5-Day Christmas Zen Silent Retreat at the End of the Year

4.6 (5 Reviews) · Mondsee, Austria
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Summary

The turn of the year and the days following Christmas offer a wonderful opportunity for some inner reflection.
What old things can I let go of, and how will I welcome the new year?
Which things and patterns am I ready to say goodbye to?
What can I carry forward into this new chapter of my life with gratitude?
We’ll guide you through a retrospective look at your year. This allows you to view both the successes and the setbacks with a sense of calm. You’ll recognize and experience what clarity truly is. You’ll use moments of silence to come to terms with and reconcile any lingering inner burdens. In this way, you’ll create space for change, renewal, and renewal.

Seminar Facilitators:
We are Marion and Bernhard Hötzel, and we each have 45 years of meditation experience, 20 of which we have spent working as meditation teachers.
At our own institute, as well as guest teachers at other institutes and lecturers for NEURO-Meditation at the TH-Campus Vienna. We have received traditional training in Asia, the USA, and Europe, and are very familiar with humanistic psychology and our modern times.
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The retreat at a glance

The most important facts in a nutshell:

Categories
Mindfulness, MBSR, Silent Retreats, Zen Retreat, Vipassana, Consciousness, soul, senses & spirit, Meditation, Detox Retreats
Date
2026-12-27 - 2026-12-31
Language(s)
German
Level
Expert, Advanced, Beginner
Place
Mondsee, Austria
Accommodation
not included
Catering
Full board
Types of food
Gluten-free, Organic, Vegan, Vegetarian
Services
  • Seminar support

  • Active Morning Meditation

  • Mindfulness exercises

  • Body Awareness Exercises

  • ZEN Structure

  • Vipassana Structure

  • mindful eating

  • Walking meditation in the cloister

  • Vagus Nerve Meditation

  • Thematic introspections

  • YOGA

  • Keynote speeches

  • Walking meditation

  • Body Scan

  • Breathing Meditation

  • One-on-one meetings

  • Full board

Accommodation

You will be staying at the Mondsee guesthouse. The accommodations are well-renovated yet simple. The guesthouse is located near the event venue. We will book the room for you. Since there are always only a limited number of single rooms available, we recommend making your decision as early as possible. Otherwise, the double rooms are spacious. The cost is 140 euros for a double room and 180 euros for a single room.

Catering

All meals are vegetarian, Ayurvedic, and vegan. We are also happy to accommodate any dietary restrictions. Simply let us know shortly before the course begins, and we can work together to meet your needs. We view eating as a mindfulness practice and approach it with mindfulness.

sequence

CONTENTS
Participants spend more than two-thirds of the seminar in silence. At specific times during the seminar, there will be periods set aside for sharing and exchanging experiences. In addition, one-on-one sessions will be held, during which questions and topics that arise during the silence and meditation can be discussed and explored in greater depth.
Key Components
Seated meditations in the Vipassana tradition
The body scan
Walking meditation
Active meditations
Guided heart meditations and meditations for the vagus nerve

The individual practice sessions (sitting, lying down, and mindful yoga exercises) rarely last longer than 30 minutes. The morning active meditations last 60 minutes, alternating between movement, breathing, and stillness.

Seminar leaders:
We are Marion and Bernhard Hötzel, and we each have 45 years of meditation experience, 20 of which we have spent working as meditation teachers.
We teach at our own institute, as well as serving as guest instructors at other institutes and as lecturers for NEURO-Meditation at the TH-Campus Vienna. We have received traditional training in Asia, the USA, and Europe, and are very familiar with humanistic psychology and the modern world.

Arrival

Take the train or plane to Salzburg. From Salzburg Central Station, take bus 140, which runs hourly to Mondsee. From the bus station in Mondsee, it’s just a short walk to the accommodation and the ZEN room.

If you’re coming by car, drive via Munich and then continue on the A1 from Salzburg to Mondsee, or from Vienna via Linz. Mondsee has its own exit.

Schlosshof 5, 5310 Mondsee, Oberösterreich, Austria

4.6

5 Reviews

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A great experience well embedded in a supportive setting with delicious food.

Tanja R.

Verified review

Marion and Berhard Hötzel provided loving, appreciative and competent support and a variety of exercises that led us into meditation and allowed us to become still. The food was excellent. I would recommend a retreat to anyone who is very stressed and wants to finally find some peace and quiet.

Christa Greilberger

Verified review

Overall very very great, 4 out of 5 stars, because in addition two, three other exercises would have been great and at dinner maybe two different soups, otherwise really great! Thank you!

Sarah Milena Rendel

Verified review

Good and varied. Maybe a little more impulses before the meditations.

Brigitte Wlach

Verified review

Excellent!

Barbara Koller

Verified review

Cancellation policy

Full refund up to 21 days before arrival.
After this, the booking is non-refundable.

If a substitute participant is provided, only a processing fee of €50 will be charged.
Cancellation:
You have the right to cancel this contract within fourteen days of signing it, without giving any reason. Restriction: However, this applies only if the period between the booking and the start of the course is at least 21 days.

Dates

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$696 / 5 Days

4.6 (5 Reviews)
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