The upsurge of interest in the ancient practice of yoga attests to its proven physiological and psychological benefits. However, our sedentary, western lifestyle has stiffened our limbs and spine to such an extent that many people find the yoga asanas (poses) difficult to perform. Iyengar yoga evolved to deal with this problem - safely, without forcing the body into harmful contortions. Iyengar uses simple, but carefully calibrated props and other supports to achieve postures that would otherwise be unattainable except after years of practice. This retreat is suitable for beginners and for those who may have practised other forms of yoga. The weekend retreat is an introduction to the Iyengar method. For those who wish to consolidate their practice to a deeper level, the additional 4 day retreat is strongly recommended (24-28 June).

The upsurge of interest in the ancient practice of yoga attests to its proven physiological and psychological benefits. But our sedentary, western lifestyle has stiffened our limbs and spine to such an extent that many people find the yoga asanas (poses) difficult to perform. Iyengar yoga evolved to deal with this problem - safely, without forcing the body into harmful contortions. Iyengar uses simple, but carefully calibrated props and other supports to achieve postures that would otherwise be unattainable except after years of practice. This retreat is suitable for beginners, for those who may have practised other forms of yoga and for  for those who wish to consolidate their practice and take it to a deeper level.

We tend to view ourselves as our negative emotions and to react to external circumstances and other people in terms of what they make us feel, rather than with pure perception. This means that we often feel victimised and helpless in responding differently. This retreat will focus on the five main negative emotions, anger, pride, delusion, attachment and jealousy and how depression, anxiety, insecurity, self-pity, and a host of other feelings emerge from these five. Buddhism takes these, and teaches us to examine them in their true light as impermanent and without solidity, not as we have been conditioned to view them in western psychological models. Using meditation techniques, and beginning to understand the vast potential of our true nature of mind, we learn to stop responding as victims, and to go along a path of healing, transforming and later even liberating ourselves from these poisons completely.

Come and join us for some serious fun and adventure this winter!  Spend 4 days filled with games and stories, nature walks, making art and toasting marshmallows under the stars in the beautiful environment of the BRC. This is a family retreat aimed at children of school-going age (10 and up) and offers a basic introduction to Buddhist thought and practice as well as guidance for parents and children to explore spirituality through connecting with nature and creative expression. Children must be accompanied by an adult, preferably a parent.

You don’t have to be, or become, an artist to be able to sketch what is in front of you.  Everybody can see that some things are shorter than others or to the left or right of something else. So you simply draw it like that.  All you need is one eye and two fingers. Participants in this workshop  will be taken through a series of simple practice sessions in this type of “Seeing-Drawing”, after which they will draw a variety of subjects - from still life  to landscape scenes and portraits - all in the space of a weekend. Sketching is one of the loveliest of skills anybody can acquire. You can take your pen and sketchbook anywhere and experience what it is like to be truly present in where you are.  All materials will be provided.

Join Margot for a yoga retreat where we explore and delve into our strength and vitality in order to deepen and develop peace and serenity in our minds. We will connect the two with the power of breath and mindful awareness. Enjoy a progressive sequence of extended yoga classes, comprising dynamic vinyasa flow, yin yoga, yoga nidra, mantra and more. Working in sequence to unlock and expand, we will explore arm balances, hip openers, backbends and twists to challenge your body to release, and then restore vitality, riding the wave of your breath as a way to surrender into postures and ultimately cultivating calmness of mind. We will work in Krama (or stages) so the retreat is suitable for all levels of fitness, but be prepared to be challenged. Please bring a mat, water bottle, blanket and a strap. 

This is a two-day hands-on workshop in which we explore the meditative qualities of repeat-action and pattern-making through clay.You will learn the technique of “wedging” which engages the body by rolling and folding the clay into itself. This is an exercise in preparation - setting out our intentions and making sure our raw material is ready to be moulded into a medium for our creativity. We will  make small pinch pots, which will be fired and ready to take home at the end of your stay. When clay is deftly handled, magic happens!  The evenings will end with calming down the mind in meditation and mindfulness with Louis.

Everyday life throws new situations, experiences and challenges at all of us. Without a solid "Centre" to return to, this can leave us feeling stressed, disconnected and at the mercy of our past. More Room For Miracles is a gentle, powerful retreat to help us clear out the old, integrate the wisdom of these experiences and then make space for what we truly love; for what serves us deeply and makes our heart sing! We will use transformative emotional release and clearing exercises to let go of our baggage and to return to the infinite wisdom of the body. We will navigate to the stillness at the very core of our Being so we can tune into the whisperings of our Soul and consistently find our way back into love. We will start gently by setting clear intentions for what we want from the two days. On the first day, there will be the intense part of the inner work to help clear out old baggage, emotions, beliefs and trauma, followed by a day of integration and working out practical applications for using these tools in your everyday life.

The lessons that Zen and Recovery teach are no different from what we have suspected all along. When we respond to the call of the Steps of Zen, we are  answering our own cry for help. We don’t need to believe in the Steps, but we do need to have faith in our basic goodness and wisdom. This interpretation of The Twelve Steps conforms to the Mahayana Buddhist tradition of making the rescue vehicle large enough for everyone to define their own “Higher Power”.  Just like Recovery, Zen does not seek to convert anyone - only to help in alleviating suffering. People of other philosophies, or none at all, will benefit from this look at Recovery and the Steps through the eyes of Zen, presenting a fresh understanding of what it takes to be rehabilitated from addictions - using Zen as a tool. This retreat will be helpful to people in need of  recovery,  which includes, typically,  substance addictions, but also to people who are experiencing strong negative impacts that have resulted in their living with the experience long after the event. Recovery speaks to any aspect of ourselves that needs to heal. However, not everyone knows how to go about that in a way that will lead to a positive shift. Using the tools of the twelve step programme, any injury of self can be addressed. A progression to recovery then follows spontaneously.