Finding Freedom from Habitual Patterns of the Mind
Benefit Retreat for the Therapeutic Neuroscience Lab at the Center for Mindfulness
Watch for 2019 dates coming soon

In the uncertainty and chaos of our everyday lives, we are often stressed, pressed for time, and worried about the future.  We find ourselves eating, checking our devices, or engaging in other habits in order to seek relief.  Yet, these behaviors may be making matters worse.  What if there is a different way of doing things, available to us right now?   Ancient teachings and modern science both suggest that learning how our minds work is the key to interrupting and changing habit patterns. 
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Within the tranquility of retreat setting, we will slow down and take a closer look at patterns of the body, mind and heart.  Integrating both ancient wisdom and discoveries from modern science, we will explore how habits are formed as well as how the practices of mindfulness can interrupt these processes. 

• Understand the science behind habit formation
• Learn how mindfulness practices can interrupt habits
• Discover how to build your natural capacity for curiosity and kindness

Retreat is the perfect antidote to the constant noise of our busy, work-driven lives.  There will be periods of silence and opportunities for in the moment practice as well as guided practices, talks and discussions.  With acres of tranquil woods, walking paths, and gardens, Pendle Hill offers the perfect setting for contemplation and renewal. The practices offer a path for reducing stress, moving beyond cravings, and ultimately living a fuller life.
         
​The retreat will be relevant both to mindfulness practitioners interested in understanding their own minds and  habit patterns and to teachers of mindfulness who would like to gain understanding of Buddhist Psychology and the scientific underpinnings of mindfulness practices. We will gain an understanding of the science behind habit formation, learn how mindfulness practices can interrupt habits, and discover how to build your natural capacity for curiosity and kindness.

The retreat will be co-led by Dr. Judson Brewer and Dr. Robin Boudette.  

Judson Brewer, MD, PhD

Mindfulness Researcher & Teacher

Dr.Brewer is the Chief of the Division of Mindfulness, Director of Research at the Center for Mindfulness and associate professor in medicine and psychiatry at UMass Medical School. A psychiatrist and internationally known expert in mindfulness training for addictions, Brewer has developed mindfulness programs for behavior change, including treatments for smoking, emotional eating, and anxiety. He has also studied the underlying neural mechanisms of mindfulness and is currently translating these findings into clinical use. He has published numerous articles and book chapters, and is the author of The Craving Mind: from cigarettes to smartphones to love, why we get hooked and how we can break bad habits (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2017).  He has been featured on 60 minutes, at TED, in Time magazine among others.
 

Robin Boudette, PhD

Mindfulness Teacher and Psychologist

Dr. Boudette is a licensed psychologist with more than 25 years of clinical experience.  She co-founded the Medical Center at Princeton Eating Disorders Program and founded the Mind-Body Health Team at Princeton University.  She has studied integrative medicine training extensively in both yoga therapy and mindfulness meditation and is a certified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction instructor. She has presented at national professional conferences, weekend workshops, and retreats.  Currently she teaches at the Mindfulness Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and co-leads the Eat Right Now online group and Facilitator Training at the Center for Mindfulness, at University of Massachusetts.  She has a private practice in Princeton and offers programs and trainings in healthcare, higher education, and workplace settings.