Phuket, Thailand -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/04/2010 -- Thailand’s newest and most innovative international education, sports and leisure facility, the Phuket International Academy (PIA), is opening its internationally rated Mind Centre for balance and well being with world renowned mentor B. Alan Wallace at the helm. http://www.phuketinternationalacademy.com/piamc/

The PIA Mind Centre (PIAMC) will launch on April 10 with a two-day weekend “Genuine Happiness Retreat” focusing on two methods for cultivating meditative quiescence or shamatha, led by Dr Wallace (pictured).

In 1975, Dr Wallace was ordained as a Buddhist monk by the Dalai Lama and lived as a fully ordained monk for 12 years and has intermittently served as a translator to the Dalai Lama since 1979. He has studied Buddhism in Germany, Sri Lanka, India, Switzerland and the United States since 1970 and earned his doctorate in religious studies from Stanford University in 1995.

The Genuine Happiness Retreat will initially focus on the practice of “mindfulness of breathing”, which is an effective method for soothing the body and calming the mind. A second method that will be taught is both a shamatha practice and an “insight meditation” (vipashyana) called “settling the mind in its natural state”.

“This weekend retreat is designed to serve anyone who wishes to explore their inner resources for experiencing genuine happiness and a more meaningful life,” Dr Wallace said.

PIA deputy Chief Executive Officer, Nick Seaver, said the opening of the Mind Centre with this two-day retreat will be a significant milestone in the academy’s journey to becoming a fully integrated education and wellness destination.

“Alan Wallace is one of the world’s foremost authorities in meditative learning and this retreat will be one of the highest profile of its kind ever to be held in Thailand,” Mr Seaver said.

“The Genuine Happiness Retreat will be the first of many programmes we will be running at this purpose-built facility and our aim is to grow it into the premier facility of its type in Asia.”

The Phuket International Academy is a USD45 million new facility on 135 rai of land in the north-eastern part of Phuket island, incorporating three integrated centres: PIA Mind Centre, PIA Day School and the PIA Sports and Leisure Club.

To book a place in the Genuine Happiness Retreat on April 10 and 11, please call the Phuket International Academy Mind Centre on + 66 (0) 76 336 000 or email Primporn on primporn@phuketinternationalacademy.com

Phuket International Academy (PIA) is an integrated facility boasting Phuket’s newest international Day School, a multi-faceted Sports and Leisure Club for elite athletes, amateur enthusiasts, artists and wellness seekers in the Mind Centre sanctuary that provides training in the cultivation of mental and emotional balance. PIA prides itself on being a responsible member of the community, operating with integrity as an equal opportunity employer and adhering to highest ethical standards to fulfil the intellectual, physical, creative and spiritual potential of all students, members and participants of the three centres. Located in the northern reaches of Phuket, just 15 minutes from Phuket International Airport, PIA also hosts two 38-room boutique hotels and a broad range of facilities that are perfect for corporate retreats, seminars, teambuilding and seminar programmes.