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.

This mid-week retreat will offer gentle hatha yoga and guided meditation and will provide an opportunity to change your perceptions of everyday life, find more balance, and develop more attunement with the present moment. There will be discussions on practical tools for finding greater peace, understanding life’s lessons, and following your heart. Beginners to yoga and meditation are welcome.

Step into a life‑changing journey of renewal and awakening. This powerful retreat invites you to experience the alchemy of true transformation and fresh beginnings. Through their wisdom, intuitive guidance, and over forty years of combined experience in transformational workshops, John and Michelle will lead you into a space where profound change becomes possible. Together, they weave a rich tapestry of:

• Deep meditations that quiet the mind and open the heart
• Process art sessions that are both profound and joyfully creative
• Energy body movement practices to restore flow and vitality
• Immersive nature walks that reconnect you with the Earth’s rhythms

You will be gently guided through processes to release the old patterns and identities that no longer serve you, enabling you to step into the authentic essence of who and what you truly are meant to be now. These two teachers with more than 40 years of combined experience, will gently guide you into embodying the truly life-changing 5 Golden Keys of Awakened Living.

Following the transformative journey of Part One, Part Two is a continuation, going even deeper. It offers a more intimate and personalised experience integrating the 5 Golden Keys of Awakened Living. With this more select group, John and Michelle will guide you into the deeper meaning and integration of the teachings in practical ways, helping you to embody presence in everyday ways.

This second retreat is about moving beyond inspiration into application, integrating the alchemy of presence into your relationships, work, health, and daily choices. Through:

• Focussed counselling and guidance on your personal challenges and life issues
• Practical tools, nature immersion, and exercises to anchor presence in real‑world situations
• Deep meditations and energy practices to sustain inner balance
• Creative and reflective processes that open new pathways of awareness

This retreat is your opportunity to receive more direct attention, personalised counsel, and practical integration strategies that ensure the shifts begun in Part One take root and flourish in your life.

Why do we need to Recover to our true Self - to our Buddha nature? Often we may find ourselves using various substances or strategies addictively which can include everything from food, alcohol, recreational or prescription drugs, social media, or where we are in abusive relationships. When this affects our daily lives and more importantly the relationships that mean the most to us, we have lost our true nature of self.

In this retreat we will explore the Buddha’s teaching on the cause of suffering (Samudaya), the origin of suffering - our attachment, our craving and ignorance that generate negative karma. We will discover that there is a solution in the Four Noble Truths which results in the end of suffering (Nirhodha) and the possibility of achieving liberation (Nirvana) from the cycle of suffering and the rebirth to our true self (Samsara). Our karma and shortcomings can be removed only by ourselves. We are personally responsible for their creation, and we are responsible for their elimination. This retreat will be helpful to people in need of recovery and speaks to any aspect of ourselves that needs to heal.

This two-day gratitude retreat is designed for people who want real change, not through force or fixing, but through gentle, steady, sustainable transformation. Blending contemporary neuroscience with grounded spiritual practice, this retreat focuses on micro-habits that gently rewire the nervous system while deepening your capacity for presence, gratitude, and self-trust. Rather than aiming for dramatic breakthroughs, we work with small, precise shifts that the brain can actually integrate, changes that continue unfolding long after the retreat ends.

Over two days, you will learn how gratitude functions not just as a mindset, but as a biological and energetic practice that supports emotional regulation, clarity, and resilience. Through guided experiences, reflection, and simple daily rituals, you will begin installing habits that feel natural, authentic, and aligned with who you truly are. This retreat is for those who sense their brilliance isn’t something to achieve, but something to remember, patiently, kindly, and step by step.

The feast of Wesak is the most important day in the Buddhist calendar, commemorating the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha 2,500 years ago, and is held annually on the full moon of the lunar month of Vesakha (coincidental with May). We will mark this festival with a programme of sitting and walking meditation plus reflections on the Buddha’s life and teachings and, in union with Buddhists around the world, hold a traditional Wesak ceremony - a lantern-lit circumambulation – on Saturday evening. Apart from a talk or two - some thoughts on the Buddha’s smile - plus discussion, the weekend will place an emphasis on meditation, the basic Buddhist practice common to all traditions – simply breathing in and breathing out – doing exactly what the Buddha did. The schedule will include time to enjoy the beautiful grounds of the Buddhist Retreat Centre.

