We have a choice in the way in which we meet the many difficulties with which life inevitably presents us: we can be defensive and erect barriers to pain, or we can choose to approach discomfort and uncertainty with an attitude of friendliness and curiosity. Being open to what is challenging requires courage and practice as it is not in the nature of the human brain to remain calm in the face of difficulty. In relaxing into what is painful, we are making friends with ourselves and with our world, and we develop maitri – the unconditional self-acceptance that is the basis of compassion and well-being. Having faith in God, the teachings of Jesus, the Buddha, Krishna, Lao Tzu, and the great prophets of other spiritual paths can give us courage and provide us with great support in navigating this human life that can be so difficult at times. Faith can do a lot of things in our life if we let it. It will grow us and allow us to do things we never thought ourselves capable of. It will turn us into a dreamer who really believes that with faith, all things are possible. In the Gospel of Matthew, it is written Jesus looked at them said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

In this interfaith weekend retreat, we will have the opportunity to say yes to life in all its forms, delightful and painful. We will embark on a journey into the minds and hearts of the great prophets of our world, a journey that presents the building blocks of world spirituality and helps us find the divinity within ourselves. Drawing on the writings of, among others, the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hahn that provide a Buddhist perspective on the teachings of Jesus, we will begin to discover the affirmation of the sacred in all religions and spiritual paths, and the infinite merits and common humanity they share. We will also draw on the writings of Pema Chodron, Ajahn Brahm, and other wise teachers to inspire us to live fearlessly by giving up control and waking up to everything we experience in and around us. Loving kindness meditations will support us in our journey, as will the exquisitely tranquil and containing environment of the Buddhist Retreat Centre. The weekend will include sessions of sitting and moving mindfulness practice, as well as walking the labyrinth and group discussions.

Parents and children are invited to join a three-day retreat in the rolling hills of the BRC. Anisha will instill an appreciation of simple pleasures, joy and gratitude. The days will be filled with drumming, making art, mandalas and wind-chimes, nature walks, ubuntu story-telling and toasting marshmellows under the stars.

Eshara will be offering yoga and mindfulness sessions over the 3 days. Children of school-going age (8 years and up) must be accompanied by an adult.

The aloes, halleria and leonotis are in full bloom in Ixopo! If you are looking for some green-thumb inspiration and motivation join Christopher Dalzell for a dynamic weekend of basic gardening tips where you will learn the practice and art of gardening. The weekend will entail plant identification and plant selection of trees, shrubs, ground covers and bulbs. He will show you how to prepare a flower bed and how to lay out your plants, and how to plant trees and other plants and their maintenance; and advise on plant propagation. Experience all this - and more - and celebrate the BRC's gardens and its green spaces.

Join Duncan for a weekend of reflection, rejuvenation, relaxation and restoration. The retreat is based on the ancient practices of hatha and raja yoga and is open to all levels of ability, including beginners, who wish to understand the fundamentals of yoga and develop, or deepen, their own practice. In the tranquil environment of the Buddhist Retreat Centre, we will discover how shatkarmas (cleansing techniques), asanas (postures), pranayama (control of the breath), mudra (gestures to manipulate and stimulate the energies in the body), bandhas (energy locks with the body) bring us into equilibrium. These traditional practices will help us to develop awareness of body, mind and breath. As the body gently opens like a lotus flower, and we start to release our past impressions, so the mind becomes relaxed preparing us for meditation. We will follow traditional guided meditation techniques in the meditation hall and in the labyrinth to quieten the mind, calm anxieties, recover balance in life and enhance creativity, insight and self-reflection.

 Winter time is a time for going inward, to consciously slow down and take stock. In nature, winter is the time we focus on preparing the soil before planting in spring. During this retreat, we create and hold space for you to go inward, take rest and reflect. We focus on preparing our soil for the seeds we wish to sow once we step out of hibernation - clearing out remnants of last season's crops and taking time to nurture and nourish - body, mind and soul. We will explore our inner landscape through pranayama, yoga, mindfulness, meditation, contemplation and journaling.

