{"id":15343,"date":"2026-03-12T16:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T20:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/?post_type=ctc_event&#038;p=15343"},"modified":"2026-03-12T16:30:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T20:30:03","slug":"silent-simplicity-a-summer-mindfulness-retreat-in-middletown-connecticut","status":"publish","type":"ctc_event","link":"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/events\/silent-simplicity-a-summer-mindfulness-retreat-in-middletown-connecticut\/","title":{"rendered":"Silent Simplicity: A Summer Mindfulness Retreat in Middletown, Connecticut"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>What might you discover if you stepped away from noise and spent a few hours in silence?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the midst of busy schedules, constant notifications, and endless responsibilities, many people long for a simple opportunity to pause, breathe, and reconnect with the present moment. Our <strong>Silent Simplicity Summer Retreat<\/strong> offers a peaceful morning dedicated to mindfulness, reflection, and gentle renewal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This short <strong>silent meditation retreat<\/strong> invites participants to step away from the noise of daily life and enter a space of calm awareness. Held in the serene setting of the<strong> Shoyoan Tien Zen Garden<\/strong> at the Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies, the retreat provides a rare opportunity to experience the restorative power of silence and mindful presence.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"547\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Zen-garden-at-Buddhist-Faith-Fellowship-547x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14729\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.5341725795376516;width:194px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Zen-garden-at-Buddhist-Faith-Fellowship-547x1024.jpg 547w, https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Zen-garden-at-Buddhist-Faith-Fellowship-160x300.jpg 160w, https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Zen-garden-at-Buddhist-Faith-Fellowship.jpg 566w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 547px) 100vw, 547px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>During this 2\u00bd-hour retreat, participants will explore several foundational mindfulness practices, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Guided sitting meditation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Conscious breathing practices<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Walking meditation in silence<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Voice meditation and mindful listening<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Periods of noble silence for quiet reflection<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The retreat is intentionally simple and accessible. No prior meditation experience is required. Whether you are completely new to meditation or have practiced for many years, the morning offers a supportive environment for reconnecting with stillness and clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Many participants find that even a short period of intentional silence can help:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Reduce stress and mental fatigue<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Improve clarity and focus<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Restore emotional balance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Deepen mindfulness and self-awareness<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Set amid the peaceful beauty of the garden grounds, this retreat offers a gentle reset for the mind, body, and spirit. Participants often leave feeling refreshed, grounded, and more connected to the present moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Space is limited to maintain a quiet and supportive environment, and advance registration is required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>All are welcome<\/strong>\u2014from first-time meditators to experienced practitioners seeking a morning of mindful simplicity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What might you discover if you stepped away from noise and spent a few hours in silence? In the midst of busy schedules, constant notifications, and endless responsibilities, many people long for a simple opportunity to pause, breathe, and reconnect with the present moment. Our Silent Simplicity Summer Retreat offers a peaceful morning dedicated to&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15312,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","ctc_event_category":[],"class_list":["post-15343","ctc_event","type-ctc_event","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","ctfw-has-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ctc_event\/15343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ctc_event"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/ctc_event"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15343"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ctc_event\/15343\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15345,"href":"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ctc_event\/15343\/revisions\/15345"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"ctc_event_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ctc_event_category?post=15343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}