Dwell in Presence – an Advent contemplative retreat

An Advent weekend of silence and pausing at Oddechowo – a time to meet your own body, what is alive in your heart, other people and God. The organisers suggest that Advent can be an invitation to slow down and turn your attention to what is really happening in your life; the Presence we seek can be found in everyday life – in the body, in relationships and in our longings. This is also the meaning of the mystery of the Incarnation: the Divine Presence meets us where we are.

During the retreat, centering prayer, meditation, movement, breath, reflection and the Eucharist help to recognise this closeness. There is also plenty of room for silence, rest, walks and simply being with yourself. From Friday evening until the Sunday meditation a Sacred Silence is kept – including meals, rest and the moments between practices; voices are used only to guide sessions and in individual conversations.

Who it is for

The retreat grows out of the Christian contemplative tradition but is open to people of different spiritual paths, including those who simply long for silence and deeper contact with themselves. No prior experience of meditation or centering prayer is needed – openness to practice and readiness to share time in silence are enough. You can come with faith, searching, doubts or a need for rest. It is for people who:

• need to pause and rest amid daily duties;

• long for silence and deeper contact with themselves;

• want to learn centering prayer or deepen their meditation and contemplative practice;

• want to discover spirituality through the body, breath, movement, prayer and encounter;

• seek a living contact with God and want to explore the Christian contemplative tradition;

• are living through questions, change or an important moment on their path and need space to hear themselves;

• want to spend time in a community that respects individual pace, boundaries and different spiritual paths.

Programme

Retreat practices:Morning meeting with the body(gentle, mindful movement, breath and listening to the body at your own pace and range);centering prayer(a simple practice of consenting to God's Presence and action within us – Wojciech introduces it, also for first-timers, and accompanies the shared periods of prayer);Space for reflection „The Presence that inhabits life”(the mystery of the Incarnation seen through the body, relationships and everyday life);contemplative Eucharist(with more silence than words and three longer pauses referring to the stages of the spiritual path: purification, illumination and union);guided meditation in movement and dance(no dance experience or steps needed);„Close to Yourself”– a meditation guided by Julia Vedani;Heart to Heart– individual meetings with Wojciech in an atmosphere of trust and discretion;personal timefor walks, rest, writing or silence;Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel– a session led from Oddechowo that connects participants with people joining online;Completion circle– a shared closing in which everyone decides whether and what to share.

• Friday, 18 December:16:00 arrival and check-in; 18:00 dinner; 19:00 welcome and introduction to the retreat; 20:30 centering prayer and start of the Sacred Silence.

• Saturday, 19 December:07:00 morning meeting with the body; 08:00 centering prayer; 08:30 breakfast; 09:30 centering prayer – meditation in movement – centering prayer; 10:30 personal time and individual Heart to Heart meetings; 13:30 lunch and rest; 15:00 Space for reflection „The Presence that inhabits life”; 16:00 centering prayer; 17:00 contemplative Eucharist; 18:00 dinner and rest; 19:30 guided meditation in movement and dance.

• Sunday, 20 December:07:00 morning meeting with the body; 08:00 centering prayer; 08:30 breakfast; 09:30 „Close to Yourself” meditation with Julia Vedani, followed by the end of the Sacred Silence; 11:00 Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel (streamed online); 12:15 Completion circle; 13:00 lunch.

• Optional – Bowen therapy:during the retreat Julia Vedani offers individual sessions of this gentle manual therapy; they are voluntary and paid separately, with cost and time arranged with Julia on site.

Facilitators

Fr. Wojciech Drążek – introduces centering prayer and accompanies the shared prayer periods, leads the contemplative Eucharist, which grows out of his contemplative experience, and the individual Heart to Heart meetings.

Julia Vedani – guides the „Close to Yourself” meditation and offers optional Bowen therapy sessions.

Michał Tlałka – listed on the event page among the facilitators.

Practical information

• Dates:18–20 December 2026; arrival on Friday from 16:00 (dinner and welcome meeting), ending with lunch on Sunday at about 13:00.

• Venue:ODDECHOWO Meditation and Development Centre, al. Prof. Nielubowicza 6, 05-281 Borzymy near Warsaw.

• Included:2 days' stay with meals (in the chosen room standard) and – in the workshop fee – facilitation and programme materials.

• Not included:individual Bowen therapy sessions with Julia Vedani (optional, paid separately).

• Sign-up:via the event page by paying a 300 zł deposit, which is deducted from the total. Places are limited and allocated in order of deposit payment. Contact: [email protected].

• Cancellation:the accommodation deposit is non-refundable; paying means accepting the Oddechowo Centre's Terms and Privacy Policy.