Mount St. Francis Retreat Centre, Cochrane AB
3-Day Silent Vipassana Retreat
with Yoga & Sound Healing
A silent meditation retreat at Mount St. Francis Retreat Centre in Cochrane, Alberta — 30 minutes from Calgary. Phones off, meals cooked for you, a private room of your own, and two teachers with you the whole time.
No experience needed · Private single room · Free transfer from Calgary & Edmonton · Waiting list is free to join
each
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retreats
What three days actually give you
The problem isn't that you don't meditate. It's that nothing ever stops.
Your phone starts the day before you do. Work follows you home. Even rest gets scheduled around something. For three days here, all of that is taken out of your hands — nothing to plan, nothing to answer, no one needing anything from you.
- Notice the reaction before it becomes an action
- Notice the emotion before it takes you over
- Notice the urge to reach for your phone before your hand moves
- Notice the thought before it turns into words
You are never left alone with it. Every practice is guided out loud, both teachers are in the room, and you can ask a question privately or in writing at any time. What stops is the small talk — not the support.
What happens at the retreat
Everything you'll do over the three days
Twelve kinds of practice, and you don't need to know a single one beforehand. Every one is introduced, demonstrated and guided by a teacher in the room.
The bell, then mindful breathing before the day begins.
A full-body morning practice that wakes the body and the attention at once.
Attention resting on the breath — the core practice of the retreat.
Slow asanas that open the body before the longer sits.
Conscious breathing paired with Surya Namaskar in the morning.
Every step observed deliberately, indoors or on the grounds.
Sound meditation in a group — and one private session for each participant.
A grounding meditation for steadiness when the mind gets loud.
Optional, and a very direct lesson in staying with what you feel.
Free blocks for reading, journaling or sitting on your own.
Optional evening session — speak, or stay silent and listen.
The one sound the whole group makes together, closing each day.
No experience needed · every session guided by a teacher in the room
The shape of a day
One rhythm, repeated three times
A bell tells you where to be, so there is no clock to watch and nothing to decide. Exact times come by email two weeks before.
🌄Early morning
- Wake-up bell
- Tibetan prostrations
- Meditation, guided
- Pranayama & Surya Namaskar
☀️Morning
- Breakfast
- Walking meditation
- Personal time — reading, rest, own practice
- Hatha yoga
🌤️Afternoon
- Lunch
- Walking meditation
- Personal time
- Hatha yoga & pranayama
- Sound healing
- Meditation
🌙Evening
- Dinner
- Personal time
- Meditation
- Q&A with the teachers
- Om mantra, together
Around five hours of sitting a day, broken up by yoga, walking and rest — never more than an hour at a time, and always guided.
Included for every participant
A group sound bath — and one session that is yours alone
Tibetan bowls in a room with the whole group, and separately, one individual session for every person on the retreat. Bowls placed on and around the body, nothing asked of you but to lie down.
Most people describe the individual session as the moment the three days finally land. It is included in the price — not an add-on sold to you on site.
What the price covers
One payment. Nothing to buy on site.
Private single room, 3 nights
Your own room at Mount St. Francis Retreat Centre — no dorms, no roommate. Bedding and towels provided.
Three vegetarian meals a day
Cooked for you, plus tea, fruit and snacks through the day. Gluten-free option available — just ask when you book. Tell us about any allergies in advance.
Every session, guided
Yoga, pranayama, meditation, prostrations, walking practice, group and individual sound healing.
Transfer from Calgary, YYC airport & Edmonton
Free and organised by us, including pick-up at Calgary International Airport (YYC) — seats are limited, so ask for one when you book.
Not included: travel to the Calgary or Edmonton pick-up point.
Room, meals, every practice and the transfer — all in one price. Balance of $400 paid at the centre.
The venue
Mount St. Francis Retreat Centre, Cochrane
The retreat centre sits on the hills above Cochrane, about 30 minutes west of Calgary — quiet buildings, simple single rooms, a chapel, and open ground to walk on. We have been holding silent meditation retreats here for years, and these photos are all from previous ones.
Who is leading it
Artem and Valerii run the whole retreat together
Both teach vipassana in Calgary and Edmonton and have been running silent retreats in Alberta for years, in the tradition of Mahāsi Sayadaw — noting what is happening, as it happens. Certified with Yoga Alliance (RYT-200).
Before you decide
You don't need to be ready. You need three days.
🤍Most people come for
- Silence. Three days with nothing to answer, nobody to talk to, no notifications
- A reset. After months of running on empty, a full stop rather than a weekend off
- Time with themselves. To find out what is actually going on underneath the noise
- Learning to meditate properly — with a teacher in the room, not an app
- Nature. Three days in the Alberta foothills, away from the city and the screen
- Getting the practice back that quietly fell away months ago
🚫This is not for you if
- You need to stay reachable for work for three days
- You want a spa weekend where the sessions are optional
- You're looking for company, networking or a partner getaway
- You want to keep your phone for photos and messages
- You'd rather go at your own pace with an app at home
- You're hoping three days will replace medical or psychological care you actually need
Doubts or questions — write below, or call +1 (647) 614-0707. We'll tell you honestly whether it's for you.
Real stories
What people said when the silence ended
“There's something incredible about not talking — it forces you to turn inward and really focus on your own journey. The food was amazing, the accommodations were amazing, and everything about the experience felt held and well taken care of.”
