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Detailed List of Retreats

"Doing Your Own Thing" Self Retreats are available throughout the year between the Conducted Retreats (and occasionally on weekends).

This symbol indicates that the retreat is held in Noble Silence throughout, except for periods of instruction, discussion or interviews.

Retreat
24 November 2023
  • Open The Heart And Still The Mind: Mist Rising, Dew Falling – Embracing Impermanence With Courage, Compassion And Joy

    Teacher: Sue Cooper
    Cost: 2 or 5 days accommodation + R400 surcharge
    Dates: Friday 24 November 2023 - Wednesday 29 November 2023

    sue cooper 202124 - 26 and 24 - 29 Nov (2 and 5 night options)

    This Open the Heart and Still the Mind Retreat is in ennobling silence and is offered for an extended 5 nights for those who want a longer and deeper retreat experience, or as a 2 night weekend retreat for those unable to stay longer. Drawing on the beauty of nature and the Mist Rising, Dew Falling, we will explore living with change and uncertainty as we embrace the truth of impermanence with courage, compassion and joy.
    As we experience the unfolding of aging, sickness and death (dukkha), we are invited to be more fully present, so that we can live wholeheartedly and more joyfully, connecting with ourselves, each other and this world with greater kindness and care. The deep nourishment of the silence and the experience of our interconnectedness with the sangha (our silent retreat family) and with nature enhances our connection to what is life-affirming, compassionate and wise. We will discover that we can embrace impermanence with less fear and more appreciative joy (sukkha), inspired by the qualities of heart and mind found in the Brahma Viharas (the 4 divine abodes) of loving-kindness (metta), compassion (karuna), appreciative joy (mudita) and equanimity (upekkha).
    This retreat includes guided sitting and walking meditations, short individual sessions with Sue and daily sessions of qigong movement meditation to enhance the integration of body, heart and mind. There will be time for silent, mindful walks in nature when you can explore the beauty of the Centre. Additional optional mindful movement and massages will be offered - details to be confirmed nearer the time.

    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 pre-retreat individual session via Zoom/Whatsapp is highly recommended for newcomers or if you have not attended one of Sue’s residential retreats before. The fee for this will be the 30-40/50 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 registered professionals: Confirmed with an admin fee.

    View teacher details
    Sue 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 over 30 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, Blue Butterfly and Somerset Gift in the Western Cape; Dharmagiri Insight Meditation Centre and the Buddhist Retreat Centre in KwaZulu Natal; and Emoyeni Retreat Centre in the North West Province, as well as 6-8 week "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

01 December 2023
  • Quiet Mountain, Clear Sky: Meditating With Calmness And Clarity

    Teacher: Mervyn Croft
    Cost: 2 days accommodation + R400 surcharge
    Dates: Friday 01 December 2023 - Sunday 03 December 2023

    mervyn croftThis retreat will provide an opportunity to explore two aspects of Buddhist meditation practice - the gradual development of calmness and peacefulness in our mind; and the practise of awareness, in order to live with more clarity and more centredness in the present moment. This foundation of calmness helps us to meet our confused thoughts and emotions with more acceptance and kindness and leads to a deeper understanding of the nature of our minds. The retreat will create a gentle and relaxed space in which to explore the benefits of spending time quietly with ourselves, to allow the qualities of calmness and clarity to develop in a natural way and to enjoy the nurturing effect of being silent in a beautiful environment.

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    Mervyn Croft has been engaged in Buddhism for over forty years, including a period of thirteen years as a member of the resident community at the Buddhist Retreat Centre, Ixopo. He has participated in retreats in the Theravada, Zen and Tibetan traditions, and for many years was a student of Godwin Samararatne from Sri Lanka. In 2000 he co-founded the Emoyeni Retreat Centre where he teaches and lives in a house of stone.

08 December 2023
  • JOY: Tap Into Your Creative Energy

    Teacher: Charisse Louw
    Cost: 2 days accommodation + R400 surcharge
    Dates: Friday 08 December 2023 - Sunday 10 December 2023

    charisse louwIf you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it Mary Oliver

    We will play with the energy we are - exploring qigong, tapping, yin yoga, free dance, sunning, breath work, shaking, and meditation techniques, while exploring creative expression through movement and stillness, the written word and art. This is an invitation to heal in Nature through mindfulness and co-creation. Everyone is welcomed to a compassionate and open-hearted space for remembering who we are.

