Who we are
Nestled in the peaceful forests and serene Newell lake of Magnetawan, Ontario, Viveka Vana Retreat Centre offers a sanctuary for those seeking stillness, clarity and connection between the body and mind.
Surrounded by nature beauty in an 8 acres of land and over 500’ of tranquil lakefront, it provides a nurturing environment for the practice of mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and holistic wellness.
At Viveka Vana, peace is not something to be found — it is something remembered.
About the Founder
My spiritual practice deepened after I moved to Canada in 2001. At first, it was simply faith — something I carried quietly within me. Over time, it became something much more lived and personal.
3 Years later, the unexpected passing of my husband changed my life in ways I could never have prepared for. In that moment, the Buddha’s teaching on the Four Noble Truths was no longer an idea I understood intellectually — it was something I felt directly. Suffering is part of life. Separation is part of life. Impermanence touches us all. Yet so too is the possibility of understanding, of release, of peace.
Rather than breaking my faith, that loss deepened it.
From then on, my practice became less about knowledge and more about training the heart. I began to pay closer attention to the movements of the mind — noticing when fear, attachment, or restlessness arose, and gently cultivating steadiness, patience, and clarity in their place. Moment by moment. Day by day.
To me, Buddhism is not academic. It is practical. It is the quiet work of understanding ourselves honestly, and learning how to respond to life with wisdom rather than reaction. It is the gradual cultivation of a happiness that does not depend on circumstances.
In 2017, when I attended my first residential retreat, I experienced how powerful it can be to step away from daily noise. In silence, the mind begins to settle. What was tangled becomes clearer. What was heavy begins to soften.
At the same time, I saw how difficult it could be to find retreat spaces that were accessible and affordable. If meditation helps steady and purify the mind, it should not feel out of reach.
This retreat centre, Viveka Vana was born from that inspiration and reflection.
It was created as a bridge — a space that welcomes Everyone at all levels who is looking for inner peace. Through yoga, mindfulness, creativity, and time in nature, we gently prepare the body and mind for deeper stillness.
For teachers and facilitators, it is a place to hold sincere work in an environment that supports wholesomeness, integrity and depth.
For participants, it is an invitation to pause, breathe, and return to the true nature of our spirits.
My hope is simple:
That each person who comes here leaves a little steadier, a little clearer, and more at peace within them and their own life.
In the years ahead, my aspiration is to nurture a returning community — one that values kindness, consistency, and genuine inner growth.
This is not simply a retreat centre. It is a refuge.