Retreat 2026
– In the footsteps of the Buddha-

7 – 12 September 2026

Register
About the Retreat
Teacher
Practices
Getting there
Prices
Booking
Payment
FAQ
Contact

About the Retreat

Date: 7-12.09.2026

Place: Wytwórnia Ciszy near Uniejowo

We are happy to invite you to our fourteenth retreat organised in Poland in the Plum Village tradition. It will take place at the Silence Factory near Uniejów, where we will meet on the practice path. 

We will enjoy the presence of ourselves, our accompanying friends and our friendly teacher Murray Corke, who will give a series of Dharma talks. 

We will start with dinner on Monday, September 7th and end with lunch on Saturday, September 12th. 

The prices of the rooms will vary, so we hope that everyone will be able to get something for themselves and enjoy the practice together.

We will meet in a group of about forty people and we will put into practice the Buddhist teachings our master Thích Nhât Hạnh, who said: „Just be here and now. That is enough. Don’t get caught in the trap of the idea of a buddha being outside of you – you are already Buddha” – and that sentence was the central theme of last year’s retreat. 

This year, we will explore a phrase related to the last year’s: ‘In the footsteps of the Buddha’,which is used as the subtitle of Thich Nhat Hanh’s book about the Buddha’s life (‘Old Path White Clouds’), and as the name of a pilgrimage organised in India – following in the Buddha’s footsteps. However, we do not need to read this book or travel to India to follow in the Buddha’s footsteps. 

What the Buddha offered was ways to help us to live happy and fulfilled lives. We do not have to think of ourselves as Buddhists to follow in the footsteps of the Buddha. At the heart of this practice are peace, harmony, love and profound connection with the world around us. 

It is an inspiring experience to be among people practicing in this way. We invite you to feel free in this community and enjoy joint activities performed without haste or effort. 

Community is like a flowing river, allow yourself to be a drop of water in the river and to flow with it.

Teacher

Murray Corke has been practising Buddhist meditation for over 30 years. He is a member of the Order of Interbeing, and he has been involved in building sanghas in the United Kingdom and in Poland. He became a teacher in the Plum Village tradition after receiving the lamp transmission from Thich Nhat Hanh in November 2004. He works as a lecturer at the Cambridge Veterinary School, trying to improving animal health and welfare. His interests include woodwork and wildlife conservation.

We were very happy to have had Murray as our teacher at the mindfulness retreats that we organised in Poland every year since 2014 and we are glad that he has agreed to join us this year. 

Practice

The retreat will be led by Murray Corke, Dharma teacher in the tradition of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh from the UK.

As all of the retreats in our tradition, this retreat will be an opportunity for us to slow down, let go, and learn how to be truly present. Together with a few dozen other practitioners, we will practise mindfulness during sitting meditation, walking meditation, mindful eating, and listening to Dharma talks.

Every day we will practise deep listening and loving speech during Dharma sharing, that is sessions in groups of approximately 10 people during which we will have the option to share our reactions to the Dharma talks and our insights and experience of the practice. Usually there are two Polish-speaking groups and one English-speaking group at the retreat at the same time.

We will practise Noble Silence, which will start after the last activity of the day and finish after breakfast the following day. Maintaining Noble Silence makes it possible for us to be penetrated by peace and observe our feelings, thoughts, and intentions, which are often difficult to recognise when we are speaking.

We will invite the bell several times a day. When we hear the sound of the bell, we will stop what we are doing, listen to it mindfully, and get in touch with what is inside us at that moment.

There will also be an opportunity to learn about and take or renew the Five Mindfulness Trainings and Three Refuges during a special ceremony.

Finally, we will be able to spend some time exercising and singing. And we will have plenty of time to ourselves.

You can find out more about the practices in our tradition here.

The programme will vary slightly each day, but it will look something like this:

6.00 Wake up
6.30 Morning sitting and indoor walking meditation
7.30 Opportunity to exercise
8.00 Breakfast
9.30 Dharma talk
12.30 Outdoor walking meditation
1.00 Lunch
2.00 Lazy time
4.00 Total Relaxation and Touching the Earth
4.30 Dharma sharing
6.00 Dinner
7.00 Presentations, ceremonies, and evening sitting mediation
10.00 Rest

Getting there

The airports nearest to Wytwórnia Ciszy are located in Warsaw and Łódź. The most convenient options are:

  • Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW) – the largest international airport in Poland, located approximately 180 km from Wytwórnia Ciszy (around 2.5–3 hours by car).
  • Warsaw Modlin Airport (WMI) – a smaller airport mainly served by low-cost airlines, located approximately 200 km from Wytwórnia Ciszy. From Modlin Airport, you can take a bus or train connection to Warsaw and continue your journey from there.
  • Łódź Władysław Reymont Airport (LCJ) – the closest airport to Wytwórnia Ciszy, approximately 70 km away (around 1–1.5 hours by car), although it has fewer international connections than Warsaw airports.

The address of the retreat centre is:

Wytwórnia Ciszy
Brzozówka 30
99-210 Uniejów
Poland

GPS coordinates: 52.04494, 18.73706

If you arrive a day earlier and would like us to give you advice on where to stay overnight, please get in touch with us.