*Please note this retreat will be held in Noble Silence.

There comes a time when the silence begins to speak.
It sounds like your grandmother's voice. The wind through the trees. The waters you have cried. The child within, asking to be held.
This retreat is a listening.

Izwi lika Nomkhubulwane — the voice of the Great Mother — is an invitation to return. To your body. To your breath. To the memory your blood has been carrying long before you had words for it.

Over one weekend in the sacred hills of Ixopo, we will slow down enough to hear what has always been trying to reach us. The ancestral wisdom. The inner child. The dream life. The feeling we were never taught to feel. This is not a workshop. It is a remembering.

What we will move through together:

• Ubuntu Ishta Yoga — the body as the first doorway
• Guided ancestral meditations
• Dream journaling and storytelling
• Inner child healing
• Sacred sound healing rituals
• Sacred walks in nature
• Restorative silence
• Moments of stillness, song and community

Anyone who is ready to feel. Anyone who has been running and is ready to rest. Anyone who senses that their healing is connected to something older than themselves. No experience needed. All are welcome.

Join Duncan for a weekend of reflection, rejuvenation, relaxation and restoration. The retreat is based on the ancient practices of hatha and raja yoga and is open to all levels of ability, including beginners, who wish to understand the fundamentals of yoga and develop, or deepen, their own practice. In the tranquil environment of the Buddhist Retreat Centre, we will discover how shatkarmas (cleansing techniques), asanas (postures), pranayama (control of the breath), mudra (gestures to manipulate and stimulate the energies in the body), bandhas (energy locks with the body) bring us into equilibrium. These traditional practices will help us to develop awareness of body, mind and breath. As the body gently opens like a lotus flower, and we start to release our past impressions, so the mind becomes relaxed preparing us for meditation. We will follow traditional guided meditation techniques in the meditation hall and in the labyrinth to quieten the mind, calm anxieties, recover balance in life and enhance creativity, insight and self-reflection.

Join Carey and Christie as we return home to the essence of our beings. Through meditation, yoga, and talks exploring the themes of rest and ritual, we will remember what it means to live in a rested and rooted state. As the winter solstice draws us into the quiet heart of the year, we invite you to join for a soulful yoga retreat to restore. Held during the longest night and the turning point toward light, this retreat offers a pause, a time to slow down, reconnect with your inner landscape, and honour the wisdom that emerges from stillness. We will offer grounding yoga practices such as fireside yin and mindful slow flows as well as mindful meditation practices and a winter solstice circle, honouring the ritual of being with the season as it is. We will also offer a Rituals for Radiance workshop to explore how we can tend to ourselves in our day to day. This is a space to exhale, to retreat inward and reflect on the first half of the year and what is yet to come.

Whether you’re feeling depleted, curious, or simply called to pause, Wisdom of Wintering offers a deeply supportive container to restore your body, quiet your mind, and rekindle your inner light.

The winter solstice is an ideal time to take stock, reflect, reset, and realign for the rest of the year. This mid-year retreat will help participants find their flow and will focus on connecting with ourselves, our bodies and the dynamics at play in our lives, allowing for rest and rejuvenation. Activities will include nature walks, conscious movement (like Mana moves and qigong), meditation, storytelling, deep listening circles, and Family & Systems Constellations. We will go slow with time for reflection. The retreat will be emergent, depending on who we are as individuals and as a group, and the aim is to be present and connect with what unfolds. Karen will be offering Kahuna massage after the retreat by appointment.

In this weekend retreat, participants can expect to be guided gently through the process of becoming mindful through meditation and movement. David will lead sitting meditation as well as walking and moving meditation in the inspiring and nourishing sanctuary of the BRC. He will also facilitate intentional open discussions around the fire to stoke the wholesome sparks of enquiry and deep listening. Whether you are a beginner or committed practitioner, this process will empower you to cultivate presence, clarity, adaptability, creativity and patience. The retreat will be held in an atmosphere of noble silence and introspection.

This 3-day extension will allow for a deepening and continuity of practice from the momentum gained over the weekend. Participants can expect to be guided gently through the process of becoming mindful through meditation and movement. David will lead sitting meditation as well as walking and moving meditation in the inspiring and nourishing sanctuary of the BRC. He will also facilitate intentional open discussions around the fire to stoke the wholesome sparks of enquiry and deep listening. Whether you are a beginner or committed practitioner, this process will empower you to cultivate presence, clarity, adaptability, creativity and patience. The retreat will be held in an atmosphere of noble silence and introspection.

