BRC Newsletter - September/October 2026

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

Stupa at dawn		Image: Andrew Brown
East Meets West: Cultivating Self-Compassion For Burnout And Healing Into Well-Being It is always such a joy for me to return to the BRC and I often reflect with very deep gratitude on how my first silent retreat on Basic Buddhism with Louis van Loon in 1984, completely changed (and saved) my life. In my experience as a clinical psychologist and as a fellow pilgrim on this path, I have discovered that the sanctuary of shared, sacred silence, combined with the wisdom of the teachings and meditation practices focussing on self-compassion, offers the most powerful context for inner transformation that I know of. It is one of the biggest blessings of my life to be able to offer retreats curated with great care, in which there is a weaving together of Buddhist compassionate wisdom and Western depth psychology. Please join me from 23 - 28 or 23 - 30 October for a 5 or 7 night silent retreat, where we will Open the Heart and Still the Mind: Cultivating Self-Compassion for Burnout and Healing into Well-Being. Reductions and payment plans are offered for my teacher's fee if needed, and CPD points (including Ethics) will be available to all health, mental health and allied professionals. Full details can be found here and booking is through the BRC. With Metta, Sue Cooper

Early spring colour		Image: Andrew Brown
For those who weren’t able to attend our AGM in August, I include a couple of excerpts from my chairperson’s report. ‘This year in May over Wesak the BRC celebrated its 46th year of operation and marked the 56th anniversary of its founding by the late Louis van Loon. Louis was fond of recalling how when the Centre opened in March 1980, there was great excitement and nervous anticipation around the first retreat being offered by him and Anthony Osler: Basic Buddhism. Well, exactly one retreatant turned up much to teachers’ consternation, but as the story goes, the retreat duly proceeded in the library where the lectures took place in those early days. The studio came long after that. Apparently, the retreat was a great success! But it did dawn on Louis afterwards that he may have made a big mistake in developing the Centre way off the beaten track and Buddhist! He wondered who on earth was going to come there in the middle of nowhere!

Dew-dropped flower		Image: Andrew Brown
As I reflect on this story, I am always grateful at the start of each retreat to see how that sole retreatant has morphed into groups of happy, shiny people who make the sometimes-arduous journey to Ixopo through mist, rain, traffic and potholes - our Sangha and our community who care about the welfare and well-being of the Centre and ensure that the Dharma flourishes. Wesak in May invited time for reflection and gratitude. “Why does the Buddha Smile” led by Stephen Coan celebrated the most important day in the Buddhist calendar, commemorating the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha 2,500 years ago and held annually on the full moon of the lunar month of Vesakha. We marked the weekend 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, held a traditional lantern-lit ceremony in the company of owls and the buff-spotted flufftail calling. With inspiring talks and thoughts on the Buddha’s smile, the retreat placed an emphasis on meditation, the basic Buddhist practice common to all traditions - simply breathing in and breathing out - doing exactly what the Buddha did. Louis’ presence was deeply felt during the resonant full moon celebration and Stephen and those friends who joined us on this auspicious occasion made it a memorable and moving experience.

Effortless presence		Image: Andrew Brown
In the same vein of ceremony and tradition, we held our ‘Buddhist Christmas and New year’ respectively in December with Tsunma Tsondru, unwrapping the ‘Four Immeasurable Gifts of Christmas - equanimity, loving kindness, compassion and gratitude and the ‘Three Wise Medicines’ of gratitude, ahimsa and contentment. Both retreats were held in an atmosphere of contemplation and introspection. Over our ‘Buddhist Easter’, Sue Cooper offered a 5-8-day silent retreat on Compassion and Metta. When Louis envisaged the Centre, he intended it to become a refuge to enable people to experience what it is like to disconnect from the routine of home and office life and simply tune into whatever happens - to navigate life more wisely, particularly the unpleasant or challenging experiences. The many people who participate in retreats and workshops often express that they feel hugely enriched by their experience and carry that spirit forward in their lives. Some see the Centre as a landing patch and a safe haven, others as a life-changing experience. Knowing that the work we do makes a difference in others’ lives encourages us to continue what Louis began and believed in 56 years ago. Thank you for supporting the Centre - some of you for many years or even decades.’