Why is it so difficult for us to be kind or gentle or good to with ourselves? Perhaps it is because we have grown up within the paradigm that ‘good people put the needs of others first’. In other words, we believe that we need to sacrifice ourselves in order to show we care. Or, it could just be that finding time for self-care just means one more thing on the already unobtainable to-do-list. But what if caring for ourselves wasn’t that difficult? What if, by a few simple adjustments or re-tuning of your emotions, thoughts or attitude patterns, we could find that calm place on the merry-go-round where we were at our best and could deal with and handle what life throws at us with style. The Buddha’s teachings emphasise the importance of taking care of ourselves in order to be of service to others. The wisdom of this teaching tells us that when we are kind and good to ourselves, we are automatically much more so to others.

This 4 night, silent retreat Open the Heart and Still the Mind Compassion Retreat will provide an opportunity to develop and explore meditation practices and teachings which strengthen our embodied, heartfelt presence, whilst integrating the joys and the sorrows that we have all been confronted with during these years of so much uncertainty. Drawing on the wisdom of Buddhist psychology and the inspiring teachings and practices of Kuan Yin, the bodhisattva of Compassion, who "Listens to the cries of the world at ease" we will strengthen our capacity to be with things as they are unfolding. After establishing a calm and grounded body, heart and mind, we will focus on the practice of loving-kindness (metta) meditation and the deepening of compassionate wisdom and appreciative joy. These practices connect us with our authentic presence, strengthen our boundaries and provide us with a secure foundation of courage and trust. In a contained and nurturing atmosphere of contemplative (Noble) silence, we will learn how to transform the viciousness of the inner critic, so that we can end the habitual cycle of self-abandonment and fear. As we discover how to internalise the archetypal good-enough mother, represented by Kuan Yin, we will develop the courage and trust which allow us to honour our vulnerability without fear or shame. When we can embrace our humanness with kindness and compassion, we can live more authentically and more courageously, and joyfully, so that healing and awakening can occur.

A pre-retreat individual session via Zoom/Whatsapp is requested and highly recommended for newcomers or if you have not attended one of Sue’s residential retreats before. The fee for this is R975 for 50 mins or R800 for 30 mins, fully covered by medical aid and can be reduced if necessary.

Please contact Sue on for the 4 day course fee.

Please Note: At present, in-person retreat attendance requires a vaccination certificate or a negative PCR test 48 hours prior to the retreat.

Join Kugan for a weekend of gentle yoga to restore and rejuvenate the body and mind and for holistic health and well-being. There will be time for walking in the tranquil grounds of the Centre, for rest and meditation.

Everybody experiences tranquility from time to time, because this open quality of mind is natural to us all. Yet, often our bodies and minds tighten and freeze to life’s challenges and stresses, even though creative solutions and expansive ideas are most likely to arise from a relaxed state. Healing Relaxation - designed by the late Akong Tulku Rinpoche, a wise Tibetan Buddhist healer, and a team of western healing professionals - is a simple, highly practical, yet profound programme which helps people repair the strains and tensions resulting from the conditions of modern life, and prevents them from developing in the first place. Relaxation and awareness practices can enhance our ability to access calm, expansive states of mind intentionally throughout our day. In this workshop, we will explore the benefits of developing such calmer states of mind, and learn effective relaxation, breathing and visualisation techniques.

The five elements provide a very dynamic system of understanding life. They make up the world around us and are in all living organisms, only the proportions differ.When the elements are in balance there is balance and harmony, when they are out of balance there is disharmony and dis-ease.The balance is constantly changing within and around us. To help us learn how to work with this ever-changing balance of the elements in a positive way, we have to first get to know them. In this retreat we will use the Tibetan schemata of the five elements - earth, water, fire, air and space. We will explore and get to know them in a practical way. We will examine and become familiar with the characteristics and qualities of each, and observe their interaction. At the same time we learn to observe our mind/body states in relation to the elements. The retreat will include guided relations, gentle stretching and creative work around each element, including painting and working with clay. Please wear loose comfortable clothing.