Updated BRC Newsflash - July/August 2025

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The Buddhist Retreat Centre
Ixopo, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa		For people of all religions
BRC Newsflash: July/August 2025 Dear Friends,

Serenity		Image: Odette Ryan
Discover Your Sanctuary – Where Peace And Well-Being Await Nestled in serene surroundings, the BRC is the perfect antidote to the stresses of daily living. Here, you can reconnect with yourself through the practice of mindfulness for inner peace and clarity. At the heart of our retreats is meditation with a focus on breath and awareness to the cultivate the heart qualities and embrace the present moment. Our July and August retreats offer the opportunity to slow down, pause, and reflect.

Discover your sanctuary		Image: Odette Ryan
Bumping Into Yourself Over the last few months, the Buddhist Retreat Centre has experienced an increase in the numbers of people inquiring about retreats held in silence. Those who have been at the centre on retreat will know that Noble Silence, as it is called in the Buddhist tradition, is observed, even at non-silent retreats, after the last talk or the last meditation session in the hall until after breakfast the following day. Breakfast without chatter is difficult for some, liberating for others. On a silent retreat the silence extends over the whole day. No conversation at lunch or supper. Silence observed in the presence of others is what people likely find the most challenging. Asked about their experience some will say they found it easy and welcome; others found it made them uneasy or even felt it was rude or unsociable.

Stupa stillness	Image: Odette Ryan
Silence while on retreat primarily means the absence of conversation with others. I like to think of this rule of silence not as a prohibition but a permission. The presence of that little dharma wheel () indicating those retreats to be held in Noble Silence is a permission. Permission that you don’t have to feel compelled by social pressures to speak to others; we are permitted to put down our masks, not rise to the need to for self-assertion, to relax and be truly ourselves. One reason for the growing appeal of silent retreats is probably the very opposite of silence: noise. The noise of contemporary urban society. The noise of traffic, leaf blowers, household appliances (the buzz and hum of air fryers and fridges). Then there is the system noise - often self-inflicted - constant information (fake and otherwise) from our phones, our screens, endless entertainment at the press of a button. So much noise that ironically, as George Prochnik points out in his book In Pursuit of Silence, we now create noise, so called white noise, to muffle noise. Pursuing his quest for silence Prochnik visited a Trappist monastery in the North American state of Iowa, to learn ‘from people who had made a lifelong commitment to devout silence’ for whom ‘silence is their mother tongue … Much of their worship is silent. They study in silence. They work almost entirely in silence. They eat primarily in silence. They pass each other in the monastery corridors without speaking. They retire at 8 pm to separate cells and rise at 3:15 am, when they gather in silence to pray. They avoid idle talk at all times.’

In the sanctuary of the hills		Image: Odette Ryan
A Brother Alberic explained to Prochnik that one aspect of this silence is to provoke ‘a radical confrontation with ourselves. Silence is for bumping into yourself. That’s why monks pursue it. And that’s also why people can’t get into a car without turning the radio on, or walk into a room without switching on a television. They seek to avoid that confrontation.’ Is that avoidance why we have created a world of noise around us? The weapons of mass distraction. To avoid meeting ourselves? An interesting question to consider on a silent retreat. But not everyone is self-avoidant. Some of us desperately want to meet up with ourselves but find it increasingly difficult to do so in the prevailing culture of contemporary life. That’s where silent retreats come in useful. There might well indeed be a confrontation. But there also might be a meeting with an old friend you have lost touch with. Nice to see you again. So glad I’ve bumped into you at last. Stephen Coan

Stillness,silence, spaciousness		Image: Odette Ryan
Conducted Retreats July/August 2025 Reset for The Latter Half Of 2025 Brendon Small, Kugan Naidoo, Warren Horsley and Nolwazi Bandezi \| Weekend \| 25-27 July If you are yearning for a serene environment to explore the possibilities that await you in the second half of 2025, this largely unstructured weekend promises to be enriching and rejuvenating. Immerse yourself in the calming practices of qigong, meditation, and hatha yoga guided by skilled instructors Brendon, Kugan and Warren. Additionally, Nolwazi Bandezi, a qualified therapist, will be available for personalized healing therapies by appointment, enhancing your journey of self-discovery. The BRC offers the perfect backdrop for you to embrace the art of simply "being”. Read more Nowhere Else To Be – Zen Sitting Shogan Parker \| 2 days \| 29-31 July Nowhere Else To Be is a series of mid-week zazenkai held in Noble Silence at the BRC. Each zazenkai invites us to rest deeply in the present moment and attune to the simplicity and stillness of the unfolding moment. We will return to the basics of practice - stillness, silence, breath. With nowhere else to be and nothing else to do, we settle into what is. This zazenkai is suitable for those with a regular meditation practice or prior retreat experience who feel ready to spend a day in silence, stillness, and simplicity. It offers a simple, structured, and spacious container in which to reconnect with presence, nature, and the still point within. The emphasis is on returning to what is already here — without distraction, without pressure, without needing to be anywhere else. Come sit with us - there is nowhere else to be. Read more

