Find meaningful solitude on a Self-Retreat. These Retreats are unstructured: one does as much (or as little) reading, walking, meditation or resting as one chooses. Enjoy walks and bird watching in 300 acres of beautiful rolling hills, parklands, indigenous valleys and forests. Meditate, learn chi kung and yoga, savour our delicious vegetarian food, browse our well-stocked library. Visit the stupa and the raked Zen sand gardens; walk the labyrinth; reflect on the 8 trees associated with the Buddha’s life, enlightenment and death in the beautiful Buddha Boma; spend solitary time in our deer forest, stalk the light, cloud-gaze at the dam and tune into just being in the present moment. Self-Retreats are an ideal opportunity to be in a gentle, sympathetic space where one can be still and get in touch with oneself and reflect on the things that crowd one’s life. Self-Retreats are available on weekdays - between Conducted Retreats - and over structured retreats. Group or Corporate events can be arranged.

Nelson Alvares is in situ to lead walks and sunrise meditation.

For those who would like to book for a self retreat midweek, Krishia Schilz, a resident member of staff, is offering daily yoga, pranayama and meditation.

Krishia Schilz is a qualified Bereavement Counsellor specialising in grief and loss, as well as Trauma Containment. Her spiritual path led her to yoga in which she is certified in various styles. She completed her training in beautiful Bali before travelling to Thailand to teach. Her practice includes yoga, pranayama (breath work), meditation and yoga philosophy.

head thoughts tumble down

down into the ribbed well of breath.
pure water rises drawn
in the bucket of the heart (Dorian)

How do thoughts and words affect our body? How does the body in a meditative state help us choose the thoughts and words that will nourish us and give us life? How does this dance affect the constant self-talk that happens inside our heads and inside our mouths? Come and explore how a consciousness of story can help us to choose a path of grace.

A word is dead when it is said, some say. I say it just begins to live that day - Emily Dickinson

Are words and ideas stuck in your head? Want to shake them loose? Need inspiration and writing company? Create a word space? Befriend words/let words befriend you? Then this retreat is for you. Create a piece or craft one in process. So come away to the BRC to write away. In this retreat you’ll find encouragement and safe support. Breathe in the hills, dam, trees and walking paths. This retreat offers you:

prompts galore (lit matches)
solo and group time plus one-on-one support
fireside stories

Join Lisa for a deeply relaxing and nourishing weekend of mindfulness-based Clinical Somatic Movement. Exploring the communication between the brain, nervous system and muscular-fascial systems, we will learn about pandiculation, nature's way of releasing built-up tension from the body. Slow down and learn gentle practices to help release chronic muscle tension that underlie pain and stress in body and mind. Develop your inner awareness and bring comfort and ease to your body. Basic Mindfulness practices and meditations will be woven throughout the retreat. This weekend is suitable for everyone and will meet you where you are. All bodies welcome!

Zhan Zhuang (‘Standing like a Tree’) Chi Gung is unlike most other Chi Gung styles, in that with the exception of changing from one static posture to the next, the practitioner remains absolutely still, whilst developing a mind like still water. Regarded by many contemporary Masters as the most powerful of all Chi Gung practices, it opens all of the nine energy portals in the body, and encourages one’s chi (life force) to flow powerfully throughout one’s entire being. In this retreat Paul will teach the Five Posture Zhan Zhuang Set, which assists in developing a strong physical structure as well as creating a greater supply of healing chi to promote health, vitality and an increase in physical energy. The benefits of Zhan Zhuang also include the cultivation of a better posture as well as reducing tension in one’s muscles, thereby assisting the practitioner to live their life in a more relaxed manner.

This weekend offers a blend of practices for body, mind and heart.

Gentle somatic movement to release muscle tension, dance sessions to cultivate vitality and mindfulness meditation to hold all of our experience in loving awareness.
If you need to move, feel more connected and at ease in your body, cultivate vitality, connection and joy, this is the weekend for you.
No experience is needed; all bodies are welcome!

Many religions and philosophies come across as men-only affairs, Buddhism is no exception: male voices dominate, reflecting gender and cultural biases both past and present. During this retreat we will hear the voices of the many women in the Zen Buddhist tradition, from the first millennium to the modern day, including the first female Zen Master Chiyono from the thirteenth century (she dropped a water bucket and found her life) to more recent Zen teachers such as Maurine Stuart. Their thoughts and their luminous poetry will shine a light on our daily lives and support us in our practice throughout this gentle Zen-style silent retreat, which will include sitting and walking meditation, a discussion period, and time to enjoy the beautiful grounds of the Buddhist Retreat Centre.

Patience is a virtue, Virtue is a grace and Grace is a little girl who never washed her face....

Nature's classroom will help us land, grounded in the loving arms of Mother Earth where the wise old trees sway gently in the breeze, whispering secrets of patience, perseverance and presence. Through gentle yoga, breathwork, mindfulness practices and communing with nature, we will explore with curiosity how to cultivate peace.  We will collectively cultivate the virtues of patience and perseverance, and look towards nature to show us the art of being fully immersed in each moment's beauty. When we water our soul's garden with these virtues, we create fertile ground for divine grace to flourish within us.

We all wish to have happiness and avoid the uncomfortable feelings that seem to dominate our daily life; feelings of dissatisfaction, unease, anxiety that keep us awake at night, our agitation with loved ones and anger towards others. It is times like these that create uncertainty and a feeling of helplessness; we want to be happy, contented and have a sense of peace in our hearts. Khenpo Jamyang Gompo will gently guide participants to a deeper understanding of how these emotions arise and how we can find a sense of meaning and purpose in whatever circumstances we find ourselves.

Through a merging of concepts from Existential Psychoanalysis and Secular Buddhism, this retreat explores Buddhism as a form of therapeutic living. The retreat will take us from the concept of inherent “lack” (sunyata), through “longing” (“tanha”), to “love” (metta). Along this journey, we will consider the implications of the Buddhist notion of “non-self” (anatta) for the practice of psychotherapy and its practical application to our everyday lives.

This retreat involves philosophical discussion, therapeutic engagement, a variety of sitting practices, walking meditation, basic yoga (no experience needed), written reflection and group discussion. It is an ideal retreat for those interested in a practical, therapeutic and atheist (non-soteriological) approach to Buddhism.