Get moving again! The upsurge of interest in the ancient practice of yoga attests to its proven physiological and psychological benefits. Our sedentary, western lifestyle has stiffened our limbs and spine to such an extent that many people find the yoga asanas (poses) difficult to perform. Iyengar yoga evolved to deal with this problem - safely, without forcing the body into harmful contortions. Iyengar yoga uses simple, but carefully calibrated props and other supports to achieve postures that would otherwise be unattainable except after years of practice. This retreat is suitable for beginners and for those who may have practised other forms of yoga. It is an introduction to the Iyengar method. For those who wish to consolidate their practice to a deeper level, the additional 5-day retreat is strongly recommended (6-11 July).

For those who wish to consolidate and deepen their yoga practice, this 5-day intensive retreat is highly recommended. Apart from increased levels of fitness and vitality, you will reap the benefits of being in the tranquil, natural environment of Ixopo. You will leave feeling stretched, relaxed and fit for life.

We live online - scrolling, swiping, clicking, posting. Tech isn’t optional anymore; it’s the air we breathe. But what if the same devices that fragment our attention could also wake us up? This retreat goes straight into the digital fire. Phones and devices aren’t banned - they are part of the practice. We will meditate with them, use them, and examine the way they wire our choices and shape our sense of self. Expect meditation, silent reflection, mindful app use, and sharp discussion. Expect to see your habits in the light of the Noble Eightfold Path: algorithms meet Right View,
social feeds meet Right Speech, endless scrolling meets Right Concentration. You won’t leave with a digital detox - you will leave with a retooled relationship. Your device will carry a new homescreen: curated apps, links, and practices that help, technology serve awakening instead of scattering it. Bring your phone. Bring your habits. Bring your curiosity.

Through a merging of concepts from Existential Psychoanalysis and Secular Buddhism, this retreat explores Buddhism as a form of therapeutic living and  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.

Albert will offer a relaxation retreat with methods to soothe and balance the nervous system, and heal the mind from excessive negative thought patterns. Counteracting the contractions of chronic stress will help participants access states of bliss, clarity, peace and kindness.

Engaging with money often feels stressful, regardless of our financial situation. It frequently evokes fear and anxiety, with our minds focusing on worries about scarcity, loss, or depletion. These conditioned thinking patterns focus our attention on what is lacking, and over time preoccupation with money can negatively impact other areas of life.

Join Felicity Joan to discover how money can serve as a bridge between your material and spiritual life, transforming it into an integral part of your spiritual practice. This retreat is designed to help you explore four spiritual disciplines, two spiritual laws, and a self-directed challenge. The goal is to reshape your beliefs about money, establish a healthy relationship with it, learn how to assign money its rightful place in your life, and allow it to become a conscious aspect of your spiritual journey.

Join Sharon for a unique and meditative ceramics/pottery workshop, where we will explore the ancient art of Raku, a traditional Japanese technique which celebrates the beauty of imperfection and impermanence.

In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn the basics of Raku, from preparing and shaping the clay to glazing and firing, embracing the unpredictability of the firing process and the beauty of imperfection. Included will be an organic saggar firing where participants will be shaping and burnishing their pots. These will be fired in a drum surrounded by organic materials. As these combustible materials burn, they produce a reduction atmosphere within the saggar which reacts with the clay. This method results in unique, subtle, unpredictable results. These are one-of-a-kind pieces that showcase the beauty of chance and unpredictability in the firing process.

Through this creative journey, we will cultivate mindfulness - letting go of expectation and embracing the present moment. No prior ceramics experience is necessary – just an open heart and mind. We look forward to sharing this transformative experience with you.

For an immersive and holistic experience:

Bernard Chatikobo will be offering forest walks and introducing 'forest bathing' with traditional Mbira music for healing and harmony

Belinda Best from “White Lotus Oneness” will be offering Reflexology blended with Himalayan Sound Alchemy and Rife Frequency therapy.

Shogan will be offering a traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony on the final evening.

