Join a summer 5-day immersion into experiential practices of Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) in the face of transition, embedded in the wider sphere of inner growth (Inner Development Goal Framework) to support pathways of building holistic resilience, and somatically anchored in contemplative nature connection practices (Awake in the Wild).
PIONEERING COURSE "MSC Core Skills, Inner Development Goals and Meditation Practices in Nature (Awake in the Wild)"
A time to befriend yourself in community and deepen your connection to Planet Earth in relation to the IDGs (Inner Development Goals) and your connection to nature
Reconnect with your inner resources, find resilience and inspiration, and nourish yourself in the wild and beautiful alpine setting of Piemonte
This 5-day workshop includes the 4-session Core Skill (12 hours) Introduction to Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC). MSC is an empirically-supported training based on the pioneering research of Prof. Dr. Kristin Neff and the clinical perspective of Dr. Chris Germer. The MSC curriculum has been steadily refined since 2010 and taught to over 200.000 people worldwide. It combines the skills of mindfulness and self-compassion to enhance our capacity for emotional wellbeing. Mindfulness as awareness of the moment-to-moment-experience and self-compassion to bring kind awareness to ourselves, having these experiences. Together, mindfulness and self-compassion and the essential notion of common humanity comprise a state of warm, connected presence. Practising this friendly inner dialog can be especially supportive in challenging moments in our lives, and in awareness of these accelerated times of transition we currently live and raise our children in.
This course covers the official MSC Core Skills contents. It is an easy way to get to know the MSC practice, and for those who have already taken a MSC program, to deepen it. It is an introduction to the full MSC program, but does not qualify for teacher training. We are especially privileged to offer this new retreat and workshop partly on the campus of the Living Systems Lab of MonViso Institute, a project at the cutting edge of research and education on sustainability transitions and regenerative design, connected to ETH Zurich and the DRRS learning series.
Our workshop will include 4 x 3-hour MSC sessions, complemented by a similar amount of hours of Nature Meditation (Awake in the Wild), Inner Development Goals (https://www.innerdevelopmentgoals.org/) related practices and explorations with dialogs and dyads, one daily hour of Mindful Service Meditation on campus and additional outdoor activities. A half-day silent mindful self-compassion meditation retreat is included.
All meditation levels are welcome.
Please bring a certain level of fitness to be at ease at an altitude of 1500m asl and to cover medium-seized walking distances. There are many options available; we are happy to accommodate special needs and find together ways to serve your needs. A detailed personal conversation is required prior to registration.,
Language: English with a bilingual option of German for the MSC course. Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Hebrew and Swedish are spoken, too.
Course location:
MonViso Institute (MVI) Campus, Serre Lamboi, Ostana, Piemont, Italy, overlooking the Valley of the river Po at its source. This will be home base for some of our nature connection practices, for our service meditation (1 hour per day) to better understand the concept of regenerative design, for the Inner Development Goals (IDG) practices and for some meals we will share around the fire place and pizza oven. Our MSC Course will take place at 10-minute walking distance from the MVI Campus at the cozy Cultural Center and Café Cooperative "Lou Portoun, Viso A Viso".
Course setting:
Depending on weather conditions, we will split the day into morning outdoor practices on and around the Monviso Institute Campus and the afternoons at the indoor space at Centro Culturale for the MSC Core Skills with an attached café and snack place. We will be respectful guests in the Occitan culture, get to know local people and projects and their way of coping with climate emergency and global changes.
Accommodation and Food:
You can choose between camping or glamping at MVI or choose an AirBnb or cozy mountain-style Youth Hostel style or Agriturismo or hotel or even a tree house.
We will savour delicious local and healthy Piemontese food, mostly vegetarian with vegan and more options and support different local families, while also appreciating our local fire place and pizza oven for fun outdoor experiences together.
Group size: 8-16
Your Teachers:
Certified MSC Teachers Mirjam Luthe and Galia Tyano Ronen and MVI team.
See here for our training background: https://www.thewayout-isin.net/team
Course details:
Duration: beginning of September 2025 (5 days, Monday eveing to Saturday noon)
Location: Monviso Institute, Serre Lamboi, Ostana, Piemont (Italy)
Course fee: 800 EUR.
Early Bird price until June 1st is 750 EUR.
Additional costs: 70-150 EUR daily including food and lodging, depending on choice of accommodation.
Nobody will be turned away for lack of funds. If your situation requires an adaptation of cost, please let us know.
Next event:
This retreat will be offered once a year. Stay tuned!
Contact for questions and registration: welcome@walk-in-beauty.org
More information:
https://www.thewayout-isin.net/
https://monviso-institute.org/
https://www.walk-in-beauty.org/courses/