This document was approved by the Board of Associação Zen Flor Silvestre (AZFS) to aid organization and management of retreats as well as participants’ bookings. Please read it carefully before booking one of our retreats and do not hesitate to contact us should you have any queries to wildflower.pt@gmail.com.

Last update: October 2017

1. Types of retreat

The AZFS offers residential retreats in Portugal and online; this document relates to the first. Retreats may vary in length and dates and can be one, four or eight days long.

2. Participation conditions

Our retreats are in silence, open to participants with or without meditation experience. Throughout the day there will be several meditation periods and teaching sessions; instruction is given to those who need it. Participants will have the chance to have individual interviews with Amy Roshi. All will be given the opportunity to deepen their practice by helping with the retreat’s daily activities, such as cooking, cleaning, maintenance, gardening and more.

Meals are vegan, prepared by retreat participants. If you have any food allergy please let us know when booking your place and let the Head-cook know as soon as possible on your arrival at the retreat.

3. Typical schedule

06:30 Wake up

06:45 Tea & coffee

07:00 Meditation

09:00 Breakfast

10:15 Work meeting

11:45 Meditation

12:15 Dharma Talk

13:30 Lunch

15:45 Tea & coffee

16:00 Meditation

18:30 Informal dinner

20:00 Meditation

22:30 Sleep/Rest

4. Meditation clothing and props

If you have a zafu and zabuton (meditation cushion and mat), please bring them to the retreat. Otherwise, the AZFS will have some to spare so you don’t have to buy these. Please let us know either way in the booking form.

Please bring loose dark clothing as well as a blanket or throw for added comfort during early morning and late sitting periods. Our retreats usually happen in venues with an outdoor area so you may wish to bring appropriate shoes accordingly.

According to each venue, you may be asked to bring linen and/or towels but this will be flagged when necessary. If you are coming from abroad, please let us know as these may be borrowed in Portugal.

5. In/Out dates

We strongly recommend you try to stay the whole time to fully benefit from the immersive experience and thus deepen your practice.

To help with retreat organization, if this is the first time you come to one of our retreats, the arrival date should be the announced first day of the retreat. Arrival time is 16h00 (or otherwise stated) and everyone should have arrived by dinnertime (see 3. Typical schedule).

It is important ALL participants are there from the beginning (as much as possible) because the instruction is given on this first day and core tasks of the retreat are then attributed as well – head-cook, time-keeper, Roshi’s assistant, etc.

6. Booking

To book your place in one of our retreats please fill in the relevant booking form, with care to fill all required information (material you bring, food allergies, payment).

Your booking will only be completed when we receive the payment in full (bank details below). This payment represents your commitment to this practice and helps to organize and manage resources prior to the commencement of the retreat.

If you come from abroad you may wish to pay us in cash at the beginning of the retreat to avoid unnecessary bank charges.

The AZFS will invoice those who require it.

7. Cost, payment and cancellation

The AZFS is non-profit and therefore the asked price solely covers accommodation, food and dana (donation). Dana is not a mere payment for the services rendered because the teaching has no price and it is thus offered freely. If the suggested donation is not adequate to your personal situation please let us know.

Besides accepting a phased-payment method, if there is a true financial impediment to attend one of our retreats please write to us and explain your situation. The email is wildflower.pt@gmail.com.

Because we understand that unforeseen events may occur, in the event of cancellation:

• We will return payment in full if cancellation is made up to four weeks prior to the first day or retreat;
• We will return one-third of payment if cancellation is made up to two weeks prior to the first day of retreat;
• We will not return any payment if cancellation is made one week prior to the first day of the retreat.

8. Bank details

Account name: Associação Zen Flor Silvestre

NIB: 0035 0817 00006119730 93

IBAN: PT50 0035 0817 00006119730 93

BIC SWIFT: CGDIPTPL

©AZFS 2017