Summary

Vipassana—the form of meditation attributed to Buddha—opens a path to direct insight into reality. Without concepts, evaluations, or theoretical explanations, the focus is entirely on the pure perception of inner processes. It is not about avoiding, analyzing, or interpreting anything, but rather observing what is, in quiet mindfulness. This practice requires nothing more than openness, patience, and the courage to be honest – regardless of previous experience or spiritual beliefs.

In this retreat, you will combine silent meditation with mindful movement: walking meditation, qi gong, yoga, and deep relaxation support inner concentration and promote conscious experience in the present moment. Vipassana can thus be experienced not only while sitting, but in your entire being—while walking, breathing, and feeling. The period of silence until the last day of the seminar at 8 a.m. creates a protected space, free from distractions, conversations, or external stimuli, in which mindfulness can fully unfold. Embedded in the spiritual atmosphere of the Yoga Vidya house, you will become part of a powerful framework with daily rituals such as morning and evening mantra chanting.

Four retreats in 2026 invite you to go deep, find peace, and deepen your mindfulness practice. 🕉️ At Yoga meets Vipassana (May 8–10), you can also expect gentle Hatha yoga classes, breathing exercises, and mindfully guided meditations. The goal is to experience a clear, calm state of mind that gives you relaxation and new strength. 🕉️ Vipassana Meditation and Gentle Yoga Flows (September 11–13) combines silent meditation with mindful movement. In a balanced mix of sitting, walking, and gentle yoga sessions, you will find your way back into your body and into the present moment.
🕉️ Metta, Vipassana, and Gentle Yoga Flows (October 25–30) expands the classic mindfulness practice to include loving kindness (metta). This retreat offers you an intensive practice framework to open your heart and mind, cultivate inner softness, and practice connection—accompanied by gentle yoga and breathwork.

These days are an invitation to experience the connection between body, breath, and consciousness in a new way—quiet, clear, and centered. You will learn techniques that you can apply effectively not only on the mat but also in everyday life. Mindfulness thus becomes an inner attitude—for more serenity, compassion, and inner freedom.

The retreat at a glance

The most important facts in a nutshell:

Categories: Yoga Retreats, Meditation, Silent Retreats, Vipassana Yoga, Silence Retreats, Detox Retreats
Date: Mar | May | Aug | Sep | Oct
Language(s): German
Level: Advanced, Beginner
Place: Horn-Bad Meinberg, Germany
Accommodation: Overnight stay included
Catering: Full board
Types of food: Organic, Vegan, Raw Vegan
Services: Yoga (alle Levels)

Meditation (guided)

Guided hikes

Water and tea stations

Good morning

mantra chanting

deep relaxation

silent garden

Wi-Fi in selected areas

breathing exercises

Ritual

Organic-certified vegan meals

Sauna for an additional charge

Shivalaya Monastery

Sylvatikum Landscape Park

Ayurveda programs upon request

gym

Sauna for an additional charge

Yoga Shop & Cafe Maya

Wi-Fi in selected areas

Co working space

Accommodation

The all-inclusive package price includes the entire seminar program, accommodation in the selected room category, and vegan wholefood meals per person. Prices per person 2026 (7 nights) - Shared room: $684.00
- Double room: €824.00 - Single room: €969.00 - Dormitory, tent/camper van: €572.00 Information for your visit: - Check-in: from 3 p.m. / Check-out: by 12:30 p.m. - The staff speaks German and English
- WiFi: free in selected areas - Dogs: by arrangement with reception (limited number of pet rooms) - Parking: free - Transfer: from Horn-Bad Meinberg train station to the hotel (please specify train times when booking) - Childcare: on request (children staying overnight must be registered in advance at reception)

Catering

Every day at lunchtime and in the evening, you can enjoy hearty meals – a vegan wholefood buffet. If you like to eat breakfast, fruit is available at the buffet from 8 a.m., as a snack after meditation, or for a quick bite between meals. Tea and water are available throughout the day.

We only use fresh, organic ingredients in our dishes. We place great importance on seasonal, sustainable products and support local farmers and partners. Fresh salads, cucumber, carrots, beetroot, and two different dressings are the main components of our buffet. For those who prefer warm food, steamed vegetable platters of broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, and fennel, as well as curries, dal, and soups, are a great alternative to the green raw food bar. In addition, there is always a selection of good oils, grains, and seeds. Bread or gluten-free alternatives and homemade vegan spreads are available for brunch.

