Summary

Embark on a journey to yourself, far away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Immerse yourself in an oasis of calm and serenity.

The Art of Living Silence Retreat creates the ideal conditions to reconnect with yourself and recover from the stresses and challenges of everyday life. The days are carefully planned so that you can simply sit back, relax and turn your attention inwards.

When we turn our senses inwards, our thoughts come to rest, we recharge our batteries and find true relaxation. The outer stillness supports the journey to mental and emotional calm and we reach the space of inner stillness from which all transformation happens.

Your overactive mind slows down and you discover a new dimension within yourself. In this space of purity, limiting beliefs, regrets and worries dissolve effortlessly. You find a new approach to life's challenges.

The time in silence allows you to return to your life grounded and centered. You discover a joy that remains unaffected by external circumstances. You feel revitalized and refreshed, ready to tackle your tasks with greater focus and joy.

In the silent retreat you will experience yoga in its most original form:
- Raja Yoga - Deep Meditations
- Sudarshan Kriya™ Yoga - powerful breathing techniques
- Hatha Yoga - Asanas & Mudras
- Gyana Yoga - Vedic knowledge
- Karma Yoga - Seva
(More details on the content can be found below in the course schedule)

The retreat is taught by experienced instructors. Britta, Elke, Eva, Petra or Tatiana will lovingly guide you through the week. You will also have the opportunity to write down your questions in silence - whether they are of a personal, knowledge-related or organizational nature - and they will be answered.

You will take home from the retreat a powerful and comprehensive practice of hatha yoga, breathing techniques and meditation that can be easily integrated into your everyday life. The course leaders are also there for you after the retreat if you have any questions. We also offer regular practice sessions in small groups online and in many cities in Germany.

The retreat at a glance

The most important facts in a nutshell:

Categories: Yoga Retreats, Monastery Retreats, Silent Retreats, Silence Retreats, Meditation, Mindfulness, Breathing, Wellness, Detox Retreats, Breathwork, Relaxation, Hatha Yoga
Date: May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec
Language(s): English, German
Level: Beginner, Expert, Advanced
Place: Oppenau, Germany
Accommodation: Overnight stay included
Catering: Full board
Types of food: Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Organic, Vegan, Vegetarian
Services: Daily practice of pranayamas and Sudarshan Kriya™

Two 15 - 30-minute yoga sessions daily

Vedic knowledge sessions with videos by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Daily Q&A sessions

Interactive exercises to prepare for silence

Personal support from experienced course instructors

Handout for home practice

Support in continuing the exercises after the retreat

Access to weekly online practice sessions after the retreat

WLAN in the common area (limited mobile network)

Shuttle service from/to Oppenau train station

Parking lot for those arriving by car

The colorful garden with pond and the surrounding nature invite you to take a walk

The fireplace in the lounge area creates a cozy, warm atmosphere on colder days

Treatments can be booked in the adjoining Ayurveda spa center according to capacity

2-3 days of guided silence with 2-4 meditations per day (depending on the length of the course)

Accommodation

You have the following room categories to choose from when booking:
1. single room with private bathroom
- 5-day retreat: 780€
- 6-day retreat: 890€
2. single room with shared bathroom
- 5-day retreat: 680€
- 6-day retreat: 790€
3. double room only on request (from 610€)

The bright, cozy rooms offer a beautiful view of nature.

The Art of Living Retreat Center Bad Antogast is located in a high valley in Oppenau, surrounded by hiking trails and the lush vegetation of the Black Forest. The deep tranquillity is only interrupted by the gentle sounds of the streams and the twittering of birds.

The retreat center captivates with its unique architectural charm, which whispers of its past as a famous spa. The healing water spring, which can still be used today, once attracted Tsar Alexander II, princes and princesses. For almost 30 years, Bad Antogast has been the European retreat center of the Art of Living and thus a place of relaxation and recreation that immediately conveys a feeling of home. It is run by a dedicated community that looks after the retreat guests from all over the world and the Ayurvedic spa center.

Catering

The on-site catering is fresh and vegetarian, prepared according to Ayurvedic principles. A light breakfast with fruit, muesli, porridge, homemade bread, various spreads and tea gives you the perfect start to the day. The meals, mainly made from organic ingredients, are lovingly prepared.