If you are yearning for a serene environment to explore the possibilities that await you in the second half of 2026, 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," allowing you to connect deeply with yourself and the world around you. Join us for a transformative experience that invites reflection, healing, and growth.

Although aimed mostly at beginners and those with an intermediate knowledge of photography, anybody interested in using the beauty, variety and inspiration found at the retreat centre to improve their photography, is welcome. The basic technical aspects will be briefly taught and explained, and retreatants will use this knowledge, along with a Zen type of mindfulness and awareness to endeavor to remove some of their “suffering” and improve the way they look at photography. The emphasis will be on fun and looking at the art of photography with a different mindset. Please bring a camera, a tripod, flash units, spare batteries and a sense of humour.

Join Bruce in exploring the roots of mindful awareness through Kundalini yoga. Immerse yourself in the transformative practices of meditation, chanting and the gentle resonance of the gong and crystal bowls for healing relaxation - practices that nurture your mind, body and spirit enhancing inner peace and vitality.

This retreat offers a gentle yet powerful introduction to emotional healing through the understanding and balancing of the body’s energy centres, known as chakras. The retreat will combine guided exploration of your body’s energy centres and restorative healing techniques for inner alignment, stress releif and emaotional clarity.

You will leave feeling lighter, more grounded, and emotionally clearer to continue your healing journey, maintain balance and reconnect with a deeper sense of peace and alignment in your everyday life.

The Slow Way Retreat Part 1 Feed Me Slowly - Somatic Eating And Moving Retreat

In a world ruled by speed and distraction, The Slow Way Retreat offers a gentle invitation to pause, smell, taste and reconnect with the magic of life through food. Guided by Nicholas McLean, FeedmeGreen founder, we will explore intuitive SomaSensing movement, presence in nature, and of course The Slow Feast — a practice of somatic eating that awakens the senses and cultivates presence. This weekend of slowness restores balance to the nervous system, deepens awareness, and awakens the joy of living. Through slowness, life comes alive.

The Slow Way Retreat Part 2: Feed Me Slowly - Holistic Gut Healing Retreat

This extended retreat offers a deeper journey into The Slow Way building on from the weekend retreat. A holistic yogic retreat uniting nutrition and gut health with nervous-system awareness, and embodied mindfulness. Nicholas McLean of FeedmeGreen will be your guide within -  through SomaSensing movement, presence in nature, and immersive Slow Feasts, exploring somatic eating as a tool for deeper nourishment, awareness, and restoration. By slowing down and tuning in, we restore vitality, balance digestion, and open to feel life's immense energy.

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 present mind - to create an awareness of and implement techniques for harmony and balance in everyday life. This  relaxed retreat will  incorporate blended sessions of yoga and qigong. We will practise various breathwork and meditative techniques and 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. We will also take an in-depth look at water crystalography and its spiritual significance by looking at the studies of people like Masaru Emoto and Veda Austin. There will be plenty of time to absorb the stillness of the beautiful surroundings of the BRC with meditative walks and sunset qigong.

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. We will spend time in stillness and in movement, with guided practices to support emotional regulation, embodied presence, and a deeper sense of ease. There will be spacious periods of silence, as well as time for sharing in our human experience. We will have time to immerse in the natural beauty of the surrounding forests and gardens. Whether you are feeling depleted, seeking clarity, or simply longing for deep rest, this retreat is an invitation to return to your own steady centre.

This retreat will help you embed more Joy in your everyday life through the simple practices of Gratitude, Connection and Playfulness. It is based on the brain science of wellness and performance, the Global Joy Summit on the wisdom of the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, as well as incorporating daily practices of The Artist’s Way. The objective is to leave behind a few habits that have really proved to make a difference in the way we experience the work we do, the interactions we have and our response to even the most difficult challenges. It is a genuine opportunity to make a real and lasting shift that puts that bounce back into your step. Jane has applied the tools and practices we will use in this retreat over many years, and found them to be invaluable in her own life and those of the people she has coached and trained through Artist’s Way and Joy courses she has run. Please bring a journal and pen.

