details & faqs
Here are frequently asked questions and program details for our mindfulness teen retreats.
teen retreat experience
The daily retreat schedule includes periods of guided sitting and walking meditation, mindful movement such as yoga or qigong, small group activities, workshops, and free time for socializing or resting. We move into and out of periods of silence throughout the day. You should be prepared to attend all of the activities each day. We also serve three tasty meals a day and a late night snack to keep you going.
You can plan on about 4-6 hours of silent meditation spread throughout each day (2-3 hours in the morning, and 2-3 hours in the afternoon/evening). Don’t worry though, you won’t be expected to meditate for two hours straight! Each meditation session is about 20-30 minutes. The meditation time includes a mix of sitting meditation, walking meditation, and other mindful movement. Some form of mindful movement, such as yoga or qigong, is offered on a daily basis, usually for about an hour at a time. If you are excited to practice more meditation or more yoga there are often workshops during the week that allow you to deepen your practice.
This is a common concern for a lot of participants. We want to give you the chance to really be present on the retreat. Therefore, cell phones and other electronics such as iPods, tablets, e-readers, and laptops are collected at the beginning of the retreat by Inward Bound staff and returned at the end. Emergency contact information will be provided to your parents/guardians in advance of the retreat so that your family can get a hold of you if they need to. A lot of participants find that by the end of the retreat they haven’t missed their phone as much as they thought they would and are happy to have had a break from the digital world.
The number of teens sharing a room varies depending on the retreat center. Room sizes vary from 2 people per room to 20 people in a dormitory style room. If you are a light sleeper you might want to bring earplugs and an eye mask.
No, definitely not! While there are periods of silence during the retreat there’s a lot of time to connect and talk with other participants such as during your small group meetings, over meals, during workshops and free time.
Yes, provided they meet the age requirements of the retreat, friends, siblings, cousins, etc. are welcome to come on retreat together. There will be lots of time to talk, connect, and hang out with each other – during meals, free time, workshops, etc. Please be prepared, however, as friends or siblings may be assigned to different dorm rooms and different small groups. We encourage all participants to “stretch outside their comfort zones” by interacting with new people and not just hanging out with a friend or sibling for the whole retreat.
This is a really common concern! A lot of people say, “I think too much. There’s no way I can still my mind. Meditation might work for other people but it’s not for me.” If you think this you are not alone! The objective of meditation is not to “space out” or clear our minds until they are completely of thoughts. With practice, you may find that when you are meditating your thoughts and emotions are still present but you won’t be so consumed by them. Meditation and mindfulness are about practicing awareness and acceptance towards ourselves, our thoughts, and strong emotions – not making them go away!
Inward Bound strives to be as inclusive as we can. We want our retreats to be accessible to anyone who wants to attend. If you have a physical difference such as limited mobility, need for a wheelchair, impaired vision, impaired hearing, etc. please let us know in your application. We may schedule a follow-up conversation with you or a parent/guardian to get more information. We will do our best to accommodate you.
Bring clothing to last for 6 days and 5 nights. We will be outdoors as much as weather allows, so be sure to bring things you will be comfortable in, outside in summer. Please bring an extra change of clothes or two as clothes can get sweaty, wet, or dirty, and accidents do happen.
You’ll want to bring comfortable, loose-fitting clothing to meditate. Seated meditation in tight jeans or pants is really uncomfortable! You do not need to buy new or special clothing for this retreat – pajama pants, yoga pants, and sweatpants are all great options for sitting comfortably.
Essentials to bring
- Pillow & pillowcase & twin sheets
- Blanket / sleeping bag
- Towel and washcloth
- Waterbottle / travel mug
- A watch, because you won’t have your phone and may want to know the time
- Slip-on shoes for meditation hall
Clothing
- Clothing
- Comfortable pants / jeans / sweats
- T-shirts
- Bathing suit – some retreat centers have the option to swim
- Sweaters / sweatshirts / hoodies
- Clothes you can do yoga in
- Windbreaker/light jacket
- Rain gear (rain jacket / umbrella)
- Socks and underwear
- Sneakers / walking shoes
- Sun hat / baseball hat
Toiletries
- Toothbrush / toothpaste / floss
- Shampoo / conditioner
- Bath soap / body wash
- Hair brush / comb
- Deodorant
- Medications / remedies / vitamins & supplements
Optional items
- Meditation cushion / sitting bench
- Shawl or blanket to keep you warm while meditating
- Yoga mat
- Flashlight / headlamp
- Journal / pen
- Musical instrument
- Camera
- Toys / games (cards, hacky sack, etc.)
- Please be mindful in your selection of appropriate games to bring
Prohibited items & activities
- Possession or use of illegal drugs of any kind is expressly forbidden.
- Any mind-alterning substances
- Smoking and vaping are strictly prohibited throughout the property.
- Possession or use of weapons or firearms is expressly forbidden.
- Candles, incense, and fires of any kind are prohibited.
- No food or drink in the dorms or guesthouse rooms.
- Hair dye, tie dye, or other permanent dyes.
What’s provided
- Twin bed and mattress
- Meditation cushions and chairs
- Yoga mats
- Refrigerator for medications or special food items you need
- First aid kit / over-the-counter meds
tuition
Full tuition for a teen retreat is $2,250-$2,500, depending on the duration of retreat (4-5 night retreats), with scholarship options and payment plans available. Please note: a nonrefundable application fee of $35 is required and applied toward your tuition.
as a form of scholarship support, we offer a sliding scale tuition payment structure
We offer this sliding scale approach to retreat tuition in order to accommodate a wide range of household incomes. The payment structure is set at a 1% contribution of household income per teen per retreat, up to incomes of $149,949 with a minimum payment of $250 required. For households earning incomes $149,950 and above, tuition is the full retreat cost. Read more about our equitable tuition structure.
Please use our tuition calculator below to see what your retreat tuition would be. To request a scholarship, please first apply for the retreat of your choice, and then submit your scholarship request via our request form. Note: we will only process your scholarship request once we receive your complete retreat application. Have questions regarding registration? Visit our registration guide.
payment info: deposits, methods, plans
Tuition may be paid via credit card or check. A deposit of 30% of your total payment is required to reserve your space on a retreat; this deposit includes the $35 nonrefundable application fee. The balance of the retreat tuition must be paid two weeks before the retreat start date. Additionally, we can accommodate payment plans that work for you and your household. For all tuition and scholarship questions, reach out to us at [email protected].
Curious what a day on retreat looks like? Take a look at this sample daily schedule.
see sample schedule
Explore what happens on retreat, why teens love them, and the overall benefits of our mindfulness retreats.
explore
Since our teen retreats commenced in 2010, many young people have shared what their retreat meant to them. Read what they have to share.
read testimonials
