Looking at your image in a clear stream,
you answer the question by your very presence

In this workshop we explore the connection between writing and meditation. We write and meditate on the many changes and transformations we experience as we journey along the river of our lives.  We consider how creativity steadies the boat and how writing helps us dip the oars into dark water so we may navigate the river safely.

Some record only what has happened to them; but others record how they happened to the universe - Henry David Thoreau

The word ‘journal’ comes from Old French ‘day’. So it is our daily encounter with ourselves through the mirror, lens and window of words and silence. ‘Journal’ echoes the word journey, as we travel through inner and outer landscapes. In this retreat we write with the ear, eye and heart.

Learn why Nia is a lifestyle practice that has a vitalising impact on your nervous system and strengthens your ability to sustain body-centred awareness under all circumstances. Feel how every cell in your body can vibrate in joy and how you are connected to everything that surrounds you. It is much more than a cardio dance fitness class.  

Mindful eating can bring us awareness to our habits and thoughts around food and our bodies. This workshop is based on a combination of Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness and Intuitive Eating Principles. The focus is on creating a healthy relationship with food, using a non-judgemental and compassionate approach to re-learning internal physical and emotional cues to guide us when, what and how much we eat. The workshop covers how to deal with cravings and urges through the development of mindfulness skills. It also draws on techniques from cognitive behaviour therapy that enable us to become aware of - and manage - our sometimes destructive patterns and habits around food, eating and our bodies. We will also look at the emotional triggers that can lead to overeating and binge eating, and how these may be understood and effectively dealt with.

Chi kung is an ancient Chinese practice that boosts one’s health and longevity. Through gentle, slow and flowing movements, it integrates and harmonises one’s bodily functions and states of mind by eliminating static and toxic energy patterns. Chi kung also strengthens the internal organs and skeletal structure and encourages good posture. In this retreat, Paul will teach the Healing Sounds Short Form - a set of gentle exercises that incorporates sounds to cleanse and heal our major organs. In addition, it is fun to practise. He will also teach the ancient Taoist Brain Cleansing healing meditation.

Discover your intrinsic Nature and Nurture through the planets and stars in this informative Astrological workshop. Learn how the cycles of the celestial world affect you personally, and how your unique blueprint – your Astrological birth chart - can help you live to your fullest potential. Find your strengths, challenges and which areas of life to empower and enable us and live with greater equanimity and awareness. Astrology is an ancient, powerful, well-tested and insightful tool to foster emotional and mental growth and transformation. The retreat will focus on the role of fate and free will, the planets in their signs and houses, the aspects they make to each other, the elements and modalities they represent and the importance of the position of the sun and moon in conjunction with the cycles of life. There will be stargazing sessions and sunrise yoga.

The  ‘Pilates’ retreat will incorporate a series of core-strengthening movements. The Pilates methodology helps to stabilise your spine, improving posture and balance. Enjoy learning our ‘Mat’ routine, using your body weight as a tool and specific breathing patterns to encourage efficient movement, core stability and flexibility within the body. Included in the two day workshop are the Advanced Mat exercises to accommodate both beginners and experienced students. There will be an evening discussion on how Pilates can thread through your daily life. ‘Moving with Agility’ helps to deal with life’s stresses and discover your best self.

On returning from an extended pilgrimage to China, the 14th century Japanese Zen master, Dogen, greeted his followers with these words: "I have returned home with empty hands... I say only this: my eyes are horizontal, my nose vertical" - their position in meditation. Thereafter Dogen spent the rest of his life teaching the merits of zazen (sitting meditation), the practice which lies at the very heart of the Buddhist experience. Simply being attentive, moment to moment, can have profound consequences: reconnecting us with our deepest selves, to others and the natural world around us. Experience this intimate connection supported by a programme of sitting and walking meditation. There will also be time to enjoy the beautiful grounds of the Centre. Please note that apart from an introductory talk and a discussion period, the retreat will be held in Noble Silence. 

On a quiet evening in my thatch-roofed hut, I play a lute with no string. Its melody enters the wind and cloud, mingles deeply with a flowing stream, fills out the dark valley, blows through the vast forest, then disappears. Other than those who hear emptiness, who will capture this rare sound? - Ryokan (tr. Kazuaki Tanahashi) 

This will be a simple no-frills, "bare-bones" Zen-style retreat consisting of sitting and walking meditation, including a morning and evening dharma reading, as well as time to experience the beautiful surroundings of the Buddhist Retreat Centre while capturing the rare sound of a lute played with no string. Held in the supportive space of Noble Silence, this retreat presents an ideal opportunity to extend and deepen your meditation practice.

This workshop introduces participants to the ancient tradition of tai chi and chi kung practices, which generate a profound sense of composure and balance through slow, gentle body movements. These are designed to release our Life Force - Chi - which is visualised as a current of energy that can be made to circulate, without obstruction, through our bodies and minds, bringing with it a deep sense of well-being, vigour and health. These movements have been fine-tuned over many centuries. They are performed in a relaxed, meditative manner and are elegant and exact, simple and flowing. They can be learnt by anybody, with any level of fitness.