    View teacher details
    Charisse Louw has studied qiong in China, yoga in Indian ashrams and meditation in Japanese Buddhist temples. She is an eternal student. For more on what she offers please visit https://charisselouw.wixsite.com/flow

11 December 2023
  • Shibuie - When Beauty Happens Accidentally: Sumie And Raku – Japanese Brush Painting And Ceramics

    Teacher: Ingrid Adams, Lungelo Ncebo, Bernard Charikobo and Venessa Muller
    Cost: 4 days accommodation + R400 surcharge
    Dates: Monday 11 December 2023 - Friday 15 December 2023

    ingrid adamslungelo ncebobernard charikobovenessa mullerShibuie is the ancient Japanese concept of Accidental Beauty in which the artist is just one ingredient in a number of dynamic interacting natural processes, the outcome of which is delightfully unpredictable, but strangely beautiful - not ego-driven or deliberate. 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. We will use the genuine, traditional materials: solid pine-soot ink, a hollowed-out slate to liquefy it, a deer-hair bamboo-stemmed brush and absorbent mulberry paper. Tools will be provided. Lungelo will offer the Raku and explore various glazing and firing techniques. Each retreatant will receive a bisque-fired tea bowl to sumie-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! Bernard will be offering forest walks and introduicng 'forest bathing' introducing 'forest bathing' with traditional Mbira music for healing and harmony. A traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony will be held on the final evening led by Venessa Muller.

    View teacher details
    Ingrid Adams qualified as a fashion designer, an art teacher and completed a B.A. Fine Arts with Unisa. She travelled extensively whilst running a successful business in fashion and home textiles. Viewing Sumie and ink painting in China, Japan and Korea, she embarked on a Sumie course with Louis and was instantly smitten. Retiring from business, Ingrid completed a B.A. Fine Arts Honours, and a Masters, with UKZN Pietermaritzburg. Both the research and practical were focused on Sumie. She has now enrolled for a PhD, continuing to employ traditional Sumie processes and nature. She currently paints and teaches Sumie part-time.

    Lungelo Ngcebo studied at DUT in the Fine Art department and majored in sculpture and painting. Working as assistant to Hendrik Strobel, he learned everything about ceramics from electric kiln firing, smoke firing and raku firing. He is currently in the process of completing his Post Graduate Certificate at the University of South Africa. His scope of personal work includes mosaic, glazing, figure modelling, woodwork, welding plaster casting and rubber mould and painting.

    Bernard Charikobo is a part-time ranger in the Hawaan Forest in Durban where he takes people on guided walks, introducing 'forest bathing' and traditional Mbira music for healing and harmony. His passion is trees and birds. He will be leading the walks over this retreat where one can immerse oneself in nature and find inner serenity.

    Venessa Muller worked in Project Management in various sectors for many years. After attending her first retreat with Lisa Firer at the BRC in 2010, she realised that her path needed to change. She left the ‘abnormal’ world in 2013 and served as a volunteer at the BRC for a year in 2014.  She is currently a resident staff member and offers midweek meditation and continues her practice on the path.

15 December 2023
  • Going With The Flow: Integrating Meditation And Mindfulness Into Our Daily Life

    Teacher: Bruce van Dongen
    Cost: 2 days accommodation + R300 surcharge
    Dates: Friday 15 December 2023 - Sunday 17 December 2023

    bruce van dongenThe aim of this workshop is to develop the tools that enable us to arrive gently and lucidly in the present moment, being aware of the ebb and flow of our moods and emotions and learning to be mindful instead of reactive in our interactions with others. Using the techniques presented, we will learn to train our minds to be centered on the present so that we can flow with the river of life instead of fighting against the current of our conditioning. There is great joy in being present, no matter what is happening. We will explore Kundalini yoga, which is a combination of stationary and dynamic poses and qigong (chi kung) techniques. These practices increase our energy level and give us the capacity to be fully present and integrated in our bodies and minds. This is a meditation-centered practice - not a physical yoga practice. The workshop will be varied to allow retreatants of all ages and levels of experience to derive great benefit from this very old tradition. Bring comfortable clothing and a sun hat.

    View teacher details
    Bruce van Dongen is a mechanical engineer. He has been practising yoga for many years and is a qualified teacher in the Hatha and Kundalini disciplines. He is a Director of The Waterfall Retreat and Environmental Centre and uses both nature and yoga as his soothing systems to balance the pressures of the corporate world.