For many of us who have been on the path of self-discovery and awakening, the paradox of this process reveals itself sooner or later: on the one hand, the steady, developmental, aspirational path that leads towards liberation at some indefinable future and on the other, the growing realisation that this liberative possibility is always and already available, right where we are. The subtle shift that begins to happen is an increasing curiosity and enquiry into the quality and sense of Awareness itself, rather than what Awareness is aware of i.e. the objects of awareness or contents of consciousness. This transition is a subtle one. It invites momentary glimpses, a non-conceptual recognition, of the sense of Awareness that is always available – the prior condition - irrespective of our present experience. This retreat will be an exploration for those who sense their practice is transitioning at this inflection point. A regular contemplative practice is usually necessary as the ground from which to enquire and explore these glimpses. This foundation allows us to be aware of, and be able to work with the tendency to be identified with the thinking mind. We will explore meditation, softening into effortlessness, alongside enquiry as way to sense our way into this simple, subtle quality of the Awareness that is always already whole, in the spirit of curiosity, communal support and care. This will be less about getting somewhere, going ‘deeper’ or changing our state, but rather seeing what is already available right where we are, however we are. There will also be ample space and time for rest, being in nature, connecting or dropping into silence.

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!

“Whenever your heart space, your mind space, and your body space are all present and accounted for at the same time, you can experience pure presence, a moment of deep inner connection with the pure, gratuitous Being of anything and everything. It will often be experienced as a quiet leap of joy in the heart.” -Richard Rohr

Through somatics, movement, mindfulness, music and poetry, let’s tune and harmonize the instruments of body, mind and heart.

During this retreat we will experience the larger systems that shape and support human life. Through Family and Systems Constellations, we will explore how family patterns, loyalties, and inherited dynamics continue to influence our relationships, choices, and inner life. This allows us to see patterns clearly, and to emerge with a deeper sense of connection to ourselves and our ancestors.

Alongside this, we will draw on nature-based systems and rhythms, the African medicine wheel, cycles, symbol, art, and music. The intelligence of the natural world, reminds us that healing and orientation arise through rhythm, relationship, and attentive presence. Together, these two streams meet in a larger supportive holding field.

In our fast paced lives, we need the time to find quiet and calm. With this quiet we find the resilience to face the world and all that comes our way. Through Asana (posture), pranayama (breath control) and meditation practice as well as periods of silence, we give ourselves time to uncoil and find space mentally and physically. This space gives breath to our emotional well-being. This retreat is suitable for yoga students who would like to experience Iyengar yoga and those who would like to deepen their understanding and practice of Iyengar yoga.

Zhan Zhuang (‘Standing like a Tree’) Chi Kung is unlike most other Chi Kung styles, in that with the exception of changing from one static posture to the next, as well as a few gentle steps to finish off one’s practice, the practitioner remains absolutely still, whilst cultivating a mind like still water. Regarded by many contemporary Masters as the most powerful of all Chi Kung 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, to work its magic on the internal organs. In this retreat Paul will teach the Six 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 workshop is an invitation to reconnect with your inner strength, clarity, and self-trust. The lioness symbolizes power, intuition and authentic leadership. Through Guided imagery, nature-based rituals and reflective dialogues you will explore what nourishes your strength, what you are ready to release, and how you wish to shape your path forward. The retreat draws on biophilia - our deep connection to the living world - and uses the lioness as a symbol for empowering yourself. By reconnecting with your inner wisdom, you gain access to inner resources such as courage, resilience and inner stability. This workshop is for women who feel the call for change, who sense that more is possible and wish to move toward  a good future with clarity and trust.

I wait for the mountains and rivers to reclaim their shapes.
There is no light in the deepest hours of the night.
Yet, I know you are there in the depth of the night. (Thich Nhat Hanh)
In this writing retreat amid nature, we explore the bond between writing and meditation. We write and meditate on the many changes and transformations we experience as we journey along the river of our lives. We consider how creativity steadies the boat and how writing helps us dip the oars into dark water so we may navigate the river safely.

This Life so short, this craft so long to learn (Chaucer)
This retreat is for those who wish to begin or develop a piece of writing. We listen, observe, attend and allow the text to take us where it wants to go. We get out of the way so we can be spoken and written through. We move between input and silent writing time. Like the potter, we spin, shape and fire our words so they can find their simple beauty.

This 5 to 7 night (23 Oct - 28 or 30 October) Open the Heart And Still the Mind retreat is an immersion into nourishing and ennobling silence and is an opportunity to cultivate and deepen your meditation practice with a heart-based focus. Sue offers an integration of the psychological and spiritual dimensions of this path of compassionate awareness, combining more than 40 years of meditation practice with her extensive experience as a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist.