Although not all Polish people speak English, travelling by public transport should not be a major problem. The easiest route is usually to travel first to Łódź or Warsaw, and then continue towards Uniejów. We can help you find the best connection and provide detailed travel instructions if needed.

The nearest larger towns with public transport connections are Uniejów and Łódź. From Uniejów, Wytwórnia Ciszy is only a short taxi ride away. If you choose to travel by bus or train, please let us know in advance and we will try to help you arrange the final part of your journey.

We may be able to organise pickups from a nearby bus station or arrange shared rides from Warsaw or Łódź, depending on the number of participants and arrival times. Pickups will be available only for participants who inform us beforehand that they need assistance.

It is also possible that members of our community travelling from Warsaw or Łódź may be able to offer shared rides to the retreat centre. Please let us know if you would be interested in travelling together.

For any questions regarding travel arrangements, please contact us via email: odosobnienie@plumvillagepolska.org

Prices

The full cost of participation in the retreat (accommodation, meals and all activities) depends on the type of room. The centre offers accommodation in double, triple and quadruple rooms and in the historic cottage. The prices are shown in the table below:

RoomPrice PLN
6-person attic, shared bathroom in the hallway1350
4-person room, with bathroom1500
double room, shared bathroom in the corridor1550
3-person room, with bathroom1600
double room, with bathroom1700

Generosity Practice (Dana Paramita)

We encourage you to practice generosity by supporting those in financial difficulty who wish to participate in the retreat. You can help them by donating a larger amount than the amount listed in the table.

If you decide to financially support other practitioners, please let us know the amount you wish to contribute by sending an email to: odosobienie@plumvillagepolska.org. You can donate this amount when paying for the retreat.

If you are in financial difficulty and the costs are too high for you to participate in the retreat, please send an email requesting financial support to: dotacje@plumvillagepolska.org

Booking

To reserve your place on the retreat, please complete the online reservation form, which will be available from July 21, 2026, and pay by August 10, 2026. Payment is required to guarantee your stay on the retreat. Failure to pay by the deadline will result in your reservation being canceled.

We will respond to your request with further instructions via email. Please expect a response within 7 calendar days.

All information provided in the form will be used solely for the purpose of organizing the retreat, unless you consent to receiving information about the possibility of establishing a Sangha near you.

At the end of the reservation form, you will find a link to a description of how personal data is used and the email address of the data controller. These are also available here:

Payment

Payments are accepted by bank transfer.

Account numbers:

  • For domestic transfers (within Poland):
    98 1600 1462 1713 5111 0000 0002
  • For international transfers:
    PL 98 1600 1462 1713 5111 0000 0002

Bank: BNP Paribas Bank
Recipient: Sangha Uśmiech Buddy
Transfer reference: Retreat 2026 – name and surname


FAQ – frequently asked questions

No. Meditation experience is not required. The retreat is suitable for both those who have been meditating for years and those who are just starting their practice. You will receive all the necessary instruction on-site.

Participation in all activities during the Retreat is voluntary, as is the decision to attend. To fully experience the Retreat, we encourage you to attend all scheduled activities. The program is designed to provide space for mindfulness practice within the group (Sangha) as well as time for individual relaxation.

Registration will open on July 21st on this website.

The cost of participating in the retreat depends on the room you choose. The price includes accommodation, meals, and expenses related to organizing the activities.

RoomPrice PLN
6-person attic, shared bathroom in the hallway1350
4-person room, with bathroom1500
double room, shared bathroom in the corridor1550
3-person room, with bathroom1600
double room, with bathroom1700

soon

Wytwórnia Ciszy is located in a forest and meadow setting, far from villages and cities. A photo gallery is available on their website. Meals will consist of three vegan meals a day. A vegan diet is an expression of our compassion for all living beings and our concern for the future of the Earth.

Thay’s answer:

The purpose of a retreat is not to teach you about Buddhist psychology or about a particular sutra. For that you can buy a book and read on your own. The purpose of the retreat is to help us untie the knots inside. There are two kinds of knots. One knot is our notions and ideas. Everyone has notions and ideas and we are attached to them, we are not free, so we have no chance to touch the truth in life. The second knot is our afflictions like fear, anger, discrimination, despair, and arrogance. All these things should be removed in order for us to be free. The things you do on retreat, like walking, sitting, breathing, smiling, and listening to a Dharma talk, should have the function of helping you undo these two kinds of knots.

The knots are embedded deeply in our mind, in our consciousness. They bind us and compel us to do things we don’t want to do, to say things we don’t want to say. When you listen to a Dharma talk at a retreat, the purpose of the talk is not to give you more notions and ideas; the purpose is to help you release notions and ideas. The talk should be like the rain that can touch the seeds of wisdom and freedom within you. That’s why we have to learn how to listen. We’re not listening to the words. We’re listening in order to get free from all notions and concepts. When you go home, if you forget everything that was said on the retreat that’s a good sign. You don’t have to remember anything. You should go home free. We’re used to having homework from school that requires us to remember many things—words, notions, and concepts—and we think this kind of luggage is useful for our life. But in terms of the practice, this luggage is a burden. So the purpose of the retreat is to help free you from the burden of knowledge, notions, and concepts and from the burden of afflictions, anger, and despair.

Contact

If you have any questions or concerns about the retreat, please contact us! Please send them to this address:

odosobnienie@plumvillagepolska.org