Silent New Year Movement Retreat

Between what was and what wants to become

Zwischen den Jahren entsteht ein seltener Raum. Das Vergangene ist noch nah. Das Neue hat noch keine feste Gestalt. Für einige Tage müssen wir nicht sofort weitergehen.

What wants to be honoured before this year ends? What may rest? And what may already be calling quietly, without needing to be named straight away?

Im winterlichen Il Convento geben wir diesen Fragen Zeit. Nicht nur im Denken, sondern im Körper, in der Movement, im Schweigen und draußen in der Landschaft. Wir lauschen mit den Ohren und mit der Haut, mit unserem Atem, unserer Müdigkeit, unserer Freude und mit allem, was noch unfertig ist.

Four threads running through these days

Silence is not the absence of connection

When speaking stops, other people do not disappear. Glances, footsteps, movement and shared meals remain. We may even notice more clearly how deeply we respond to one another long before words arise.

For some, silence is a relief; for others it may initially feel unfamiliar or restless. Both can be part of the experience. We enter gently: quieter periods begin on 29 December. 30 and 31 December are days of complete silence. After New Year, we slowly return to spoken exchange while longer silent periods remain.

Stille ist hier kein Rückzug aus der Community. Sie ist eine andere Weise, gemeinsam anwesend zu sein.

A rhythm, not a timetable

Die Tage haben eine Form, ohne eng zu werden. Die konkreten Einladungen richten sich auch danach, was in der Gruppe lebendig ist und was der Moment braucht.

1. MorningSilence, meditation, breathwork or gentle movement
2. Late morningShared brunch and time to rest or take a walk
3. AfternoonContact Improvisation, bodywork, nature practice or a threshold journey
4. EveningShared dinner, conversation, free dance, writing or ritual

No prior experience of dance, meditation, bodywork or voice is needed. Every invitation can be adapted to your own capacities. Resting, observing or sitting out a practice can also be a meaningful way to take part.

Carrying the questions across the threshold

At New Year we are often asked about resolutions. During these days, we are interested in something deeper: the questions that do not want a quick answer.

What has carried me through this year? What has ended but not yet been farewelled? What do I no longer want to hold on to? What sense of life wants more room in the coming year?

We meet these questions through writing, movement, breath and ritual. Some rituals invite the most delicate listening. Others need fire, voice, dance, sweat and celebration together. The new does not yet need to be a vision. Perhaps it first appears as an image, a bodily sensation, a sentence or a barely perceptible movement.

The landscape becomes a counterpart

Il Convento lies among forests, mountains, streams and olive groves. The winter landscape is not a backdrop. It responds through cold air on the skin, the sound of water, bare branches, mist, wind and changing light.

On walks and a personal threshold journey, we leave familiar paths for a while. Sounds, weather, terrain and our own responses become part of the experience.

A shared trip to the sea opens our view in another way. We walk, breathe and gather where land and water meet. What becomes audible when only spaciousness lies before us?

Seeing and being seen

Manches können wir nur allein hören. Anderes wird erst im Gegenüber sichtbar. Deshalb wechseln sich Rückzug und gemeinschaftliche Räume ab.

In circles of listening and mirroring, we do not try to explain or fix one another. We reflect what touches us and which image or movement continues to resonate. In this way, each person can meet their own experience anew.

Community also grows in unspectacular ways: chopping vegetables, washing dishes, sitting by the fire, exchanging a glance in silence or sharing words again after several days.

The retreat will be led by Aaron and a newly assembled team. The other facilitators will be introduced once the full team is confirmed.

Vielleicht sind diese Tage für dich

• Du spürst, dass dein Alltag zu laut oder zu schnell geworden ist und dein Körper nach einer Unterbrechung ruft.
• Du hast vieles getragen, geleistet oder erreicht - und sehnst dich trotzdem nach mehr Lebendigkeit, Sinn und innerer Verbindung.
• You want to weniger funktionieren und wieder feiner wahrnehmen, was dir wirklich entspricht.
• Du wünschst dir, dem neuen Jahr nicht mit noch mehr Vorsätzen, sondern mit Klarheit, Präsenz und einem verkörperten Ja zu begegnen.
• Du bist bereit, dich auf Stille, Movement, Community und das Ungeplante einzulassen.

Cost and inclusive places

The retreat fee covers facilitation. For confirmed registrations by 10 November 2026, the early-booking fee is €350. After that, the regular fee is €400. Anyone who can contribute €450 helps support the reduced-rate places.

Accommodation per person per night costs €38 to €40 in a shared room, €46 to €67 in a double room and €45 to €69 in a standard single room. This is based on the Il Convento 2026 price list minus €43 full board per person per day. If a double or comfort room is occupied by one person, a surcharge applies depending on the room, resulting in rates of €66 to €97 per night. Simple vegetarian catering with brunch and dinner costs €180 for the entire retreat. The total price including six nights and meals therefore starts at €758 during the early-booking period and €808 afterwards, excluding travel.

Reduced-rate helper places and scholarships

For people with limited financial means, reduced-rate helper places are available for a total price of €650. The price includes the retreat fee, meals and a place in the least expensive room category. With a reduced-rate place, you commit to three kitchen shifts during the retreat, helping prepare brunch or dinner or cleaning up afterwards.

Two heavily subsidised scholarship places are also available for a total price of €290. Scholarship recipients commit to four kitchen shifts. Each shift lasts approximately one to two hours and, depending on the task, begins at 8:30 or 11:00 am or at 5:00 or 7:30 pm. During these times, participants will not be able to take part in programme sessions happening at the same time. Participants on reduced-rate helper or scholarship places need to bring their own bed linen and towels.

The registration deadline is 15 December 2026. Feel free to write to Aaron beforehand if you are interested, need a reduced-rate place or have questions about taking part.

Staying at Il Convento

Old walls, simple rooms, a shared salon and doors opening directly onto the garden: during these days, Il Convento becomes our home. Accommodation ranges from smaller rooms to more communal sleeping spaces.

Getting here

The nearest railway station is Minucciano-Pieve-Casola. A pick-up can be arranged from there; the walk takes around 30 minutes. A larger station nearby is Aulla Lunigiana. If you are looking for a lift, we will be happy to help connect you with other participants.