22 December 2023
  • The Four Immeasurable Gifts at Christmas

    Teacher: Tsunma Tsondru
    Cost: 4 days accommodation + R600 surcharge
    Dates: Friday 22 December 2023 - Tuesday 26 December 2023

    tsunma tsondruImagine! Imagine all the people, living life in peace - John Lennon

    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, an absence of ‘niggle’. 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 with time for journaling, reflection, and fireside talks.

    View teacher details
    Tsunma Tsondru is a nun ordained by Tai Situ Rinpoche in the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. She met Buddhism through Louis van Loon at the BRC in the 90's. After working as a lawyer and environmental scientist, she left for Spain for a traditional Kagyu three-and-a-half-year retreat, followed by a second retreat of four years. Returning to Cape Town, she  served on the Board of the Southern African Faith Communities Environmental Institute - a multi-faith NGO - for 6 years and as  its Executive Director. She later spent a 10-day intensive retreat with Joanna Macy, engaging with Macy’s “Work That Re-Connects”, which she teaches at the BRC and other places, Her particular interest is deep ecology, eco-philosophy and wilderness work, and the role that spirituality, ethics and connection/interdependence can play in transforming us and our economic and social systems in protection of the Earth.

29 December 2023
  • Three Wise Medicines For Living Your Life In The New Year

    Teacher: Tsunma Tsondru
    Cost: 4 days accommodation + R600 surcharge
    Dates: Friday 29 December 2023 - Tuesday 02 January 2024

    tsunma tsondruThe spiritual life is first of all a life. It is not merely something to be known and studied, it is to be lived - Thomas Merton

    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 lantern-lit ceremony in the Zendo, chanting, ringing out the old year with an ancient Chinese temple gong. The retreat will be held in an atmosphere of silence and introspection.

    View teacher details
    Tsunma Tsondru is a nun ordained by Tai Situ Rinpoche in the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. She met Buddhism through Louis van Loon at the BRC in the 90's. After working as a lawyer and environmental scientist, she left for Spain for a traditional Kagyu three-and-a-half-year retreat, followed by a second retreat of four years. Returning to Cape Town, she  served on the Board of the Southern African Faith Communities Environmental Institute - a multi-faith NGO - for 6 years and as  its Executive Director. She later spent a 10-day intensive retreat with Joanna Macy, engaging with Macy’s “Work That Re-Connects”, which she teaches at the BRC and other places, Her particular interest is deep ecology, eco-philosophy and wilderness work, and the role that spirituality, ethics and connection/interdependence can play in transforming us and our economic and social systems in protection of the Earth.

05 January 2024
  • Time To Focus And Tune Into 2024: Gently kickstart the new year with an ashram-style retreat offering qigong, hatha yoga, meditation and healing therapies

    Teacher: Brendon Small, Kugan Naidoo, Di Franklin and Deborah Don
    Cost: 2 days accommodation + R400 surcharge
    Dates: Friday 05 January 2024 - Sunday 07 January 2024

    brendon smallkugan naidoo lotusdi franklindeborah donIt is difficult to make decisions about important issues in your life when you are immersed in them. You need some distance from them, physically and psychologically to see them clearly for what they are. Only then, can you gain a fresh perspective on them. So, if you feel you need a gentle, uncluttered space to tune into what lies ahead for you in 2024, this largely unstructured weekend will prove useful. Experience sunrise qigong, gentle hatha yoga sessions and meditation. The Centre is yours to enjoy, walking or bird-watching in three hundred acres of rolling hills and indigenous forests. Circumambulate the labyrinth and stupa, meditate in the Zen garden or in the Buddha Boma, and spend solitary time in the deer park and at the dam or  immerse yourself in the "Circle of Sound" in the Bamboo Grove. Deborah Don, a qualified Self-Esteem Coach and massage therapist, will be offering healing therapies by appointment. The BRC provides an ideal opportunity to be in a sympathetic space to reflect on the things that crowd one’s life and to experience what it is like to "just be".

    View teacher details
    Brendon Small has been exposed to various traditions and teachers on the Buddhist path over the last two decades and has attended a number of retreats at the BRC. He has assisted with a couple of retreats where he has led the meditation. He is a firm believer in the importance of meditation and mindfulness and enjoys sharing his enthusiasm for practice on retreat.

