BRC Newsletter - April 2026

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The Buddhist Retreat Centre
Ixopo, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa		For people of all religions
BRC Newsletter: April 2026 Dear Friends,

Buddha and flower		Image: Lennart Eriksson
It is such a privilege and joy to return to the beautiful BRC, where my meditation journey began in my twenties in 1984, with Louis van Loon‘s famous Basic Buddhism retreat, which revealed to me that our suffering is the gateway to freedom! When I qualified and worked for many years as a clinical psychologist based in Cape Town, I felt that the “talking cure” needed to be balanced and deepened by the “silent cure”, and in 2010 developed an integration of the spiritual and the psychological paradigms through silent retreats which Open the Heart & Still the Mind. I now offer retreats throughout SA and recently in Greece. Through a very safe and nurturing retreat experience, we will have time and space to rest and to focus inwards to listen with self-compassion to what is needing attention and healing in our lives. For deeper insight and containment, I will meet individually with each retreatant to talk through your experience and to offer guidance and support, drawing on decades of experience as a psychotherapist and meditation teacher. This work is one of the biggest blessings of my life, and in addition to deep appreciation of all my wonderful teachers, I will always be deeply grateful to Louis, Chrisi and the wonderful BRC staff for their love and support over the years. Please join me at this special time of Easter, for a retreat on The Joy of Courageous, Heartfelt Presence, in which we will discover the transformative power of self-compassionate awareness. Learning to hold ourselves and our experience with kindness, as we are held by the beauty of nature in this exquisite space, supported by each other’s quiet presence in shared, sacred silence is truly a life-changing experience. Love and Metta and deep gratitude, always, Sue

Open the heart & still the mind		Image: Andrew Brown
The months of February and March proved to be a mix of the ‘best of times and the worst of times’. It was a profound honour to host Ajahn Sucitto for six transformative weeks in Ixopo. His presence and teachings have left an indelible mark on our hearts. Ajahn’s 7-day silent retreat was a deeply enriching experience, guiding us closer to the heart energy and to the essence of what is good, true, and beautiful. The topic “Use Your Body to Steady Your Heart” was particularly poignant, requiring us to cultivate a steady heart and immense patience as the weather turned against us with severe lightning strikes that caused significant infrastructure damage. The unexpected costs of replacing borehole motors and purchasing generators to ensure our water and lights remained operational during Ajahn’s retreat, along with lower attendance in recent weeks, have placed the BRC under significant financial strain. While we have faced uncertain times before, it has always been the support of friends like you that has allowed us to continue. Today, we are reaching out to our dedicated supporters to ask for your help. Your contribution, no matter how small, will ensure that the BRC remains a beacon of hope and healing for all who seek it. With Metta, Chrisi and The BRC Team

Reclaim your power with Heike Sym		Image: Odette Ryan
Dr Ian Weinberg Is Offering PNI Online Many of you have asked over the last two years when Dr Ian Weinberg will be offering his memorable retreat “Psychoneuroimmunology: Enhancing The Mind-Body Connection”. As he is completing his doctorate in neuroscience at the moment, he is unable to lead a residential retreat in Ixopo. By popular request Dr Weinberg’s original BRC retreat “Enhancing The Mind-Body Connection” is now comprehensively online. The online program is now available through the BRC at an exclusively reduced price of R3,500.00 (the current selling price online is R14 000.00). The purchase price includes the 5 modules program, online diagnostic, workbook and slides as well as access to the three-monthly Zoom webinar. For a description of the course (similar to the original three day Retreat) see www.neuronostic.com/courses/expanding-consciousness/ “ Should you wish to enrol, please contact the office at and we will send you all the information.

Find your zen		Image: Odette Ryan
There are still a few spaces left on the following March retreat: The Way Of Ubuntu: Exploring Traditional South African Healing John Lockley and Nomusa Mthembu \| 3 days \| 27- 30 March Participants will experience a traditional South African healing ceremony over three days during which they will learn to connect to their Ancestors (bones), Dreams, 'Umoya' (spirit) and one another. 'Ubuntu' means 'I am what I am because of who we all are'. It is a circle of interlinking relationships connecting the seen and unseen worlds. The ceremony will involve a plant cleanse, using medicinal plants to cleanse the spirit and open the heart. Included will be an in-depth discussion on 'African cosmology' and the understanding of ancestors, plant medicine and dreaming. This retreat is suitable for all therapists, healers and those with a desire to heal South Africa. John will offer a talk and book signing on Friday night for those who would like to meet him. You are welcome to book in for a night. Read the Odyssey magazine article on John Lockley. Read more

