Stephen Coan, variously author, journalist, film and theatre director, has been teaching and retreating at the Buddhist Retreat Centre for nearly four decades. Inspired and informed by the Theravada and Zen Buddhist traditions, his retreats place emphasis on the centrality of practice in living a skilful and enlightened life while also exploring the interface between poetry and silence and the profound benefits of doing nothing, seriously.

William (Shogan) has been practising meditation for nearly 20 years, cultivating stillness and inquiry. He took precepts with Dae Chong, Osho at Poplar Grove and now leads morning and evening zazen at the BRC, weaving verses from the Dhammapada into meditation for reflection and insight. With a keen interest in how the Dharma might evolve in an AI-driven, multiplanetary future, William embraces both tradition and possibility. He also guides qigong in the mornings and offers tai chi in the afternoons, integrating movement into mindfulness. His practice is an invitation - to sit, to move, and to explore the ever-expanding nature of awareness.

Aso Balan is a certified 200-hour Hatha Yoga teacher and Wellness practitioner who has been practising for 20 years. Her mission is to make yoga accessible to everyone irrespective of their limitations and capabilities. She believes that practising yoga regularly with mindfulness and awareness is the key to attaining physical health. She also offers fusion massage blending yogic breathing with techniques from Thai, Ayurveda, and Aroma therapy.

Jean-Francois Sobiecki is a pioneering South African medicinal plant researcher, a qualified nutritionist, herbalist and research associate with the University of Johannesburg. He has conducted over 20 years of ethnobotanical research on South African medicinal plant use. With a B.Sc.Hons. EthnoBot. (UJ), Dipl Clin Nutr. (Aus) in qualifications, a book and a number of academic publications under his belt, he has been invited to present at international conferences. He is trained and qualified in medical anthropology, permaculture, clinical nutrition, and massage therapy and runs a private herbal and holistic medicine practice in Johannesburg and conducts regular workshops, trainings and tours on medicinal plant use for the public.