OPEN DOORS, OPEN HEARTS
RETREAT CALENDAR 2026See below – Important information to read before booking your stay at Le Moulin
WELCOME TO THE MOULIN
Welcome to Moulin de Chaves
Moulin de Chaves seeks to offer a retreat environment, teachings and practices to support Freedom and Awakening. Our practice consists of skilfully meeting and inquiring into all of life: in silence and in communication, in solitude and in community, in simplicity and also amidst various daily complexities. Living here together we all need to take care with our actions and intentions; the following rules and reflections are intended to support the safety and ease of all of us.
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- The basis of any spiritual practice is bringing sensitivity and care to life. We use the 5 Buddhist virtues as a basis for this, undertaking together to honour all life here, to respect each other’s being and property, to safeguard honesty and trust, and to be with our hearts and minds as intimately and directly as possible, for the awakening of authentic wisdom and compassion.
- The daily schedule is posted on the notice board at the entrance to the community hall. Visitors are expected to participate fully. This supports the sincerity and commitment of each one of us.
- For all of us, our working meditation is an important aspect of Dharma practice here. We are asked to bring the same care, connection and interest to our work as in all other areas of life here. If you are unsure about any aspect of your work period, please just ask one of the manager team.
- The House guidelines posted below and on the notice board are for the harmony and ease of all of us. Please read and follow them fully.
We wish you an insightful and nourishing stay with us.
GUIDELINES FOR PARTICIPANTS
Please take a few moments to read these guidelines. They are there to provide a peaceful, respectful and safe space for everyone. If you have any questions, please ask a team member or leave a note on the notice board in the entrance hall.
Place and people
- Please respect the privacy of residents and staff, and do not go into the areas marked Private. The island is reserved for the team during meal times and bikes and boats are not available for guest use.
- No use of alcohol or intoxicants is permitted during your stay at le Moulin .
- Please participate fully in the daily program, arriving on time and staying until the end of each session.
- Please don’t wear outdoor shoes from the first floor onwards in the main house, or in the meditation halls. Please bring slippers to wear upstairs.
- For everyone’s safety, no open flames are allowed anywhere on the property. Candles and incense may only be used in the Metta Mandir.
- Wi-Fi is available for use only when needed (i.e. booking travel back home). A computer is available at lunchtime in the upstairs office.
- Keep the First floor library tidy, returning books to the correct shelf (marked with coloured dots). No books should be taken outside.
- The kitchen is off-limits unless you’re working there. Please don’t enter the kitchen or help yourself to food.
- Please be on time for meals, and rinse your dishes in the bowls provided. It is helpful if you can finish by 45 minutes, so wash up can begin on time.
- Help keep toilets, bathrooms and shared spaces clean. Wipe down showers and glass doors after use; cleaning materials are provided.
- Avoid communal areas during cleaning times (karma yoga/work period).
- Please recycle: yellow bins for recyclables, grey bins for general waste.
- Sleeping areas are always silent. If sharing a room, please switch off lights by 23:00.
- Walk gently on the 2nd & 3rd floors — the old wooden structure carries sound easily.
- If the main house showers are busy, there are 3 showers and 4 toilets in the ground-floor bathroom block.
- After 22:30, please avoid using showers or flushing toilets unless needed.
- For stays over a week, a washing machine is available on the 2nd floor (€3 per use).
- Please do not bring food into rooms — it can attract mice or insects.
- Priya the cat is not allowed in the main house or bedrooms. Don’t let her in.
- You may swim at your own risk. Please let someone know before going into the river, and swim only during free times.
- Please don’t walk or sunbathe in swimwear. Cover yourself when moving between the river, bathroom block or your room.
- Dry wet towels and swimwear on the washing lines — not in or around the house or garden.
Smoking
- Smoking is only allowed in the designated areas: near the front gate by the white Buddha or outside of the centre.
- Please dispose of cigarette ends carefully
Safety & Emergencies
- A first aid kit is in the downstairs bathroom block.
- Emergency numbers: Ambulance/Fire: 15 Police: 17
- A nurse and pharmacy are located in the village.
- For more details, see the Health & Well-Being sheet in your folder.
PRICES / HOW TO PAY
Prices for accommodation varies depending on room type and length of the retreat. To see the different accommodation options and prices for each retreat, please click on the retreat to see the information page.
The event must be paid in full at the time of registration. Payment is through Stripe, which allows for credit card payment through the online registration process.