Tea, drinking water and fruit are available at all times.

Special dietary requirements can be catered for by prior arrangement.

sequence

Course sessions:

Day 1:
Evening session: 19:00 - 22:00 (Introduction to Sudarshan Kriya™ Yoga)

2nd day:
Morning session: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Afternoon session: 16:00 - 18:00

3rd-5th day:
Morning session: 7:00 - 8:15 a.m.
Morning session: 10:00 - 13:00 (start of silence on day 3)
Afternoon session: 16:00 - 18:00
Evening session: 19:30 - 20:30

4th-5th day:
Additional 30-minute Karma Yoga session

Last day:
Morning session: 7:00 - 8:15 am (end of silence)
Morning session: 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
The retreat ends with lunch

Please note that there may be small changes in the agenda

Meals:
Breakfast 08:15 am
Lunch 13:00
Dinner 18:00

In the silent retreat you will experience yoga in its most original form:

Raja Yoga - Meditations
With the meditations specially developed by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for the silence course, you can let go of deep-seated emotions and past impressions and experience inner peace.

Sudarshan Kriya™ Yoga - breathing techniques
Sudarshan Kriya™ is a powerful breathing technique that uses specific breathing rhythms to cleanse the body of accumulated stress and tension at a cellular level, allowing for greater mental clarity and serenity.

Hatha Yoga
- Asanas: You will learn gentle yoga exercises (asanas) that are suitable for all levels - whether beginner or advanced. You will take home three effective yoga sequences: the Art of Living Hatha basic yoga series and the Padma Sadhana sequence as well as the classic sun salutation.

- Mudras: You will get to know different mudras. Mudras are subtle techniques that direct the prana (life energy) to specific areas of the body and supply them with fresh life energy.

Gyana Yoga - Vedic knowledge
Practical Vedic knowledge for dealing with the storms of everyday life: we explore the connection between chakras and emotions and learn how to overcome difficult emotions and end negative emotional cycles.

Karma Yoga - Seva
Seva is an active, selfless contribution to the community. It calms the restlessness in body and mind and enables quieter meditations. The short seva units bring calm to everyday activities and make it easier to integrate the stillness into everyday life after the retreat.

Bhakti Yoga - resting in the Self
Unconditional love is inherent in all of us and is our true nature. Carefully designed processes and time in silence make it possible to perceive this deep love within you.

Arrival

By car:
Take the highway A5 Frankfurt - Karlsruhe - Basel and take the exit Appenweier. Follow the B28 highway in the direction of Oberkirch, Freudenstadt to Oppenau. In Oppenau, take the third exit at the traffic circle and then drive straight on through the historic archway of the town gate. Then turn right and drive over the bridge. After 500m, turn right again in the direction of Maisach - Bad Antogast.

If you are using a navigation system, enter Bad Antogast 1, 77728 Oppenau.

By train:
Select Oppenau Bahnhof or Oppenau Post as your destination station. From Oppenau you can book our shuttle service.

By plane:
The nearest airports are Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden (FKB), Frankfurt (FRA), Strasbourg (SXB) and Stuttgart (STR). From there, you can either hire a car or travel to Oppenau by public transport. It is about a two-hour drive from Frankfurt and Stuttgart airports, about 1.5 hours from Strasbourg airport and about 1 hour from Karsruhe/Bade-Baden airport. You can book our shuttle service from Oppenau.

Bad Antogast 1, 77728 Oppenau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

4.9 (60 Reviews)

It was incredibly good for me and I was very surprised at the extent to which the retreat took place. The knowledge, the meditations, the food and above all the breathing exercises inspired me. I am very happy that I was there and I will definitely take some time out in the Black Forest again.

2025-04-15

Alexander Schulz

It was a very intensive but incredibly enriching experience. I am very grateful for the new knowledge and valuable insights I gained. The food was delicious and beneficial and the local people were very friendly. Thank you!

2024-10-31

Tatjana Eckel

Price-performance ratio is completely right. The seminar was also suitable for complete beginners like me (I had never meditated or done breathing exercises before). The silence was a challenge for me, but it was very good for me physically and mentally.

2024-10-29

Alice Joos