Transform how you relate		Image: Odette Ryan
Conducted Retreats April 2026 Open the Heart And Still the Mind: The Joy Of Heartfelt Presence Sue Cooper \| 4 or 7 days \| 2-9 April This Easter retreat with clinical psychologist Sue Cooper, is held in Noble Silence. Inspired by the wisdom teachings of the Dharma and of Buddhist and western psychology, we will cultivate mindfulness and compassion practices which calm the nervous system and help integrate body, heart and mind. As we learn to listen and connect more compassionately with ourselves, drawing silent support from the sangha, we will discover that the containment of ennobling silence allows us to find the courage to honour and embody our authentic, heartfelt presence with greater confidence, clarity and joy. This silent retreat includes teachings, guided meditations, daily qigong, time to walk, rest and replenish, as well as short, individual sessions with Sue to deepen our insight and sense of well-being. There will be relaxing massages and mindful movement offered as optional extras (the cost of which to be confirmed), to support our embodied experience. Please note: There is a teacher's fee for this retreat. Read more Ageing With Grace And Vitality: A Yoga Retreat Christine Withiel and Howard Lipschitz \| 4 days \| 9-13 April The body begins the ageing process around the age of thirty. It is hardly perceptible in the beginning and speeds up the older we get. How we age is dependent on lifestyle, life experiences, mental health and attitudes, and our genes. Qigong and yoga give us tools to keep the body healthy by mobilizing the joints, strengthening muscles and keeping us flexible. The postures and sequences can be adapted to all conditions and abilities. Yoga gives us pranayama, breathing techniques which strengthen and calm the nervous system as well as infusing our body with prana (life force energy). Meditation quietens the mind and has been shown to alter structures in the brain causing us to become more peaceful and less reactive. On this retreat we will slow down and explore the offerings and take away what resonates and fits into our life. Read more The Architecture of Relationship Shelley Lewin and Sav Goldridge \| Weekend \| 17-19 April Co-hosted by The Relationship Architect, Shelley Lewin and Enneagram practitioner and master coach Sav Goldridge, this retreat is for individuals (regardless of relationship status) and couples who are ready to transform how they relate - to themselves and others. Through a carefully curated blend of guided teaching, reflective exercises and experiential group practices, you will begin to design your relationships more consciously – creating greater health, fulfilment and resilience - rather than repeating patterns by default. Grounded in Shelley’s Uncomplicated Love framework, enriched by the wisdom of the Enneagram, Shelley and Sav will guide you to: - Understand the underlying dynamics of healthy, intimate relationships - Greater clarity on what aligned, meaningful connection looks like for you - Break free from unconscious and unhelpful relational patterns - Develop practical tools for skilful communication and constructive conflict - Strengthen your sense of agency in how you build and sustain connection This weekend is about transforming how you relate - to yourself, to others, and to the life you are creating. A copy of the book Uncomplicated Love: A step-by-step guide for building a thriving relationship can be purchased at an additional charge of R250.00. Read more Reclaim Your Power: A Journey To Inner Balance Heike Sym \| 3 days \| 24-27 April We all have inner guidance and knowledge, but we don't always know how to access it and use it as the incredible gift it is. We are constantly trying to keep up with the ever-increasing pace and demands of our lives which leaves us with high stress levels and exhausted. On this retreat we will fortify our spirit, embrace our personal power, and allow our light to shine brightly again, the way the universe intended. Through talks, meditation, group work, transformational exercises, relaxation and conversation, we will journey back to our centre - to our most natural and balanced state of being. Read more Beginner's Mind, Quiet Mind: Meditation Practice For Meaningful Daily Living Tsunma Tsondru \| 3 days \| 27- 30 April It is important for us to take time out from the incessant demands and fast pace of daily life. The BRC gives us a space to step off the wheel and the time to come home to the quiet, strong refuge which lies at our centre. Cultivating the natural state of peace and ease that lies there reveals our true nature - which enables us to not only help ourselves, but to help the world of which we are part. Then daily living becomes meaningful. This 3-day mid-week retreat will bring out our Beginner’s Mind through the practice of meditation. The time will be silent, quiet, and slow. The retreat is suitable for those with or without meditation experience and will be held in an atmosphere of introspection. Read more A Personal Retreat : Rest, Reflect, and Restore – 10% discount mid-week Join us for a personal retreat mid-week and some gentle yoga, meditation, breathwork and healing treatments with our qualified resident staff, Keelan, Robyn, Dirk and Tracy. Three delicious meals and teas and treats are included. Enjoy the tranquillity of the space and embrace the art of doing nothing – seriously. This time out offers a slower rhythm, allowing you to step back from the busyness of life and find peace within.

Tsunma Tsondru		Image: Lennart Eriksson
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 and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife proclaimed part of the estate as “Nirodha 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 - five 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 end of November 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 qigong, yoga and meditation 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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