Christmas & New Year Vipassana Retreat
December 25. 2026 : 18:00 – January 2. 2027 : 10:00
Vipassana Retreat during Christmas & New Year
25 December 2026 – 2 January 2027, it is also possible to join the 26th or 27th
Gudhjem, Bornholm
One Full Week Vipassana Retreat on Bornholm
Arrival: 25 December, 16:00–18:00
Departure: 2 January, 10:00
If you would like to spend all of Christmas with your family, it is also possible to arrive on 26th or 27th December.
Spend the quiet days between Christmas and New Year immersed in Noble Silence in the beautiful natural surroundings of Bornholm — perhaps beneath blue winter skies and sparkling snow.
Step away from the busyness of the holiday season and enter a week of stillness, simplicity and deep inner practice.
We begin by calming and concentrating the mind through awareness of the breath. From there, we gradually move into the practice of Vipassana — learning to observe the changing sensations of the body with awareness and equanimity.
Let go of the old, purify the mind, and enter the New Year with greater clarity, peace and an open heart.
A beautiful way to end one year — and begin the next.
The Practice
Vipassana invites us to meet what we normally push away, react to or become entangled in — physical pain, difficult emotions, restless thinking, triggers and the challenges of life.
Rather than suppressing or escaping our experience, we learn to stay present and observe it with equanimity.
As awareness deepens, the mind gradually becomes less reactive. Old patterns and conditioning begin to loosen, and beneath the constant movement of thoughts, emotions and sensations, we may discover a deeper inner stillness.
Throughout the retreat, we cultivate concentration through awareness of the breath and develop equanimity through direct observation of bodily sensations.
Is This Retreat for You?
A silent retreat is an invitation to turn inward — to feel what is here rather than immediately talking about it, acting it out or moving away from it.
Upon arrival, we collect all phones. This helps create a space where everyone can be fully present. If someone close to you needs to be able to reach you in an emergency, we can provide an emergency contact number.
Please join only if you are willing to commit to the retreat schedule. At times, the mind may say: I need to rest. I need to walk. I don’t want to sit anymore. Meeting this reactivity with awareness is itself part of the practice.
Through Noble Silence and Strong Determination, we practice:
We are where we are.
We do what we do.
We are with what is.
A retreat can bring strong emotions and sensations to the surface. We support you through teacher interviews and individual check-ins, helping you understand and integrate what arises and answering questions about your practice.
Your Teachers
Kristina and Stephan have guided meditation retreats together for many years.
Drawing on decades of dedicated meditation practice, they support participants in meeting the changing landscape of body and mind with presence, compassion and equanimity.
Again and again, we see how physical discomfort can soften, emotional storms can pass and compulsive thinking can loosen its grip when experience is met with steady awareness rather than resistance.
The methods we teach are the methods we live.
Included
- One full week of guided Vipassana practice and Noble Silence
- Daily meditation instruction and teacher support
- Vegetarian meals
- Accommodation in comfortable shared double rooms with separate beds
- Maximum 8 participants, creating a personal and intimate retreat environment
Location
Gamlevældevej 32
3760 Gudhjem
Bornholm
You can fly directly from Copenhagen to Bornholm. A less expensive option is KOMBARDO EXPRESSEN, combining bus and ferry from Copenhagen to Rønne.
On 25 December, we can pick participants up at approximately 15:00 from either Rønne Ferry Terminal or Bornholm Airport.
Check-in at the retreat house is between 16:00 and 18:00.
The retreat ends on 2 January at 10:00. Participants can arrange shared transport to Rønne Ferry Terminal or Bornholm Airport.
Contribution
Accommodation: €400
Vegetarian meals: €400
Retreat and teacher contribution: €400
Total: €1,200
Registration & Payment
You register through payment. Payment is made securely with credit or debit card by buying a ticket below. If you prefer another payment method go here and write to me once you have paid (stephanpendegmail.com).
Retreat Schedule
25 December 2026 – 2 January 2027
Friday 25th December — Arrival
18:00 — Dinner
19:00–20:00 — Welcome and practical information
20:00–21:00 — Meditation
21:00 — Lights out
26 –28 December — Awareness of Breathing
During the first three days, we practise observing the natural breath as it moves in and out through the nostrils.
06:00–07:00 – Meditation
07:00–07:30 – Free time
07:30–09:00 – Breakfast
09:00–10:30 – Meditation according to the teacher’s instructions
10:30–11:30 – Free time
11:30–12:30 – Lunch
12:30–13:00 – Rest and teacher interviews
13:00–14:30 – Meditation
14:30–15:30 – Mindful walking
15:30–17:00 – Meditation according to the teacher’s instructions
17:00–18:00 – Tea and fruit break
18:00–19:00 – Meditation
19:00–20:15 – Evening discourse
20:15–21:00 – Meditation
21:00 – Lights out
29–31 December — Vipassana
From 29 December, the practice shifts to observing sensations throughout the body.
5:30 am – Wake-up bell
6:00–7:00 am – Meditation: Strong Determination
7:00–7:30 am – Free time
7:30–9:00 am – Breakfast
9:00–10:30 am – Meditation according to the teacher’s instructions
10:30–11:30 am – Free time
11:30 am–12:30 pm – Lunch
12:30–1:00 pm – Rest and teacher interviews
1:00–2:30 pm – Meditation: Strong Determination
2:30–3:30 pm – Mindful walking
3:30–5:00 pm – Meditation according to the teacher’s instructions
5:00–6:00 pm – Tea and fruit break
6:00–7:00 pm – Meditation: Strong Determination
7:00–8:15 pm – Evening discourse
8:15–9:00 pm – Meditation
9:00 pm – Lights out. Go to bed.
Friday, 1 January — Vipassana and Metta
5:30 am – Wake-up bell
6:00-7:00 am – Meditation
7:00-7:30 am – Free time
7:30-9:00 am – Breakfast
9:00-10:30 am – Metta Bhavana
10:30-11:30 am – Free time
11:30 am-12:30 pm – Lunch
12:30-1:00 pm – Rest and teacher interviews
1:00-2:30 pm – Meditation
2:30-3:30 pm – Metta Bhavana
3:30-5:00 pm – Packing and free time
5:00-6:00 pm – Tea and fruit break
6:00-7:00 pm – Metta Bhavana
7:00-8:00 pm – Discourse
8:00-9:00 pm – Meditation
9:00 pm – Lights out – Go to bed
Saturday, 2 January — Closing and Departure
5:30 am – Wake-up bell
6:00–7:00 am – Meditation
7:00–7:30 am – Free time
7:30–8:15 am – Breakfast
8:15–9:00 am – Final Metta Bhavana
9:00 am – Noble Silence ends
9:00–10:00 am – Closing circle, practical information and questions
10:00–11:00 am – Pack and clean rooms and common areas
11:00 am–12:00 pm – Departure