AVE Fall Retreat: Self-care and mindfulness in educational contexts

A five-day training course for people who work with people

The AVE retreat is aimed at educators, social pedagogues and other professionals in the education sector who want to strengthen their professional practice with mindful presence, inner clarity and empathic relationship building.

At a time of increasing demands and high stress in educational fields, this retreat creates a space for deepening, recovery and professional learning. The focus is not on retreat, but on consciously turning to oneself, to one's own resources - and to a professional self-image that is based on relationship, compassion and the ability to act.

The following topics are taught at the center of the AVE retreat:

- Self-care and mindfulness as a professional resource
- Self-compassion and emotion regulation in dealing with challenges
- Embodied presence as a foundation for authentic educational relationships
- Empathetic communication and relationship skills in the school and social space
- Creative reflection processes to promote personal and pedagogical development

These skills are central to successful, healthy relationships in pedagogical fields of work - and contribute to respecting one's own boundaries and shaping professional action in a value-based and resilient manner. This training therefore promotes the resilience and personal development of people who work with people.

Participation in this five-day retreat can be credited towards further training, for example in the area of Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) or MBSR courses.

The Berghof retreat house is a place where people can meet, learn and practise together. The seminar house is located on the edge of Wiesen, a pretty old village in the Spessart region, surrounded by extensive meadows and forests. It offers a sheltered atmosphere, secluded from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, with friendly care and community, which promotes concentration and supports intensive experiences in study and meditation retreats.

Important: Accommodation at the Berghof is booked on an individual basis directly with the Retreat House Berghof itself - depending on your preference for a particular room type.

The costs for accommodation and meals, which are to be paid in addition to the seminar costs of 450 euros, are broken down as follows:

Room rates:

Overnight stay in a single room with bathroom without balcony € 35 per night
Overnight stay in a 2-bed room (single use) with bathroom and balcony € 54 per night
Overnight stay in a 2-bed room (for two) with bathroom and balcony € 27 per person/night
Overnight stay in a 3-bed room (single use) with bathroom without balcony € 45 per person/night
Overnight stay in a 3-bed room with bathroom without balcony € 20 per person/night
Seminar flat rate (includes room use with energy and consumption costs for the event area)
per person/day € 20

Catering:

Daily flat rate incl. tea/coffee/water € 36 per person/day (daily flat rate only applies if meals are booked)
Surcharge of € 4 per person/day for booked special diet e.g. gluten/lactose-free or similar.
Daily flat rate for drinks only € 6.50
Example calculation for one person booking a 2-bed room (single use)

Room: 4 nights * € 54 = € 216
Daily flat rate: 4 full days * € 36 = € 144
Seminar package: 4 full days * € 20 = € 80

TOTAL: € 216 + 144 + 80 = € 440

The retreat creates a protected experiential space in which learning goes beyond the mind: the combination of knowledge, experience and resonance creates lasting change - both personally and professionally. The days are characterized by mindful presence, silence and a clear structure. Elements such as meditation, contemplation, time in nature and group processes alternate with creative design and reflection. Slowness becomes a learning principle.

The training focuses on teaching and cultivating mindful self-care, compassion and a practical attitude of benevolence. Through still and moving meditations, physical exercises, nature experiences and creative design processes, a space of experience is opened up that invites participants to a deeper encounter with themselves. Neuroscientific impulses support the understanding of the underlying processes and promote the conscious integration of the practice into everyday life.

The days are characterized by a mindful alternation between quiet body awareness, phases of silence, exchange and creative design - embedded in a supportive community of like-minded people. Reduced communication and conscious discussion formats open up an experiential space for inner clarity, self-compassion and touching connection.

The final part of the training focuses on the transfer to professional practice. Participants reflect on how they can integrate the attitudes and methods they have learned into their work with students, clients, colleagues or teams - and receive concrete suggestions for doing so.

EXEMPLARY DAILY SCHEDULE

07:30 - 08:00 / Meditation or body awareness exercises
08:00 - 08:45 / Breakfast
09:00 - 12:30 / guided meditation, non-verbal artistic reflection, walking meditation/ body awareness exercises, silent meditation
12:30 - 13:30 / Lunch
13:30 - 15:30 / free time: self-reflection, encounter with nature, regeneration, "digestion"
15:30 - 17:45 / guided meditation, body awareness in movement/ nature/ creativity, silent meditation, deepening
18:00 - 18:45 / Dinner
19:00 - 19:45 / Lecture and/or guided meditation/exercise on the topic
20:00 - 20:30 / Silent meditation and poetry to round off the day

Arrival by car: You can reach Wiesen by car in about an hour's drive from Frankfurt/Main. From Cologne or Nuremberg it is approx. 2 - 3 hours.

Arrival by public transport: The nearest long-distance train station is Aschaffenburg, the nearest regional train station is Heigenbrücken. From Monday to Friday there are buses (20 min.) to Wiesen, on Saturday and Sunday 2-hourly during the day. Frankfurt/Main International Airport is 45 minutes away by car.

Bus timetable for both directions - Heigenbrücken-Wiesen exit (town center, Wiesen) available online on the website of the regional public transport provider.