Spring buzz		Image: Amanda Mitchell
Hello Spring! In the slow turning of the seasons, impermanence becomes visible: buds gather, colours change, and what was absent is suddenly here. We are reminded that life does not hold still, yet it does not fall apart. As nature renews itself with quiet insistence, we too can practise meeting each moment with a steady awareness and an open heart. Our spring retreats encourage you to cultivate loving-kindness and - with a quiet leap of joy in the heart - soften what needs to be softened. Chrisi

Hello Spring		Image: Odette Ryan
There are still a few spaces left on the following Spring retreats: Always Already: An Exploration of Mindfulness Without Effort Dr Simon Whitesman \| 4 days \| 9-13 September What if the freedom we seek is already present? This retreat offers an invitation to rest in the awareness and effortless presence that underlies all experience through guided meditation, shared inquiry and time in nature. Join Dr Whitesman, a medical doctor, psychotherapist and mindfulness teacher with over 30 years of experience at the intersection of medicine, psychotherapy and contemplative practice for a gentle exploration of meditation. This will be less about getting somewhere, but rather seeing what is already available right where we are. Read more Somatic Movement - Ease of Being - To Release Chronic Stress and Tension Lisa Firer \| Weekend \| 18-20 September 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 are welcome! Read more Nowhere Else To Be - A Spring Zen Retreat William (Shogan) \| 2 days \| 22-24 September Join Shogan for dedicated Zen practice. Inspired by the spirit of a traditional Zen sesshin, this midweek zazenkai offers an opportunity to settle deeply into stillness, simplicity, and wholehearted presence. A zazenkai is an informal gathering of practitioners who commit to sitting together with sincerity and quiet resolve. Here in the valley, we honour this tradition by returning, again and again, to the breath, the body, and this very moment as we welcome the arrival of Spring together. Read more Soft Body, Clear Mind, Open Heart : Somatic Movement For Relaxation Lisa Firer \| Weekend \| 25-27 September Richard Rohr writes: “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.”Through somatics, movement, mindfulness, music and poetry, let’s tune and harmonize the instruments of body, mind and heart. Read more Family Systems Constellations - Explore The Systems To Which You Belong Christel and Erik Andersen \| 3 days \| 28 September-1 October 2026 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. Read more

Ease of being		Image:Andrew Brown
Conducted Retreats October 2026 Iyengar Yoga : Moving Into Stillness Riva Hirschowitz \| Weekend \| 2-4 October 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. Read more Standing Like A Tree To Power Up Your Chi: Chi Kung For Vitality Paul Dorrian \| 2 or 4 days \| 9-11 October or 9-13 October 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. 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 Read more Awaken The Lioness Prof Leonina Kaestele \| 2 days \| 14-16 October 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. This workshop is for women who feel wish to move toward a good future with clarity and trust. Read more Zen Pen - Words, Being And Breath Dorian Haarhoff \| Weekend \|16-18 October 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. Read more Crafting Words In The Silence Of Shared Space Dorian Haarhoff \| 2 days accommodation \| 18-20 October 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. Read more Cultivating Self-Compassion for Burnout And Healing into Well-Being Sue Cooper \| 5-7 days \| 23- 28 October or 23-30 October This retreat is an immersion into nourishing and ennobling silence and is an opportunity to cultivate and deepen your meditation practice with a particular focus on burnout and healing into well-being. 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. In response to the prevalence of emotional depletion and burnout, the focus of this retreat is to meet this growing need to understand the role of self-compassion as a protection against burnout, depression and anxiety. We will draw on the support of nature and the teachings and 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, there will be daily qigong, gentle yoga and additional, optional massages. Sue will include short, individual sessions throughout the retreat, as well as time for reflection, journaling, walks in nature and deeply replenishing rest. CPD accreditation for Health, Mental Health and Allied professionals is confirmed (includes ethics). Read more The Practice Of Deep Listening: Integrating Mindfulness And Meditation, Movement And Therapeutic Sound Despina Forbes \| Weekend \| 30 October-1 November 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 towards deep listening and heart-full presence 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." This retreat will be held in an atmosphere of silence. Read more A Personal Retreat : Rest, Reflect, and Restore – 15% discount mid-week Join our qualified resident staff, Keelan, Robyn and Dirk, on a personal mid-week retreat for some 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. Read more

Vista		Image:Adrienne Hall-Ferreira
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-six 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 - six 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 deeply touched by the many generous gifts received in the form of linen and towels, furniture, indigenous trees, a Kenwood mixer and food processor, vacuum cleaners and Buddha statues. How you can help to keep the Dharma wheels turning at the BRC and to 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 April 2027 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 meals Booking a mid-week self-retreat with the option of 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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