— Twelve Day Jewish Meditation Retreat – Dec 2023

Date and Time

Start Time

Sunday, December 10, 2023

We will start with dinner at 6:30 PM. We ask that people arrive between 4:00 and 6:00, to get settled in their rooms and in the meditation hall.

Detailed transportation information will be sent to you upon registration, or upon request.

End Time

Thursday, December 21st, 2023

We will end before lunch, which is at 1:30 PM.

If you wish to remain at Mar de Jade Thursday night, let us know. There will be a van to take you to Puerto Vallarta.

Deposits and cancellation policy

Payment of one-half of the retreat fee is required to hold your place. If you need to make different arrangements for the payment of the retreat fee please contact Jeff Roth at jroth2@me.com

The refund policy of Mar de Jade is as follows:

Any deposit or payment made for the retreat is refundable for any reason prior to sixty (60) days before the retreat, less a fee of ten percent (10%)

Any deposit or payment made for the retreat is refundable for any reason between sixty (60) days and fourteen (14) days prior to the retreat, less a fee of twenty-five percent (25%)

No refund with a cancellation less than two weeks prior to the retreat.

General Suggestions

Mar de Jade has a useful information page on it’s website. It may answer many questions you may have.

Emergency phone is Brian’s cell phone - 215-435-0179.

Mar de Jade does have meditation supplies - they have plenty of chairs and meditation cushions, etc.

Linens and towels will be provided.

In the dry season (November-April), summer and fall garments are suggested, including a jacket or sweater for cool nights and mornings. Dress to stay cool — loose cotton shirts, tank tops, shorts, sundresses and sandals and don’t forget your bathing suit.

Bring personal toiletries and hygiene products, a supply of medications you use, sunscreen, sunburn lotion and insect repellent. Sunglasses, sun visor and/or hat, flip-flops and comfortable walking shoes, a small daypack and money belt can all be useful. Be sure to bring a water bottle for purified drinking water.

To support those who may have a strong reaction to chemical scents, we ask the following: (1) Please do not launder the clothes you bring in products containing fragrance. (2) Please do not use or bring perfumes or other body scents; scented shampoos, ointments or lotions. We suggest that you bring unscented products with you, if possible.

Plan on dressing comfortably and informally in the meditation hall. You may want to bring special clothes for Shabbat according to your own Shabbat custom. If you plan on using a tallis or tefillin for prayers, which is optional, please bring your own.

The retreat will be conducted in social silence. That means, that once we explain the practice after dinner on Sunday we will observe silence at all times, including during meals, walking, and the time spent in your room. There will be periods each day for asking questions in the group.

Each person will also have private time with one of the teachers, every other day, where you can describe your practice and discuss anything that is arising for you as a result of the retreat experience. The basic practice we teach is to pay attention to what is occurring in the present moment throughout the entire time of the retreat. Towards that end we invite you to leave reading materials, computers etc. at home.

The kitchen can meet some of your special needs regarding diet and allergies if we know ahead of time what these are. Please take time to carefully think about this and send any food requests to brian@awakenedheartproject.org.