    Kugan Naidoo, a certified Iyengar Yoga teacher,  began his yoga journey at the tender age of ten, learning and practising at the Divine Life Society Ashram, Durban. His love of yoga led him to complete a 200 hr TTC with Yoga Alliance and a 200 hr in  Advanced Yoga in Nasik, Maharashtra, India followed by a 300 hr in Restorative  and Therapy Yoga, in Rishikesh India. He also completed a 3 year Iyengar Level 1 Teacher Training Course. In addition, Kugan completed intensive training at the RIMYI, Iyengar Institute in Pune, India, under the leadership and  guidance of Geeta Iyengar,  Prashanth  Iyengar and Abhijata Iyengar. He has led several programmes at schools, gyms and  rehabilitation facilities working closely with several organizations as well as the office of the Consulate General of India in Durban. Apart from recording the ‘Yoga For Wellness’, Series 1  and 2  for SABC TV 3, he has led the International Day Of Yoga celebrations in Durban for several years.  In 2018, Kugan was diagnosed with a debilitating Auto Immune Disease and was unable to teach, but he used the power of yoga for his transformation and healing journey.

    Dianne Franklin is an Advocate in private practice. She has been studying Buddhism and Qigong for twenty years. She is a student of Max Weier, the Qigong Master from Switzerland. Her teachers include Rob Nairn, Geshe Pende and Ken Holmes.

    Deborah Don, a qualified Self-Esteem Coach, and massage therapist, has been involved in the Health, the Easter and New Year retreats offered at the BRC over the last six years. She offers aromatherapy, energy balance and sound therapy, self-esteem coaching and foot, back and neck healing therapies.

12 January 2024
  • Traditional Hatha And Raja Yoga

    Teacher: Duncan Rice
    Cost: 2 days accommodation + R300 surcharge
    Dates: Friday 12 January 2024 - Sunday 14 January 2024

    duncanrice fullJoin 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.

    View teacher details
    Duncan Rice offers community-based yoga at "Yogam Yoga" in Durban. He has studied and lived in India for many years and has  followed the teachings of Patanjali (Ashtanga Yoga), Ayurveda and Hatha Yoga which are laid down in some of the oldest texts of yoga. His yoga is rooted in ancient tradition passed down by the teachers over thousands of years teaching that we are a multi-layered being from our physical body to your subtle body. Yoga is about creating health and equilibrium in our body, calming the mind and allowing us to be in touch and at peace with our true self.

     
15 January 2024
  • Ten Day Vipassana Retreat

    Teacher: Jonathan Preboy and Anna Scharfenberg
    Cost: 10 days accommodation + R700 surcharge
    Dates: Monday 15 January 2024 - Thursday 25 January 2024

    jonathan preboyanna scharfenberg 2020Why must we undertake Vipassana meditation retreats? Because we search for happiness and want to liberate our mind from suffering. We go on a retreat to cleanse and disentangle our troubled lives and minds. This experience frees our mind - Ajahn Tong

    The retreat starts with an introduction on Monday evening and follows the original Stages of Insight for ten full days of meditation. The aim of insight meditation is to understand reality, to see things as they really are. The main tool of insight meditation is mindfulness: mindfulness of body, feelings and mind. Ajahn Tong states that “attending a meditation retreat is training in the power of mindfulness. With intensive practice the wandering, struggling and chaotic mind can become composed, peaceful, refreshed and purified of negative hindrances.” Retreatants are required to practise approximately ten hours per day (between 5 am and 10 pm), follow the Buddhist precepts and maintain respectful silence throughout the retreat. The BRC staff and teachers will provide their whole-hearted support, including daily reporting, loving-kindness meditation (Metta) and Dhamma talks. Maximum 12 students. This retreat will overlap with the weekend retreat (19-21) and the 4 day retreat (21-25). 

    Thoughts come and go. Feelings come and go. Find out what it is that remains - Ramana Maharshi

    The retreat will be limited to 12 participants.

    View teacher details
    Jonathan Preboy and Anna Scharfenberg trained in Vipassana meditation under the great Thai Vipassana master Ajahn Tong Sirimangalo. Jonathan worked as a clinical psychologist in private practice in Durban and Anna holds a Master of Arts in Buddhist Studies. They have taught meditation together at Wat Chom Tong Meditation Centre in Thailand, Mexico, Italy, Spain and South Africa (the BRC, Dharmagiri and Emoyeni) and currently manage and teach at the Tisarana Vipassananusorn Meditation Centre in Prague.

