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Open The Heart And Still The Mind: Infusing Mindfulness With Metta And Compassionate WisdomTeacher: Sue CooperCost: 4-7 days accommodation + R450 surchargeDates:
25-29 Mar or 25 Mar-1 AprThis popular, Easter long-weekend Open the Heart and Still the Mind Compassion Retreat with clinical psychologist Sue Cooper, is held in Noble Silence and is offered either as a 4 night retreat or as an extended 7 night retreat. Inspired by wisdom teachings, mindfulness, metta & compassion practices of the Dharma and transformative insights from Buddhist and western psychology, we will establish a safe home within through calming the nervous system and integrating body, heart and mind. As we learn to listen and connect more compassionately with ourselves, we will discover that the containment of shared, nourishing silence allows us to find the courage to honour and embody our authentic, heartfelt presence with greater confidence, clarity and joy.
As we embrace the joys and the sorrows of life with a greater understanding of impermanence, we move beyond fear, shame and debilitating self-doubt. After establishing some stillness and calm in the mind and the heart, we will explore the Brahma viharas (the four divine abodes/ immeasurables) to cultivate greater kindness, courage and compassion for ourselves and others. These compassion practices bring more appreciative joy, equanimity and wisdom into our lives, strengthening our capacity for more open-hearted presence and healthier boundaries in our relationships. This silent retreat, suitable for beginners & experienced practitioners, includes inspiring teachings, guided & silent meditations, poetry, daily qigong and time to walk, rest and replenish. Short, individual sessions with Sue are offered to deepen our insight and sense of well-being. There will be relaxing massages and mindful movement available 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, which is offered on a sliding scale, with reductions and payment plans on request.
A 30-50 minute pre-retreat individual session via Zoom/Whatsapp is required for newcomers or if you have not attended one of Sue’s residential retreats before. This provides greater containment and enhances and deepens the silent retreat experience for yourself and for the group. The fee for this will be the 30-50 minute medical aid rate and will be reduced if you are not on medical aid. Please contact Sue on to arrange a time.
CPD accreditation for psychologists and other HPCSA (or equivalent) registered professionals will be offered, with an annual admin fee tbc.
View teacher detailsSue Cooper is a Cape Town-based Clinical Psychologist with extensive experience as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist, working in private practice since the early 1990's. She has a long-standing interest in the interface between psychological and spiritual approaches to self-discovery and inner healing, and has attended Buddhist meditation retreats, mainly in the Theravada tradition, for 40 years, both in South Africa and at Gaia House in the UK. She has been inspired by the teachings of Ajahn Chah of the Thai Forest tradition and is deeply grateful to her primary teachers: the late Godwin Samararatne, Kittisaro and Thanissara, Ajahn Sucitto and Stephen and Martine Batchelor. She has a particular interest in exploring how our practice enables us to embrace our humanness, integrating love and loss in our lives, so that we can live and die with compassionate awareness. She offers weekend and longer retreats throughout South Africa at Temenos, Mont Fleur, Bodhi Khaya and Somerset Gift in the Western Cape; Dharmagiri Sacred Mountain Retreat Centre and the Buddhist Retreat Centre in KwaZulu Natal; and Emoyeni Retreat Centre in the North West Province, as well as "Open the Heart and Still the Mind" courses, on-going weekly groups and monthly half-day/day retreats in Cape Town. See: https://stillmindretreats.com and please contact Her website link is https://stillmindretreats.com/event/retreat-infusing-mindfulness-with-metta-compassionate-wisdom-2026/
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A Personal Retreat : Rest, Reflect, and Restore – 15% discount mid-week
Teacher: Robyn Aitken, Keelan Naidoo, Dirk LamprechtCost: Number of days accommodation
15% discount ends 31 August 2026Dates: 08:00am - 05:00pm
Join us for a personal retreat mid-week and some optional gentle yoga and meditation. 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.View teacher detailsRobyn Aitkin is a level-3 (300-hour) instructor with a Yoga Alliance International (YAI) certification in Transformational Hatha Yoga, which is a powerful system of yogic techniques (poses, breathing, meditation) that helps keep us naturally happy and healthy, physically and mentally strong and emotionally stable. She is also a Mindful Coach, Sound Bath Guide, WFPB (whole food plant-based) Nutrition Coach. Robyn is resolute in living a life in line with Ahimsa (non-violence) and with kindness towards all sentient beings.Keelan Naidoo did his 200-hour Sivananda yoga teacher training certificate in Kerala, India. He offers a gentle yoga class that is accessible to all, including beginners. He also offers guided meditation sessions ideal for those who are new to meditation and mindfulness practice focusing on the present moment experience, on gratitude and acceptance. Keelan’s calm presence is best for those who are looking to relax, connect and ground themselves.
Dirk Lamprecht guides retreatants in meditation and mindfulness practice by utilising the Himalayan singing bowl with its sound vibrations to align energy centres and to restore mind and body harmony. Dirk’s personal philosophy embraces the core Buddhist practice of Metta (Loving-Kindness): May all beings be healthy, may all beings be happy, may all beings be free from suffering, may all beings be free from the causes of suffering.