email from us with a magic login link. You will be logged in on the registration page by clicking the button/link in the email. From there you can proceed to payment. If you are applying for a scholarship, you will be directed to the application form.

The registration closes on January 15, 2026.

We offer an inclusive pricing system with a ‘sliding scale’ of prices as we are aware that people have different financial capacities: 

• We have a sponsor rate of €600 for those who may have the capacity to contribute more, which helps us to offer more scholarships.Those able to contribute a supporter rate are generously donating towards the construction of our new Nun’s Quarters and enabling us to offer scholarships to those who need them.
• Our standard rate is €400, which helps us to cover the costs involved in putting this retreat together. You also help us meet essential construction costs.
• If you are a student or on a lower income and unable to afford the standard rate, you are welcome to choose the discount rate of €250. Only choose this option if you have limited financial means, so that we can ensure these places go to those who truly need them.
• To ensure a diverse, inclusive and accessible retreat, we offer scholarships on request with a rate of €150 for particular hardships.

You can make payments via Credit Card or Debit Card, and payments can be made in either Euros (€) or US Dollars($).

For those who are paying in Euros you can also make your payment via Ideal, Giropay, Bancontact, Sofort, Eps’ and P24.We are not able to accept bank transfers, and can only accept PayPal transfers in the case where no other form of payment is possible. For any questions about payment please contact us via lh-office@plumvillage.org.

Unfortunately, we only can offer these forms of payment. If you are not able to pay via these means, we suggest asking a friend or family member to help you.

No, we do not. We appreciate your understanding.

This online retreat is designed to be accessible to those new to mindfulness practice and the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh. It is also a refreshing and deepening experience for those who have been practicing mindfulness for some time. The retreat is a precious chance to connect directly with our spiritual community, and to meet like-minded people concerned with the pressing issues of our times.

This online retreat is designed as an adult learning experience. If you are a parent or guardian, you may want to watch any of the videos on the online retreat platform first and check if you feel they may be suitable for your child to watch. Please note that in the sharing groups, themes may spontaneously arise that may not be appropriate for teenagers or children, and so it is not possible to register participants under 18. We are currently exploring how we can offer a different, more tailored experience for children and teens online. Please join our newsletter for future announcements.

You will need to spend 1-2 hours before the online retreat begins, to familiarize yourself with the retreat platform and learn more about the retreat teachers. We also suggest that you set up a peaceful corner of your home where you can follow the retreat activities online.

The retreat and its dedicated platform were newly developed in 2023. To deliver a seamless experience, we integrate a variety of external services and software into the retreat platform. The world of technology changes fast, and we can’t be sure how these external services might evolve. This makes it difficult for us to guarantee lifetime access at this point. However, we can guarantee that the retreat content and its platform will be available for 12 months after the retreat has ended.

Please support us by not sharing retreat talks or content in public or at sangha screenings. We wish to keep the retreat experience and imagery for those joining us within the retreat and retain the wonder and unique quality of the retreat experience. This enables us to present each talk in a complete and appropriate context, which is part of what makes the teachings so powerful.

However, we do encourage you to share your own direct personal experience of the retreat with others, including your sangha— any insights, connections or transformations that have touched you— in order to nourish your Dharma friends.

We suggest that you register as individuals and participate as an individual in the group sharing sessions.

Yes, you do not need to be in a hut on a mountain to enjoy this online retreat. As long as you have a quiet corner or room where you can be undisturbed, and perhaps some space to stretch, you will be able to enjoy the online retreat. You may need headphones, and if you are joining sharing sessions, somewhere in the house where you can speak in privacy. You can explain to those you live with your intention in joining the online retreat and ask for their support. The idea is not to cut yourself off from them, but to generate the energy of mindfulness, peace and presence during the sessions and bring to them to your interactions off the screen. You will be able to apply many of the teachings, such as deep listening and mindful eating, right away!

Yes. This online retreat will be a mixture of pre-recorded video content and live events. The pre-recorded content will allow you to follow in your own time during the week. 

The live Dharma talks will take place at 15:30 Central European Time (CET). Some sitting meditation sessions, as well as the Five Mindfulness Trainings Transmission Ceremony and Lyrical Meditation will be at 19:30 CET. All live events (with the exception of the sharing groups) will be recorded if you’re not able to join live.

Please first log into the webpage. You will receive a magic link in your email, which takes you to the retreat platform. Follow the instructions in the email.

We have implemented the magic link to make sure you are the only user of your account. Once you are logged in, however, you might be able to come back to the retreat page without needing to log in each time. This depends on the browser you use and how the browser manages your cookies.

The live events will generally be for 1 hour, with the exception of the Dharma talks and sharing sessions  which lasts for 1.5 hours.

Please make sure that you have downloaded and fully updated the video conferencing software Zoom before the retreat begins, since all the live events and sharing groups will take place via Zoom. When you open the Zoom link, please make sure that you allow Zoom to enable your microphone. During the events, please keep your microphone muted when you are not speaking. For sharing sessions, we kindly request that you keep your camera on.

The sharing groups are groups of about 15-20 participants each facilitated by an experienced practitioner. These sessions give us a chance to listen deeply, speak from the heart, and benefit from each other’s insights and experience of the retreat. We can share our experiences, our joys, difficulties as well as questions relating to the teachings in the retreat and the mindfulness practices we are following together.

A few weeks before the retreat opens, you will be invited to join a group from a list in the retreat platform. In order to build a safe and supportive environment in these groups, we ask participants to commit to staying in the group for all 3 sharing sessions

Yes, you can change your sharing group after the first meeting with your group if you feel uncomfortable or if the time/date doesn’t suit you. After the second sharing session, however, it is not possible to change your sharing group. This is to support the creation of a strong collective experience within the group.

We ask for one person per screen for the group sharing sessions, so that your face can be seen more clearly. This can help to create a sense of safety and greater sense of connection.

Yes. Each group will be led by an experienced facilitator in the Plum Village tradition

This online retreat will be offered in English with translation into French and Spanish. The sharing groups will also be available in French and Spanish.

The live sessions will be offered in English with translation into French and Spanish.

You will have access to the retreat materials and platform for one year after the closing event.