19 January 2024
  • Vipassana Meditation: How To Realise Ever-Present Mindfulness

    Teacher: Jonathan Preboy and Anna Scharfenberg
    Cost: 2 days accommodation + R700 surcharge
    Dates: Friday 19 January 2024 - Sunday 21 January 2024

    jonathan preboyanna scharfenberg 2020Thoughts are about what is not happening - Paul Hedderman

    Vipassana (Insight) meditation is based on mindfulness, which is always available, everywhere, without limit or cost. The challenge is how to realise it. The answer was provided by the Buddha. He taught ways to cultivate mindfulness that lead to insight and awakening. This retreat is an invitation for beginners and experienced meditators to practise Vipassana using the traditional Buddhist method of Ajahn Tong. For beginners it is a simple and direct technique to start meditating and for experienced meditators, it is a skilful method to deepen their insight. Mindfulness is developed by regular walking and sitting practice, by maintaining awareness during normal activities, such as eating, showering, dressing and supported by talks and daily interviews with a teacher. The weekend will be held in silence. Retreatants are welcome to join the subsequent 4-day meditation retreat.

    Sustain awareness at every moment in every posture, whether standing, walking, sitting or lying down. This is the way to establish mindfulness in the heart - Ajahn Chah

    View teacher details
    Jonathan Preboy and Anna Scharfenberg trained in Vipassana meditation under the Thai Vipassana master Ajahn Tong Sirimangalo. Jonathan worked as a clinical psychologist in private practice in Durban and Anna holds a Master of Arts in Buddhist Studies. They have taught meditation together at Wat Chom Tong Meditation Centre in Thailand, Mexico, Italy, Spain and South Africa and currently manage and teach at the Tisarana Vipassananusorn Meditation Centre in Prague.

21 January 2024
  • A Vipassana Retreat: The Search For Truth

    Teacher: Jonathan Preboy and Anna Scharfenberg
    Cost: 4 days accommodation + R700 surcharge
    Dates: Sunday 21 January 2024 - Thursday 25 January 2024

    jonathan preboyanna scharfenberg 2020You may find that the cell is an ideal place to learn to know yourself, to search realistically and regularly the processes of your own mind and feelings ... it gives you the opportunity to look daily into your entire conduct to overcome the bad and develop whatever is good in you. Never forget that a saint is a sinner who keeps on trying - Nelson Mandela - Mandela The Authorised Biography by Anthony Sampson

    Vipassana (Insight) meditation uses mindfulness to search for the mental and emotional patterns that cause suffering. The aim is not merely to overcome suffering but to learn how to wake up and be fully alive in the present moment. This four-day retreat is an opportunity to deepen meditation practice using the traditional Buddhist method of Ajahn Tong. Meditators are encouraged to stay for the entire course but may also stay for a shorter time and beginners are welcome to learn how to start Vipassana meditation. Mindfulness is developed by regular walking and sitting practice (both in the meditation hall and outside in the forest), by maintaining awareness during normal activities such as eating, showering, dressing and supported by daily interviews with a teacher. The retreat will be held in silence.

    What is looking is what you are looking for - St. Francis of Assisi

    View teacher details
    Jonathan Preboy and Anna Scharfenberg trained in Vipassana meditation under the great Thai Vipassana master Ajahn Tong Sirimangalo. Jonathan worked as a clinical psychologist in private practice in Durban and Anna holds a Master of Arts in Buddhist Studies. They have taught meditation together at Wat Chom Tong Meditation Centre in Thailand, Mexico, Italy, Spain and South Africa (the BRC, Dharmagiri and Emoyeni) and currently manage and teach at the Tisarana Vipassananusorn Meditation Centre in Prague.

26 January 2024
  • Vinyāsa Yoga And Meditation

    Teacher: Hannelize Robinson
    Cost: 2 days accommodation + R400 surcharge
    Dates: Friday 26 January 2024 - Sunday 28 January 2024

    hannelize robinsonYoga teaches us the ability to remain present, calm and stable no matter what situation we find ourselves in. It is not about perfecting the shape of the pose or increasing flexibility - it is about knowing what the shapes do and how they impact our physiology, our energy and our mind. When carefully planned and sequenced, yoga helps us to thrive in the external world that is always changing, and simultaneously allows us to disconnect from our daily lives and reconnect to that aspect of being that never changes. In yoga we use the body to connect with the breath (asana), the breath to connect with the mind (pranayama) and the mind to connect back to Source (meditation). When we regularly practise meditation we train ourselves to pause before we react – often based on habitual patterns – and instead to respond calmly with more wisdom and compassion.