Information for allergy sufferers All our dishes are homemade and 100% organic. If you have any questions about allergens, there is a list with information for allergy sufferers at the buffet. The dishes are then labeled according to the list.

sequence

The SEMINAR BEGINS promptly at 8:00 p.m. with a short welcome and introduction to meditation and mantra chanting. Please arrive by 8:00 p.m. at the latest. Arrival is possible from 2:00 p.m. Rooms are available from 3:00 p.m. Dinner will be served from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The seminar ends at 2:30 p.m. In addition to the four main traditions or approaches to insight meditation, the course/seminar includes walking meditation, qi gong, and yoga, and you will participate in the essential activities of Yoga Vidya, such as mantra chanting in the morning and evening. Until 8:00 a.m. on the last day, you are required to observe absolute silence: eating in the silent room, no distractions from reading, music, shopping, or similar activities, in order to practice intensively.

Arrival

The Yoga Vidya seminar house is idyllically located on the edge of the old spa town of Bad Meinberg. The location is quiet and central at the same time. Therefore, it is easily accessible by train or car. Larger cities in the vicinity include Paderborn (27 km away), Bielefeld (35 km away), and Hanover (100 km away).

If traveling by train, we recommend choosing the Horn-Bad Meinberg station as your destination, which is approximately 5 km from Yoga Vidya. Yoga Vidya Bad Meinberg offers a free shuttle service to the seminar house, which picks you up from the train station in Horn-Bad Meinberg between 8:30 a.m. and 7:15 p.m.

Yogaweg 7, 32805 Horn-Bad Meinberg, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

4.7

9 Reviews

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1 star

7 months ago

Sensitively accompanied, a great gift that I was allowed to give myself.

Monika Eckelsbach

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Verified review

10 months ago

A real chance to find peace and quiet. Walking meditation, Qi Gong and yoga support meditation and offer a good balance. The setting and atmosphere were very good. I would love to come back.

Sandra König

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Verified review

over 1 year ago

Not for beginners! As I had no experience at all with meditation and on the very first day, without any instruction on how you can/should/must sit for 50 minutes(!) twice in a row, with a 20-minute break in between, I was just busy enduring my pain. Since this was also the beginning of silence, it was not possible to ask questions or get information. I then decided to find out more on the internet and spent the days looking for rooms where I could practise on my own. The good thing was that there were enough empty rooms, including seating materials. It was not possible for me to take part in walking meditation at 30° in the sun, as I am not physically fit enough to do so without suffering serious damage. I enjoyed the accommodation in the single room in the middle building. As the first meditation was at 5:20 am and the end of the evening satsang was 9:00 pm, the sleep phase was too short for me. So, as I was unable to attend the seminar itself due to incapacity, I arranged my own times. Nevertheless, the silent time, without any media and bumbling meditation sessions, provided me with the answer to my question of how to live everyday life in mindfulness and do every activity with devotion and thus live as much as possible in the here and now. In addition, I have learned to limit communication to the essentials, as clearer perception means there is no need to "ramble on". An unexpected additional benefit. I hope that my experiences will be useful to other people in their decision-making.

Barbara Wolter-Meinhardt

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Verified review

over 2 years ago

I was given a very friendly welcome, the room was ok, the food was very tasty. The wide range of offers were individual and suited my state of mind. The yoga teachers were all very accommodating and I could feel their desire to pass on the yoga teachings in every lesson. I would like to thank them for the experiences I was able to have this week.

Marion Grotendorst

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Verified review

over 2 years ago

Despite the size, it was a wonderful place to relax and find inner peace. With the range of courses, there is something for everyone. The food was very tasty and the rooms were neat and clean. Yoga Vidya did me a lot of good and opened up possibilities to be more mindful with myself. I will definitely like to come back.

Ina Lay

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Verified review

over 2 years ago

Alles prima :D

Alexandra Kronhard

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Cancellation policy

Full refund up to 14 days before arrival.
After this, the booking is non-refundable.

You can cancel free of charge and receive a full refund up to 14 days before the start of the seminar. Within 14 days, we can leave 100% of the fee as credit or refund 50%. In case of spontaneous non-arrival, 100% of the seminar fees will be charged. It is possible to rebook to another date or another seminar free of charge at any time.