10-Day Christmas & New Year Vipassana Retreat

10-Day Vipassana Retreat During Christmas & New Year

23 December 2026 – 2 January 2027
Gudhjem, Bornholm

Spend Christmas and New Year immersed in noble silence amid the beautiful natural surroundings of Bornholm—hopefully embraced by blue skies and sparkling snow, creating a true winter wonderland.

Instead of the busyness of the holiday season, join like-minded souls in stillness, simplicity, and deep inner work.

We begin by calming and concentrating the mind through awareness of the breath. From the fourth day onwards, we gently transition into the practice of Vipassana.

Let go of the old, purify the mind, and welcome the New Year with clarity, peace, and an open heart.

A beautiful way to end one year—and begin the next.

The Practice

Vipassana allows us to meet everything we have pushed aside, stored up, or reacted to—triggers, physical pain, difficult emotions, restless thinking, and life’s challenges.

Rather than suppressing or escaping our experience, we learn to observe it with equanimity.

As awareness deepens, the mind gradually becomes less reactive. Old conditioning begins to dissolve, and we discover an inner stillness untouched by changing thoughts, emotions, and sensations.

Throughout the retreat, we cultivate concentration through awareness of the breath and develop equanimity by observing bodily sensations with balance and acceptance.

Is This Retreat for You?

A silent retreat is an invitation to turn inward—to feel your feelings rather than projecting them or talking them away.

Upon arrival, we collect all phones. This frees you from temptation and helps everyone remain fully present. If you need to remain reachable for someone close to you, we can provide an emergency contact number.

Please only join if you can commit to the complete schedule. The mind may create excuses: I need to rest, walk, or stop sitting. This reactivity is part of the practice.

Through Noble Silence and Strong Determination:

We are where we are.
We do what we do.
We are with what is.

Instead of walking in the mind, we experience what is here: our feet touching the earth, the feeling of stone and snow, and even the discomfort of remaining silent where we would normally speak.

Retreat can intensify emotions. Feeling overwhelmed is not a failure—the practice may be reaching something important.

We support you through teacher interviews and individual check-ins, helping you integrate what arises and answering your questions.

Your Teachers

Kristina and Stephan have guided meditation retreats together for many years.

Drawing on decades of dedicated practice, they support participants in navigating samsara’s changing landscape with compassion, presence, and wisdom.

Again and again, participants discover that physical pain softens, emotional storms pass, compulsive thinking loses its grip, and even the most intense experiences transform when met with steady awareness and equanimity.

The methods we teach are the methods we live.

Included

Dates

Arrival: 23 December 2026, between 16:00 and 18:00
Departure: 2 January 2027 at 10:00

Location and how to get there

Gamlevældevej 32 , 3760 Gudhjem, Bornholm

Arrival – 23 December

You can fly directly from Copenhagen to Bornholm.

A cheaper option is to take the KOMBARDO EXPRESSEN bus and ferry from Copenhagen or Copenhagen Airport to Rønne.

We can pick you up at around 3:00 pm from either Rønne Ferry Terminal or Bornholm Airport.

Alternatively, you can take a taxi, Uber, or bus to:

Gamlevældevej 32, 3760 Gudhjem

Check-in is between 4:00 and 6:00 pm.

Departure – 2 January

The retreat ends at 10:00 am. You can arrange to share an Uber with other participants to Rønne Ferry Terminal or Bornholm Airport.

Price

Total: €1,200

We look forward to welcoming you into ten days of silence, simplicity, and profound transformation.

Registration and Payment

You register through payment. Payment is made securely by credit or debit card below. If you prefer another payment method please contact me (stephanpendegmail.com).

Retreat Schedule

23 December 2026 – 2 January 2027

Wednesday, 23 December — Arrival

18:00 — Dinner
19:00–20:00 — Welcome and practical information
20:00–21:00 — Meditation
21:00 — Lights out

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24–26 December — Awareness of Breathing

During the first three days, we practise observing the natural breath as it moves in and out through the nostrils.

04:00 — Wake-up bell
04:30–06:30 — Meditation
06:30–08:00 — Breakfast and rest
08:00–09:00 — Meditation
09:00–11:00 — Meditation according to the teachers’ instructions
11:00–12:00 — Lunch
12:00–13:00 — Rest and teacher interviews
13:00–14:30 — Meditation
14:30–15:30 — Walking meditation
15:30–17:00 — Meditation according to the teachers’ instructions
17:00–18:00 — Tea break
18:00–19:00 — Meditation
19:00–20:15 — Evening discourse
20:15–21:00 — Meditation
21:00 — Lights out

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27–31 December — Vipassana

From 27 December, the practice shifts to observing sensations throughout the body.

04:00 — Wake-up bell
04:30–06:30 — Meditation
06:30–08:00 — Breakfast and rest
08:00–09:00 — Group meditation — sitting of strong determination
09:00–11:00 — Meditation according to the teachers’ instructions
11:00–12:00 — Lunch
12:00–13:00 — Rest and teacher interviews
13:00–14:30 — Meditation
14:30–15:30 — Walking meditation
15:30–17:00 — Meditation according to the teachers’ instructions
17:00–18:00 — Tea break
18:00–19:00 — Group meditation — sitting of strong determination
19:00–20:15 — Evening discourse
20:15–21:00 — Meditation
21:00 — Lights out

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Friday, 1 January — Vipassana and Metta

04:00 — Wake-up bell
04:30–06:30 — Meditation
06:30–08:00 — Breakfast
08:00–09:00 — Meditation
09:00–10:00 — Metta Bhavana — loving-kindness meditation
10:00–11:00 — Meditation
11:00–12:00 — Lunch
12:00–13:00 — Rest
13:00–14:30 — Meditation
14:30–15:30 — Metta Bhavana
15:30–17:00 — Packing and free time
17:00–18:00 — Tea
18:00–19:00 — Metta meditation
19:00–20:00 — Evening discourse
21:00 — Lights out

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Saturday, 2 January — Closing and Departure

04:00 — Wake-up bell
04:30–05:00 — Vipassana meditation
05:00–06:00 — Metta Bhavana
06:00–07:00 — Breakfast
07:00–09:00 — Discourse
09:00–10:00 — Closing and sharing