    Previous yoga practice is recommended; however, beginners are welcome. Please bring your own yoga mat.

    View teacher details
    Hannelize Robinson is a Yoga and Mindfulness teacher based in Johannesburg. She is a dedicated student of Yoga and Buddhism and the founder of Conscious-Collab, an initiative established to host transformative group experiences and gatherings - for mind and body - to help create a healthier, harmonious and more conscious, connected world. Her personal journey of discovery has led her towards conscious and mindful living with yoga and meditation becoming an integral part of her life. Her intention is to inspire and assist her students and clients on their own journey of growth and transformation.

02 February 2024
  • Creative Intuition

    Teacher: Theresa Hardman
    Cost: 2 days + R400 surcharge
    Dates: Friday 02 February 2024 - Sunday 04 February 2024

    theresa hardmanThe great [artist]…. moves effortlessly… from some unknown centre
    which is certainly not the brain centre but which is definitely a centre,
    a centre connected with the rhythm of the whole universe, and consequently
    as sound, unshakable, as defiant, anarchic, purposeless, as the universe itself - Henry Miller

    Theresa will re-introduce you to the world of intuition, which was your primal and most natural way of knowing the world as a child. We will withdraw from the world of busyness and hustle and slow down. The intuitive way of being has been the focus of Theresa’s attention over the last fifteen years during which she has tried to understand the fleeting and fragile experience of intuition during the creative process which occurs when we surrender and let go of the thinking mind. The experience of creative intuition is characterised by moments of mysterious potentiality and open-ended suggestiveness which generate new and original thoughts, sounds, images and actions. It is to these original and highly personal points of potential that you, a creative person, will constantly return for inspiration as you attempt to express in the medium of your choice (words, paint, music) your original contribution to the world. We will begin with a discussion about what exactly intuition is, and more specifically how it functions during the creative process. Ways of nurturing creative intuition will be suggested, and it is these ways of being which we will be nurturing during the retreat. We will start every day with some gentle qigong to bring ourselves into our bodies, and then - 
    we will talk
    we will walk
    we will observe
    we will write
    we will draw
    we will paint
    and we will move…

    View teacher details
    Theresa Hardman is an artist, designer, dancer and architect who is curious, complex and playful. She runs a small art and design studio with her husband, Mark (also an architect) in Port Elizabeth. Having taught design and drawing at university for twenty-six years, she is passionate about nurturing creativity in all forms and facilitates art classes and retreats for adults, as well as creativity workshops. Her work and her teaching methods have mostly been influenced by Zen and Taoism and their interface with Western philosophy, psychology and creativity. She has immersed herself for decades in research on intuition and creativity, culminating in a PhD entitled “Creative Intuition: Perspectives from Eastern and Western Philosophy”. She is passionate about sharing her findings with others and works in various visual art mediums, preferring the fluidity and spontaneity of ink and other water-based mediums. She loves to dance on paper and through space.

06 February 2024
  • The Intersection Between Mindfulness Meditation And Integrative Psycho-Therapy - an online course (11 CPD points)

    Teacher: Beatrice Kidd
    Cost: Donation of R1500 to support the BRC
    Dates: Tuesday 06 February 2024 - Thursday 22 February 2024 11:00am - 01:00pm

    b kiddJoin Beatrice Kidd, a Clinical Transaction Analyst and Integrative Psychotherapist, for six sessions over three weeks - online. This course has been put together for Psychologists, Social Workers and other interested persons, who want to further their understanding of these two different operating systems that function to ameliorate pain and develop insight; engender compassion for self and others, and ease unnecessary suffering, mental distress and relational conflict.