We will draw on the support of nature and the teachings that are revealed by practising in the exquisite environment of the Buddhist Retreat Centre, where the truths of impermanence and our inter-connectedness with each other and with nature express themselves daily, through the beauty and wisdom of the ever-changing conditions.
We will cultivate a safe and nourishing home within, inspired by the wisdom and practices of the Brahma Viharas (the Four Immeasurables), which deepen our capacity for loving- kindness (metta), spacious inner freedom, appreciative joy and compassionate wisdom and action.
In addition to the silent and guided meditations in all postures, there will be daily qigong, gentle, mindful movement and additional, optional massages offered to enhance our embodied experience. Sue will include short, individual sessions throughout the retreat, as well as time for reflection, journaling, walks in nature and deeply replenishing rest.
Please note: This retreat carries a teacher's fee for all retreatants, offered on a sliding scale. Please contact Sue directly on for further details, including reductions if needed and to arrange a recommended pre-retreat session. Her website link is https://stillmindretreats.com/event/retreat-infusing-mindfulness-with-metta-compassionate-wisdom-2026/

Her website link is https://stillmindretreats.com/event/retreat-infusing-mindfulness-with-metta-compassionate-wisdom-2026/

This retreat is a quiet invitation to slow down and return to yourself. Within the sanctuary of the BRC, Despina will gently guide you on a journey dedicated to the art of deep listening and the cultivation of heart-full presence. Days will be held in the gentle embrace of noble silence, supported by a rhythm of mindful movement, meditation, and intentional sound. Together, we will explore practices such as mindful walking, sitting meditation, movement and the resonance of "full-body listening." By weaving these practices of movement, stillness and sound invites possibilities for insight, clarity and transformation. This retreat will be held in an atmosphere of silence.

‘In the quiet of your own presence, may the truth of your heart find its voice’

Qigong means life energy in Chinese. Qi (energy) is considered to be an animated power that flows through all living beings. Gong means work or skill with something.

Qigong is an ancient series of gentle movements working with life energy to control the flow and distribution of qi improving overall health and harmony of body and mind. This is a relaxed retreat with free time allowing you to appreciate the natural energy and beauty of the BRC.

Looking for an entry point into Buddhism? Then this is the retreat for you! Who was the Buddha? What is Buddhism? Is it a religion or a philosophy? What are its teachings and practices? These questions and others will be addressed in this retreat which will examine the life of the Buddha, the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path while at the same time foregrounding the simple meditation practices - sitting and walking - from which the experience-based teachings emerged. A schedule of talks, discussion, and practice held within the supportive frame of Noble Silence will also include time to enjoy the beautiful grounds of the centre.

Are you struggling to keep pace with an ever-changing world? This retreat offers an invitation to reconnect with your “secret superpower” and re-discover how truly remarkable you are. Do you feel stretched by constant change, longing for greater inner peace and clarity? Do you sense that you are meant for more, yet feel unable to “crack the code” to lasting transformation? Have you explored many paths, only to find that real change still feels just out of reach? This retreat creates a safe space to awaken your natural ability for conscious living. Through simple, practical tools, you will learn how to work with your thoughts, emotions, and awareness in profound and accessible ways.
We will explore expansive themes such as Universal Consciousness and the meeting point between ancient wisdom and modern quantum insights, while grounding these ideas in everyday practices. Meditation, affirmations, journaling, and visualisation will be woven throughout the weekend to bring clarity, balance, and intention into your daily life. You will leave feeling refreshed, inspired, and empowered, carrying with you tools and insights to support a more conscious, aligned, and fulfilling way of living.

Join us for a heart-opening weekend as we gather to awaken the Sacred Feminine within. Through the powerful practices of astrology, soulful yoga, and feminine embodiment, we will remember what it means to truly listen to our bodies, trust our intuition, and reconnect with our inner rhythm.This intimate offering is open to mothers and daughters, sisters, friends, and solo journeyers—all women ready to soften, deepen, and rise together in sacred sisterhood.

