On Being More Mindful
In today's fast-paced world, people find themselves overwhelmed by the stresses of daily life. This often manifests as anxiety, depression, and a pervasive sense of disconnection. However, incorporating mindfulness into our routines can be transformative, providing essential tools for managing these challenges.
Mindfulness encourages us to be present, allowing us to step back from our racing thoughts and emotional turmoil. Through this practice, we can cultivate a deeper awareness of our feelings and thoughts, fostering a sense of peace and grounding. The benefits are profound; studies have shown that regular mindfulness practice can reduce stress, enhance emotional regulation, and improve overall mental well-being.
We invite you to join "Change Your Mind - A Mindfulness Retreat," from 13-15 March with Mark Joseph where you will learn from a teacher whose journey through grief and discovery has uniquely shaped his approach to mindfulness.
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“As a sufferer of poor mental health, namely extreme anxiety and depression I was blessed to be introduced to the miracle of mindfulness after losing my father to suicide as a young man.
It eased my grief and gave me practical tools to deal with my ruminating mind and almost immediately I felt I could ‘come home’ to peace and the present moment.
I travelled to India and the Himalayas to learn more advanced techniques and studied with great masters, one of which was HH The Dalai Lama. This inspired me to live in a Buddhist temple for 3 years refining my practice, learning… practising and then teaching.
The monastic life was not for me and leaving the temple I pursued the ‘family life’ but all the while teaching the techniques I had learned over those three years.
I embraced neuroscience, positive and behavioural psychology and injected these valuable and supportive findings into my mindfulness programs.
In 2016 I created the ‘Mindfulness teacher training programme’ and have since contributed to encouraging hundreds of facilitators to share these mental wellness and mental fitness strategies. This program was accredited by the HPCSA (Health Professional Council SA) in 2022, making the 14-week journey into a medical programme.
My approach is to give you a taste of ancient eastern wisdom combined with modern, secular philosophy. My style is warm, engaging and fun. Less heavy theory and more practice where we can ‘taste’ the benefits of growing a steady, daily practice for our growth and happiness.”
Please see the attached flyer for more information on “Change Your Mind”.
Mark Joseph
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We have good news!
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.
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There are still a few spaces left on the following March retreats:
Mark Joseph | Weekend | 13-15 March
Join Mark Joseph for a transformative retreat focused on mindfulness.
At the best of times our minds run riot leaving us exhausted, stressed and often difficult to live with. The simple act of closing our eyes and focusing on our breath can do wonders for our body and mind, but at the root of our tension and dissatisfaction is something that we should investigate more fully for meditation to be beneficial. Over the retreat weekend you will tap into your calming energies, combined with gentle mindful movements you will begin to feel more at peace and at ease.
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Cheryl Lancellas | Weekend | 20-22 March
Settle into a weekend of rest and restoration with gentle movements, sound journey and breathwork. Together we will explore breath as medicine for the nervous system, restorative yoga and yoga nidra evenings, reflection, journaling and conscious group processing, emotional alchemy, release and renewal.
You will leave softer, clearer, steadier — not changed but revealed.
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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.
Read the Odyssey magazine article on John Lockley.
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Conducted Retreats April 2026
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.
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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.
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Shelley Lewin and Sav Goldridge | Weekend | 17-19 April
Co-hosted by couple counsellor, global leadership coach and author ‘The Relationship Architect’ Shelley Lewin, in combination with IEA international enneagram professional practitioner, master credentialled global leadership coach and counsellor, Sav Goldridge, this retreat is an intimate, restorative experience for couples to co-create healthier relationships and transformational growth through intentional practices and tools drawn from Uncomplicated Love; the exploration of ancient wisdom drawn from Enneagram as well as meaningful connection in nature. Shelley and Sav will guide couples to transcend relational patterns, heal emotional wounds, and build or restore the foundation for a thriving partnership and empowered relationships that continue to evolve long after the retreat ends.
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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.
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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.
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Join us for a personal retreat mid-week and some gentle yoga, meditation, breathwork and a guided walk. 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.
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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 October 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.
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