Short Retreats

The ancient tradition of a retreat involves a sustained period of simple living and of dedicated meditation, but few of us have the time to do this today.  We absolutely must make time for ourselves, and the time spent in meditation is arguably the most important part of our day.  Our short retreats have been developed to introduce you to meditation, to give you a chance to engage in the practice more fully if you are experienced, and to share with others.  We will give you some of the tools to help you on your journey, but you will need personal commitment to take these tools and build your meditation practice at home.

There are many misconceptions about how to meditate, what it should be like and how you should feel at the end.  You will not be able to sit for a few hours and have all the years of bad habits drop away, nor will you get your mind to stop bouncing around like a demented monkey, but with time and practice the key skills of equanimity and clarity will drift into view.  Some days are good, some are bad, but they are all our current experience, and thus to be appreciated.

Our practice is informed by secular Buddhism and by the principles of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.  We have used the insights from our years of study to formulate a range of courses to suit different levels of involvement.

Bodhi 1 - For those just seeking a companionable retreat, this package offers two days of calm with 4 guided meditations, a Mindful walking exercise and vegetarian meals.  You are free to come and go as you please, in quiet respect of those around you.

Bodhi 2 - For those wishing to understand a little more about the background to Mindfulness, and its Buddhist origins, the course adds 3 lectures of 1 hour, with presentations and discussions.

Stress Management - Level 1 - If you ae suffering from stress and anxiety, this retreat helps you with a description of stress in the context of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and the tools to start dealing with it.  Guided meditations and the other retreat benefits are included/

Stress Management - Level 2 - Ze do not provide counselling services, but our second-level stress management course includes discussion groups, self-help tools and more tutorials.  Running over three days, there is time to put the tools to work and to join the guided meditations.

Mindful Leadership - Leading teams and organisations is challenging, and we live in world of unbearable pace that leaves many feeling washed out.  Our Mindful Leadership course draws upon our experience in industry, where we worked at Director - level for a number of international companies.  In this 3-day course, you will learn the principles behind Mindfulness and CBT, and how to apply them to protect yourself from stress, but also how to achieve a happier team around you.