    FIRST WEEK:
    TUES 6 FEB 2024 11 am - 1 pm
    THUR 8 FEB 2024 11 am - 1 pm

    SECOND WEEK:
    TUES 13 FEB 2024 11 am - 1 pm
    THUR 15 FEB 2024 11 am - 1 pm

    THIRD WEEK:
    TUES 20 FEB 2024 11 am - 1 pm
    THUR 22 FEB 2024 11 am - 1 pm

    View teacher details
    Beatrice Kidd is a registered Social Worker, Writer, Meditator, and Clinical Transactional Analyst. She uses meditation and Buddhist psychology to inhabit the neutral, creative spaces between archaic insecurities and compulsions.

09 February 2024
  • Healing Qigong For Health And Vitality

    Teacher: Dr Hu Jin-Yun
    Cost: 2 days accommodation + R400 surcharge
    Dates: Friday 09 February 2024 - Sunday 11 February 2024

    dr hu jinyun smlExplore this ancient Chinese practice that boosts one’s health and vitality. Participants will learn the key techniques of how to master qigong and incorporate it into their daily lives, effortlessly. These techniques are easy to learn, are useful and powerful. The healing power of qigong works on both the physical and spiritual level - if it is done correctly. These techniques include breathing, timing, warm ups, postures, movement and mind projection. Dr Hu will also introduce some Chinese medicine for detoxing, lowering cholesterol, decreasing body fat and relieving water retention. This retreat is designed to suit beginners, as well as those who have practised qigong previously.

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    Dr Hu Jin-Yun is a certified Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctor in China. He is a registered Acupuncture Practitioner at the AHSPCA, as well as the BHF in South Africa. He received his PhD Degree in medicine from the Heilongjiang Chinese Medicine University in China. Apart from his medical and academic studies, Dr Hu has been practising Tai-Chi Quan, and Qigong in Taiwan since 1995. He currently lives in Somerset West in the Cape. He has his own private TCM clinic, the Helderberg Acupuncture And Healing Centre, where he practises this ancient art form of Traditional Chinese healing. He regularly presents seminars to the SAACMA (South African Association of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture) and has been lecturing at the Juniata College in America since 2013.

11 February 2024
  • Regaining The Centre

    Teacher: Ajahn Sucitto
    Cost: 7 days accommodation + R600 surcharge
    Dates: Sunday 11 February 2024 - Sunday 18 February 2024

    sucittoOur lifestyles seem to require us to direct our attention and energies into an external world that although involving us, also overwhelms and extends beyond our reach. We need to find a steady centre to our lives. Meditation builds internal qualities of calm and steadiness, but the training also encourages a wise focus and response to the external world. From this comes the Middle Way, a dynamic open centre within action and stillness. Finding and abiding in that centre is the theme of the retreat.

    The retreat will include periods of sitting, walking and standing, along with qigong and chanting.

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    Ajahn Sucitto was born in London in 1949 and became a bhikkhu (Buddhist monk) in Thailand in 1976. He was abbot of Cittaviveka Monastery in West Sussex, England, between 1992 and 2014. He still resides and teaches there. http://www.cittaviveka.org/

    Ajahn Sucitto has taught extensively since 1981. He has a website ajahnsucitto.org. that presents his forthcoming teaching engagements, as well as a selection of his books and articles.

     

23 February 2024
  • Getting To Know The Birds At The BRC: 160 Birds Of A Feather

    Teacher: Steve Davis
    Cost: 2 days accommodation + R350 surcharge
    Dates: Friday 23 February 2024 - Sunday 25 February 2024

    steve davisJoin Steve for an enjoyable weekend of identifying some of the BRC’s 160 species of birds - including the summer residents, the rare Blue Swallow, Knysna Turaco and Emerald Cuckoo. Wake up to birdsong and walk the verdant hills and meadows close to where the Blue Swallows nest. The BRC has been awarded “Private Nature Reserve” status by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife for its conservation of the Blue Swallow and its pristine mistbelt grasslands. Included will be talks, slide shows,  meditation and some quiet time communing with nature. Bring your binoculars and a sunhat.

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    Steve Davis has been watching birds since moving to South Africa in 1975, and has travelled in most parts of southern Africa and many countries around the world. He has presented numerous talks and courses on birds, served on the BirdLife Port Natal Committee and is a member of the KwaZulu-Natal Rare Birds Committee. He has written two books with his late friend, Roy Cowgill - one on the birds of Durban reserves and one on shorebirds identification. He is a keen wildlife enthusiast, having expanded his interests to butterflies, dragonflies, trees and flowers. He is a Chemical Engineer by profession, having gained a M.Sc.Eng (Chem) at the University of Natal, Durban, and is currently Research and Development Manager at the Sugar Milling Research Institute in Durban.

