Rules

Center of spiritual practices Stacija

Center of spiritual practices Stacija offers a wide range of retreats and workshops dedicated to spiritual growth. In summer, many programmes take place outdoors and participants live in tents. On the territory of Stacija there are various buildings adapted to the needs of the course, but the main building of Stacija, where most of the events take place, is the House of Stilness. The building houses a large meditation room, a modern lecture theatre, a library and 30 single rooms for events.

Staying at the House of Stilness

The House of Stilness is a place designed for the spiritual growth of a modern person. We ourselves sometimes call it a modern monastery, where you can touch another dimension of life. To stay there, one does not have to become a monk or a nun, but to open oneself to silence, simplicity and being present.

We have created the House of Stilness by realising a dream that we have cherished for many years. The House of Stilness has been built with much love, dedication and a significant financial contribution, with the cooperation of many like-minded people. We expect that the participants of the programmes will be ready to contribute to the maintenance of this unique project and we very much hope that the guests of the House of Stilness will understand this condition, because the development of spiritual work depends on it.

1. The House does not accept people in need of medical treatment. The House refrains from admitting patients with serious addictions (alcoholism, drug addiction, etc.) or serious mental disorders who require specialist care or therapy.

The House is a place for spiritual renewal and for learning growth-enhancing practices.

2. The programmes are open to people of all faiths and beliefs who are willing to respect the rules of the House of Stilness.
Course participants must also commit to the rules defined in each programme. Participants are expected to observe silence during many programmes (please do not talk and use mobile phones only outside the House of Stilness and its premises). Participants are prohibited from using intoxicating substances during all courses. By applying for a programme, the participant agrees to follow the recommendations and agenda of the course leader/teacher. Smoking is not allowed in the House of Stilness and is restricted to the designated area within the House of Stilness.

In the event of a serious breach of the house or course rules, the participant must leave the House at the direction of the leader.

3. Each participant will have a single room with a toilet and shower.

Our philosophy is to "think green", so towels and bedding are not changed every 24 hours. Please use them throughout the event. Of course, if necessary, towels can be changed by contacting the administration of the House of Silence.

4. The café of the House of Stilness serves vegetarian meals. If a participant has an intolerance to a product, please inform us in advance.

Drinking water is available in designated areas in each building.

5. The House of Stilness has a library and bookshop for visitors, where you can buy the latest books dedicated to human development.

6. What to take with you

- Warm, comfortable clothes and appropriate footwear for the season. We recommend you bring "layers" of clothes – indoors it's warm, but outdoors you may need a jumper, windbreaker or jacket depending on the season. Expect to spend time outdoors every day, in nature.

- Home footwear. Only indoor shoes are allowed inside the House of Stilness.

- A flashlight. The Center of spiritual practices Stacija is dimly lit at night, allowing guests to fully enjoy the night sky and stars, so if you want to go to the sea or walk around the grounds after dark, a flashlight will be useful.

- Hair dryer, if needed.

- Alarm clock. When staying at the Center of spiritual practices Stacija, we ask you to refrain from using your mobile phone as much as possible, so an alarm clock can be a good alternative to a mobile phone.

- Wristwatch. While staying at the Center of spiritual practices Stacija, we ask you to refrain from using your mobile phone as much as possible, but to avoid missing meals, lectures and/or meditations, we recommend using a wristwatch.

- Water bottle. We recommend you bring your own thermos or water bottle to the events, which can be refilled both in the House of Stilness and in the restaurant building.

- Personal hygiene products (toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, etc.)

- Medicine. If you need any medicine, including prescriptions, please take them with you, as the nearest pharmacy is about 40 km from the Center of spiritual practices Stacija. There is no on-call doctor or other medical services available at Stacija.

7. Please do not bring

- Candles, incense sticks and other flammable items.

- Alcoholic beverages and any other intoxicating substances.

- Pets.

- Valuables – There are no safes at the Center of spiritual practices Stacija and the administration is not responsible for participants' belongings and valuables.

8. The House of Stilness is 185 km from Riga and 35 km from Ventspils. If you are driving with your own car, we recommend using the Waze app and entering the destination "Lūžņas stacija". To promote a "green culture", we recommend joining groups of fellow travellers – it makes financial and ecological sense. Those who are prepared to take fellow travellers with them, as well as those who have difficulties getting to Lūžņa, are kindly asked to let us know.

If you would like to book a paid shuttle service from Riga Airport or Ventspils Airport to Stacija, please contact .

9. Please arrive at the House of Stilness no earlier than 2 hours and no later than 30 minutes before the start of the programme.

10. On the last day of the programme, please vacate your rooms by 9.00 (you can leave your personal belongings in the windbreak of the House of Stilness or in your car) so that the cleaning work can start in time.

11. Please park your cars in front of the Center of spiritual practices Stacija (parking marked with a P). Charging electric cars at the Center of spiritual practices Stacija currently is not possible. The nearest charging facilities are in Ventspils (about 35 km) and Dundaga (about 40 km).

12. Payment procedure

A minimum deposit of 30% of the total price of the programme is required to reserve a place in the program. The remaining part must be paid no later than 14 days before the start of the programme, otherwise the reservation will be cancelled and the deposit will not be refunded.

13. Cancellation policy

If you are changing or cancelling your stay at the Center of spiritual practices Stacija,

all changes and cancellations must be made by calling +371 29468333.

All reservations are subject to a cancellation fee.

If you change or cancel your reservation more than 14 days before the start date, you will be charged a processing fee of 15% of the programme price. The remaining sum will be refunded.

If you change or cancel your reservation more than seven but less than 14 days before the arrival date, 30% of the programme price will be charged.

If you change or cancel your reservation less than 7 days before the arrival date, no refund will be issued.

14. If a workshop you have registered for is cancelled, you can get a full refund or (subject to availability) transfer the amount you have paid to another programme that interests you.

Founders of the Center of spiritual practices Stacija

Lita Rubene and Filips Rubenis