Mindfulness Retreat for Educators

Kristin McKeown and Andra Brill

June 4–8, 2022

Please read important eligibility and registration info below before registering

There has never been a more challenging time for educators than the last two years. Please join us for an end of school year retreat to help you recover. We have designed the experience to nurture you and cultivate skills you can take back to your daily life. We invite you to take this time to cultivate your capacity for attention, emotional balance and compassion in and out of the classroom. It will support you in bringing a mindful presence to your personal life and professional work in schools. The retreat includes daily periods of silent meditation practice, one full day of silence, mindful movement, solitary reflection, time in the natural world, and opportunities to share perspectives and experiences with other educators. This program is not focused on bringing mindfulness practices to students.

Scholarship Information

Drala Mountain Center is offering special support for educators to attend this 2022 Mindfulness Retreat for Educators.

Eligibility

Employed full-time in a pre-K-12 school or school district setting
Currently enrolled as a full-time student pursuing a M.Ed.
Professionals working as early childcare providers (ages 0-3) (i.e. licensed day-care professionals, etc.)

This year, due to decreased program capacity, we are prioritizing new attendees who have not attended this retreat before. If you have attended this retreat in the past, please do not register, and please email registrar@dralamountain.org and you will be placed on a waiting list as we prioritize new attendees.

Levels of Support

For individuals who have never attended a residential meditation retreat longer than a weekend, the retreat will cost $350, plus a processing fee, for Lodge Single with private bath lodging.
For individuals who have previously attended at least one meditation retreat longer than a weekend the retreat will cost $700, plus a processing fee, for the same lodging described above. If the meditation retreat you attended in the past was a previous Mindfulness Retreat for Educators, please see “Eligibility” section above.

To Register

After reading the “Eligibility” section above, please click “Register Now” above and select the relevant level of support.

Kristin McKeown

Kristin McKeown is a teacher advocate and personal coach who helps hard-working educators manage their stress, integrate mindfulness and meditation into their lives, and find the balance that allows them to be at their best. As the founder of TeachingBalance, Kristin integrates her experience as a meditation teacher with her 22 years in public education to offer mindfulness-based strategies for wellness and self-care.

Andra Brill

Andra Brill, Ph.D. (she/her) is a writer and innovator in the growing field of mindful education. Her work, based on neuroscience, psychology and Buddhist traditions, supports educators and families to create balance and well-being. Before starting her own consulting firm, Andra spent many years as a literacy coach and early literacy specialist in the public schools. She has served as senior faculty at Passageworks Institute since 2012 where she helped develop the Transformational Leadership Workshop and the Trainer of Trainers course for SMART in Education, an 8 week mindfulness course based on MBSR. Currently, Andra is the Curriculum and Wellness Director for Bright Mind Enrichment and Schooling and an advisor to Whole School Mindfulness. Andra is a passionate advocate for cultural responsiveness, justice and equity in the communities she supports.

Program Details

Registration takes place from 2– 5 pm on your program start date. All participants and volunteer staff must check in at our Guest Registration house. Please arrive before 5 pm to check-in and settle into your accommodations. Your program begins with dinner, followed by an orientation. The Guest Registration house closes at 5 pm after which no one is available to provide information or orient you to your accommodations. All programs usually end at 12:30 pm on the program's departure date, followed by lunch. Further specifics regarding your program's schedule will be available upon arrival. If applicable, you will receive an email from the program coordinator in the week prior to your program with any additional information you may need.