✨ Astrology workshops with Margarita Relationship Astrology Specialist
✨ Gentle, intuitive yoga with heart-led Yoga teacher
✨ Sound Journey, meditation and circle sharing
✨ Time to rest, reflect, and receive in the peaceful, natural surrounds of Ixopo

Whether you are yearning for clarity, connection, or simply a break to come home to yourself, this weekend is an invitation to be held, seen, and nourished.

Through being and accepting what is happening within us, staying with experience and learning to see more clearly we can taste into a mind and heartfulness that is larger than our habits that keep us stuck.The practice of Mindfulness supports us in discovery of who we are beyond our limiting histories, stories and ideas. Grounding into our bodies through bringing presence to our breath, our flesh and bones we come into the shared embodied realm. Drawing on tools from the Buddha's teaching we will embark on this voyage together, in a shared context, with the inner journey of each of us also finding its own inner way. The retreat will be held in noble silence with dharma teachings and one to one interviews, meditatios and sunrise qigong.

This 3-day Art of Silence Retreat provides optimal conditions for going deep within, quietening our mental chatter, and experiencing profound rest and inner peace. The course builds upon the Sudarshan Kriya breathing technique offered in the Art of Living Happiness Programme. The practice of silence - consciously withdrawing our energy and attention from outer distractions - has been used in different traditions throughout time as a pathway to physical, mental, and spiritual renewal. By participating in various course processes specifically designed to take us beyond our usually active minds, we experience an extraordinary sense of peace and renewed vitality that we carry home with us and into daily lives.

The prerequisite to attending the Art of Silence retreat is the Art of Living Part 1 The Happiness Course.

This retreat offers a unique approach encompassing brushwork painting, pottery, meditation, qigong, forest bathing, a traditonal tea ceremony and an ambient atmosphere. Ingrid will teach the classical Japanese brush painting techniques - Sumie - as these are applied to traditional subjects, such as landscape, bamboo and flower studies - as well as contemporary subjects. The traditional materials and tools - solid pine-soot ink, a ceramic slate to liquefy it, a bamboo-stemmed brush and absorbent mulberry paper - will be provided. Beginners are welcome - according to Ingrid: "some of the best paintings have emerged from students who have not had any art training before". Sharon will offer the ceramics or Raku and explore various glazing and firing techniques. Each retreatant will receive a bisque-fired tea bowl to decorate and glaze. The kiln will be fired up, after which we will watch the magic as the bowls emerge triumphantly from the scorching heat! If you are suffering from stress and anxiety, these modalities will calm and refresh you.

Chris will offer sunrise qigong, while Bernard will offer relaxation walks in the forest. Shogan will be guiding the meditation and hold a traditional Japanese tea ceremony on the final night.

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.

Christmas is a time of the giving of gifts. All birthdays are honoured with gift-giving. Usually these gifts are of ‘things’. Yet the very best gift we can give is not anything tangible or material. It is to definitively take away the suffering of oneself, and of others. And this, after all, is the reason why we give material gifts in the first place. It’s also the reason why we do the myriad things we do in our lives. It’s because we are constantly in pursuit of this (seemingly unattainable) state of being: peace, happiness, contentment. The unlimited and ultimate gift would be to be happy without end, at peace without end, to give happiness and peace to all, without end. The Four Immeasurable Gifts are the ultimate gift. They are boundless equanimity, loving kindness, compassion, and joy. They define a path and practice leading to all-encompassing peace and happiness. They lead us back to our true nature, which is peace.

Take time out at the BRC this Christmas to slow down into the moment and unwrap the Four Immeasurable Gifts. We will discover them through meditation, contemplation, journaling, and by just being present. 

The retreat will be held in an atmosphere of introspection and silence.

New Year is a good time of the year to take stock and contemplate our moment-to-moment, here-and-now reality in all its fullness. It’s a traditional time for clarifying our motivations, and for starting afresh with new intentions. A time, in other words, to reboot the system. Give yourself the gift of time over this New Year period to collect the Three Wise Medicines of gratitude, ahimsa and contentment, to reflect on the past year, and uncover how you can best live your life in the coming year. During this time together we will let our body, speech and mind fall silent through the practice of meditation and silence. In working with the Three Wise Medicines, there will also be time for writing and contemplation, walking and ceremony especially outside in nature. We will welcome the New Year with a circumambulation around the  lantern-lit  Buddha Rupa, gonging out the old year. The retreat will be held in an atmosphere of silence and introspection.