Returning to being with yoga		Image:Odette Ryan
Stillness, Silence, Spaciousness Albert Osel \| 3 days \| 1-4 August Albert Osel hosts a mid-winter retreat of inner refuge, connecting us to the ever-present Stillness within movement (body), the ever-present Silence behind the "narrative self" (speech), and the ever-present Spaciousness of awareness (mind). Read more Self-Healing: Breath Work, Forest Bathing And Energy Healing Bernard Chatikobo and Chris Rooke \| 2 days \| 6-8 August Fill your 'spiritual cup' with Reiki Master, Bernard Chatikobo and explore the benefits of water, food, exercise and breath in talks infused with the live mbira music. This unique two-day healing retreat is tailored for individuals to take away seven daily breathing exercises, conscious basking in the ambience of forests as tools for self-healing and a one-on-one energy healing session for improved relaxation and well-being. Chris Rooke will be offering qigong daily. Read more Going With The Flow: Integrating Mindfulness Into Our Daily Life Bruce van Dongen \| 2 days \| 8-10 August Join Bruce in exploring the roots of mindful awareness through Kundalini yoga. Immerse yourself in transformative practices that seamlessly blend into the beauty of nature, with outdoor sessions whenever possible. Engage in meditation, chanting and the gentle resonance of the gong and crystal bowls for healing relaxation. Delve into practices that nurture your mind, body and spirit. Read more Three Treasures For Mindful Living - A Pathway To Balance Bridget Hawkins \| 2 days \| 15-17 August In this retreat, we will explore three fundamental areas of our human experience, the three treasures - a healthy body, a happy heart, and a clear and pleasant mind- to create an awareness of harmony and balance in everyday life. This relaxed retreat will incorporate blended sessions of yoga and qigong, breathwork and meditation. To explore our creativity with an introduction to Neurographic Drawing, a mindful, automatic style of drawing developed by Russian psychologist Pavel Piskarev. The premise is that we are able to rewire our neural pathways when practising this style of meditative drawing. It is a simple therapeutic technique which does not require any artistic experience. Read more Returning To Being With Yoga And Meditation Marrion Clarke and Carey Would \| 2 days \| 22-24 August When we reflect on how best to support others, we sense a clear and growing need - not only for a beautiful, nourishing space to retreat to, but also for practices that guide us gently back into the fullness of being. In the tranquil embrace of nature, we will explore ways of loosening the grip of habitual busyness and reconnecting with what softens, soothes, and restores us. This retreat offers a gentle blend of mindfulness, breathwork, yoga, and compassion-based practices - all grounded in present-moment awareness. Read more Working With Polarities - The Mandala Practice Clémence Kitching-Barres \| Weekend \| 29-31 August This retreat will focus on the practice of drawing freehand mandalas, and was developed over years of teaching practice. The archetypal form of the mandala helps on a number of levels in education, starting with the innate sense of geometry and harmony we can develop in the young child and in higher grades the practice itself which calls forth concentration. As a practice for adults, the mandala reveals a "snapshot" of our inner cosmos and allows us to create order and centeredness in place of chaos. Clémence will present her study of the mandala through human experience (religion, psychology, astronomy) and we will then explore the polarities of centre and periphery, curved and straight lines, order and chaos, through movement and drawing. We will follow several methods of structuring a mandala to experience the different results they produce in our inner space. No previous drawing experience is needed. Read more A Personal Retreat : Rest, Reflect, and Restore – 15% discount mid-week We invite you to take a break and join us for an unstructured personal retreat at the BRC. During your stay, you can enjoy gentle yoga, qigong, massage therapy, and meditation - to promote relaxation. Or, simply enjoy the tranquillity of the space, embracing the art of doing nothing and cozying up by a warm fire, savouring delicious vegetarian meals. This retreat offers a slower rhythm, allowing you to step back from the busyness of life and find peace within. Read more

Meditation and mindfulness	Image: Odette Ryan
About the BRC Perched on a ridge at the head of a valley in the Umkomaas river system in KwaZulu-Natal, the Buddhist Retreat Centre looks out on a vista of indigenous valleys, forests and rolling hills receding like waves in the blue distance. Here, for forty-five years, people of all religions and none have come to experience peace and tranquillity. It is 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. The BRC was voted by CNN as one of the ten best meditation centres in the world. CNN Travel awarded another feather in the BRC’s cap by voting it as one of the ten best spiritual centres in South Africa. The BRC was awarded Natural Heritage status in 1995 under the auspices of the Department of Environmental Affairs and received a certificate to that effect signed by President Nelson Mandela for turning an eroded farm into the natural paradise it has become - thousands of indigenous trees were planted by retreatants under the supervision of Mervyn Croft - with 160 species of birds, including the Blue Swallow, otter, deer, antbear and indigenous forests. The Centre was also given the special status of “Custodian of the Blue Swallow” for its work in preserving the breeding areas of this endangered bird. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife granted the BRC “Private Nature Reserve” for the conservation of the rare Blue Swallow and Mistbelt Grassland. The BRC facilitated the founding of Woza Moya, the community-based NGO, located in Ufafa Valley, twenty-two years ago, on the estate. Their vision is for all people in the community to be healthy and productive, to live in a safe and clean environment, with good access to services and social justice. The Centre continues to support the organisation by showcasing their crafts in the shop and sponsoring their trainers and consultants. We have been very touched by your appreciative letters, emails and friendship towards the BRC - your spiritual home from home. How you can help to keep the Dharma wheels turning at the BRC and continue its legacy for the future: Become a Spiritual friend by: Booking for a retreat – we have a broad range of retreats on offer until the 8 January 2026 Offering a donation Pledging a monthly contribution of R50 or more Joining our Paid Up Yogi scheme which involves paying a contribution forward whereby your credit can be used at any time in the future towards a retreat, with a 10% discount Gifting a voucher to a friend or family member Supporting our film “Bodhi Is Light” Purchasing our popular recipe books Organising a group visit midweek Supporting our GoodMoodFood take-away prepared meals Booking a mid-week self-retreat with the option of yoga, qigong, meditation, and healing treatments The continued existence of the Centre as a sanctuary for healing is dependent on the goodwill and support of our Sangha. Chrisi Visit our website for further information, directions, image gallery etc.
www.brcixopo.co.za \| 066 395 4682 \| 082 579 3037 Share: \| Follow us:
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