“Both teachers explained the practices clearly and guided us with patience and kindness. The combination of meditation, silence, yoga and mindfulness gave me a chance to disconnect from daily life and spend time focusing on myself.”
“After many disappointments with ‘surface-level’ spirituality, I had almost lost hope of finding something real — but this retreat truly exceeded all expectations. The experience felt deep, authentic, and transformative.”
“Thoughtfully organized and beautifully facilitated. I left feeling renewed, inspired, and deeply thankful for the opportunity to be part of it.”
Sold out · waiting list open
This retreat is full — join the waiting list
All rooms for November 12–15 are booked. Add yourself to the waiting list in the form below — it is free and nothing is charged. If a place opens up, we will email you right away, in the order people joined.
Form not loading? Open registration on Eventbrite →
Your private single room · 3 nights · included
CAD per person, all-inclusive — what you pay if a place opens for you
| Deposit — holds your room and your meals | $449.00 |
| Booking fees included — nothing added at checkout | $0.00 |
| Balance, paid at the centre on arrival | $400.00 |
| Total | $849.00 |
Joining the waiting list is free · you pay the deposit only if a place opens and you take it
One minute in the form above. It is free, and nothing is charged.
Places are offered in the order people joined, so the earlier you sign up, the better.
Pay the $449 deposit to take the room. The remaining $400 is paid at the centre at check-in on Thursday, November 12.
Questions people ask first
Frequently asked questions
The retreat is sold out. How does the waiting list work?
Add yourself in the registration form above — it is free and nothing is charged. If someone cancels and a place opens up, we email you right away, in the order people joined the list. You then confirm the room with the $449 deposit. If no place opens, you pay nothing.
Is $449 the full price?
No — $449 is the deposit that holds your room and meals, and it is all that is charged when you book (booking fees are included, nothing is added at checkout). The remaining $400 is paid at the centre when you arrive. Total: $849.
I've never meditated. Will I be lost?
No. Every session is taught from the beginning, out loud, by a teacher in the room. On most retreats, the majority of people are doing it for the first time.
I'm not flexible and yoga scares me a little.
The yoga here is slow hatha and breathing, not a workout. Every posture has an easier version, and sitting one out is a normal choice, not a failure. Tell a teacher about injuries beforehand and they'll adapt it with you.
Five hours of sitting sounds like a lot. Can I physically do it?
It's never more than an hour at a time, and each sit is broken by yoga, walking practice, meals or rest. You can sit on a cushion, a bench or a chair — whatever your body needs. Shifting position is allowed.
Do I really have to be silent the whole time?
Silence (mauna) holds from the evening of arrival until Sunday morning. You can always write a note, and you can speak privately with a teacher at any point. The evening Q&A is out loud and optional.
What about my phone?
Phones stay off for the three days — this is the part that does most of the work. Give your family the centre's emergency number before you come; in a real emergency you will be reached.
How do I get there? Is there a transfer?
Mount St. Francis Retreat Centre is in Cochrane, about 30 minutes from Calgary. We organise a free transfer from both Calgary and Edmonton — seats are limited, so tell us you need one when you book. Driving yourself is fine too; there is parking on site.
Flying in? The free transfer also picks up at Calgary International Airport (YYC). Send us your flight details after booking and we'll match the pick-up to your arrival.
What should I bring?
Comfortable clothes you can sit and move in, a warm sweater for the evenings, a yoga mat, slippers or warm socks, a water bottle and toiletries. A meditation cushion if you have a favourite one. Bedding and towels are provided.
Is there a gluten-free option?
Yes. All meals are vegetarian, and a gluten-free option is available on request — just mention it when you book (or email us afterwards) and the kitchen will prepare it for all three days. Tell us about any other allergies in advance as well.
What time does it start and end?
Check-in at Mount St. Francis Retreat Centre opens at 5 pm on Thursday, November 12. The retreat ends around midday on Sunday, November 15. The full schedule is emailed two weeks before.
Is this religious?
No. Vipassana is a technique of attention — you watch the breath and the body and learn to notice what is happening before you react to it. People of every background and belief come, and nothing is asked of you except that you practise.
Is this the Goenka course?
No. We teach in the tradition of Mahāsi Sayadaw, which works with noting what arises, and we include hatha yoga, pranayama and sound healing alongside sitting practice.
What if I feel emotional during the silence?
That is ordinary and expected — silence brings things to the surface that noise normally covers. Both teachers are there for exactly this, and a private conversation is available whenever you need one.
What if I need to cancel?
Cancel or move to a future retreat up to 30 days before the start — until October 13 — and your deposit is refunded minus the Eventbrite processing fee, or transferred (valid 12 months, subject to availability). Inside 30 days the deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable, because your room and meals are already paid to the monastery. You may pass your place to someone else with our approval. If we cancel, you are refunded in full.
Or call +1 (647) 614-0707 — a real person, usually the same day.
Three days is short enough to fit into an ordinary life,
and long enough for the noise to stop.
November 12–15, 2026 · Mount St. Francis Retreat Centre, Cochrane AB
Sold out · waiting list open — join and we will email you if a place opens. +1 (647) 614-0707 · life@vipassana.ca
We're Here to Help
Have Questions?
We'd love to hear from you. If you have any questions about the retreat or would like to explore whether it's the right experience for you, don't hesitate to get in touch. We're happy to answer your questions and guide you every step of the way.
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