Once you have completed the process, you will receive a confirmation email with the details of your booking. If you do not receive this email, (check spam folder first) or you experience any difficulties booking, please contact us directly by email or telephone.
BURSARY PLACES AT LE MOULIN
Le Moulin can offer up to 3 bursary places for each Moulin retreat on a first come, first served basis (Moulin retreats are those retreats taught by Martin or Gail Aylward or by an invited teacher in the Theravada, Insight Meditation tradition). You will find a list of retreats where bursary places are available at the bottom of this page.
Reasons for applying for a bursary application
A.Young person under 27 with limited finances
B.Exceptional circumstances
(eg chronic health conditions, financial hardship, disadvantage minorities )
C. Working in voluntary or low waged social / humanitarian services
Accommodation
Bursaries are offered for shared accommodation only. However if you need a bursary for single occupancy accommodation, for either a health condition, or for Trans/Non Binary gender, or any other reason, please give details.
Options of discount available
25%
35%
50%
Meditation Work Period (Karma Yoga)
During your stay we may ask you to participate in a 1hr supplementary meditation work period daily, helping in the kitchen or household. This won’t impact on your teaching or practice in any way.
How to obtain a Bursary place
To obtain a Bursary place, please contact the Moulin office at [email protected]
In your email please state:
Title: Bursary place request
In the message:
Which retreat you wish to attend – please give 1st choice and 2nd choice
your reason for applying (see categories above)
Your choice of discount percentage
Your choice of accommodation – shared room or shared Moulin tent
If a shared room is not an option for you and you need a single room or tent, please give reasons.
PERSONAL RETREATS
It is possible to come and spend time at Le Moulin following your own personal silent retreat.
Either staying in the main house or in the new single rooms set in the grounds, you would have your own room or tent to follow your own daily personal retreat / meditation rhythm.
Within the days there can also be the space to read, journal, walk or simply take the time to just be with yourself where you are, right now.
There is access to a variety of Dharma talks as well as a library of Dharma related books.
To apply you need to have attended a minimum of 2 silent retreats beforehand for a minimum of 5 days each.
There may or may not be access to a resident teacher depending on their availability.
During your stay at the Moulin we will ask you to participate in a 1hr daily work meditation. More information about work meditation can be found here under ‘‘Karma Yoga’.
These are the dates currently available for Personal Retreat:
- Monday 14 – 20 April 2025
- Monday 25 – 31 August 2025
- Monday 22 – 28 September 2025
All arrivals are on Monday from 2pm.
We ask that you stay a minimum of 5 nights.
If you would like to participate in a silent retreat at the Moulin during one of the dates listed, please contact the Moulin office:
[email protected]
Stating your preferred stay dates and room choice:
Single cabin shared bathroom – €95/night
Single en-suite room – €120/ night
Single room shared bathroom – €105/ night
HEALTH, HYGIENE AND WELLBEING GUIDELINES AT LE MOULIN
Here are some simple guidelines to help take care of yourself and the group during your stay.
CANCELLATION POLICY
If a participant should cancel this event up to 2 months before the starting date, it is refundable less a €75 administration fee. If cancelled 1 month before the event, 50% is refundable . If cancelled less than 1 month before the event, there is no refund.
Participants may wish to take out an insurance to cover themselves in case of any eventuality.
Participants cancelling more than one month before the event may also choose to keep their payment as credit for a future event, valid for one full year. If this option is chosen, a 50€ administration fee will be deducted.
If the Moulin should cancel this event, it would return all monies paid by participants for Moulin accommodation.
SILENT RETREATS
Is a silent retreat totally silent?
Participants remain in silence throughout the retreat, except for speaking in individual or group meetings with the teacher(s), or in asking the teacher(s) questions in the meditation hall. On most silent retreats, silence also means refraining from reading and phone use. The silence is designed to allow the retreatant to slow down and open up, to stay attuned to subtleties of immediate experience, and to more deeply penetrate mind and body.
Can anyone attend a silent retreat?
Unless stated otherwise, silent retreats are open to anyone. Prior meditation experience is not necessary. Silent retreats are designed to be equally accessible to both beginning and experienced meditators.
Can I talk to the teacher?
There will be various ways to speak with the teacher(ds), including Q&A in the hall, small group meetings and one to one dialogues.
Can I read or journal?
Reading is discouraged as part of the context of silence. Journaling is permitted and encouraged, with the advice to keep it minimal.