01 March 2024
  • Speak Your Truth, Listen Deeply

    Teacher: Felicity Joan Hart and Lucy Draper-Clarke
    Cost: 2 days accommodation plus R500 surcharge
    Dates: Friday 01 March 2024 - Sunday 03 March 2024

    felicity joan hartlucy2023“When you are busy judging people, you have no time to love them.” Marshall Rosenberg
    Learn the life-enhancing practices of mindful awareness and non-violent communication with Felicity Joan Hart. When interacting with others, we often find ourselves triggered and then communicate in ways that hurt or harm - ourselves, the other, or the relationship between. Our conditioned ideas of what it means to communicate, especially during times of conflict, frequently results in a loss of connection. Judgement and defence, as well as the strategies of criticism, insults, blame, or put-downs are commonly used in our attempt to be heard or to meet our need to be “right,” “good” or “winning.” Despite our best efforts and intentions, we habitually become “violent” with our words and then feel the pain of disconnection.
    This retreat explores the principles and practices of mindfulness and non-violent communication (NVC), to foster connection and minimize the suffering of outmoded ways of engaging. We will practice both intra-personal and inter-personal mindfulness to cultivate skills of empathy, compassion, and a better understanding of self and other. Contemplative dyads are a way to promote social connectedness, something that we are often lacking in daily life where our time is dominated by digital devices. Together, these practices will help us communicate more consciously so that we learn to be aware of our feelings and needs, make requests to meet these needs and stay open to the feelings and needs of others.
    You can expect daily mindful meditation practice to support the empowering and enriching teachings of NVC, gentle exercise, and some down time for rest and relaxation.

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    Felicity Joan Hart is a teacher, mindfulness facilitator, wisdom keeper, and coach whose work focuses on spirituality as it relates to all aspects of our lives and being. A dedicated practitioner of yoga, mindfulness, and meditation for almost 40 years, her work is very much informed by these modalities and others. She holds an Honours Degree in Psychology, a certification in Mindfulness-Based Interventions from the University of Stellenbosch, as well as international coaching qualifications. She is an enthusiastic student and teacher of Non-Violent communication as developed by Dr Marshall Rosenberg. Her teaching style is interesting, intuitive, precise, responsive, and engaging.
    When not working, you will find her happily designing, decorating, and tending to her herb garden. She is a firm believer in the healing power of naps, walks in nature, quiet time, and chocolate.

    Lucy Draper-Clarke PhD is a retreat facilitator, mindfulness mentor and researcher-practitioner in the fields of mindfulness and compassion. After obtaining a doctorate in mindfulness and teacher education, she now offers public courses and conducts research at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. With a focus on compassionate engagement, she supports those working towards social transformation and healing, to alleviate stress and increase resilience through awareness and compassion. She leads popular retreats around Southern Africa, exploring embodied awareness. As a practitioner with the Karma Kagyu School of Buddhism, she attends regular meditation retreats to deepen her own practice.

08 March 2024
  • The Union Of Calm Abiding And Insight Meditation

    Teacher: Chamtrul Rinpoche
    Cost: 2 day's accommodation + R400 surcharge
    Dates: Friday 08 March 2024 - Sunday 10 March 2024

    chamtrul rinpoche 2022The mind can be like a monkey, jumping here and there - from one emotion or thought to another. In order to find peace and stability, it is useful to calm the mind by giving it something on which to focus, like the breath or sound. Once the mind has settled, it is able to be clearly aware of the truth of what is happening in the moment. This is called insight. The union of both Calm Abiding and Insight is necessary to overcome the scattered ignorance of the ordinary mind - leading to liberation. This retreat will include the explanation and practise of Calm Abiding and Insight Meditation.

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    Chamtrul Rinpoche has taught for over 20 years to thousands of Tibetan monks and foreign students (monks, nuns and lay people) in Tibet, India and other countries. In the words of Rinpoche himself: “Teaching is what I do in this life. Wherever someone asks me to teach, I am there.”More details on Chamtrul Rinpoche’s life can be found on Rinpoche’s official site in the page “autobiography”. For more information and for updates on Rinpoche’s teachings visit https://safricachamtrulrinpoche.wordpress.com

10 March 2024
  • Pranayama Yoga

    Teacher: Cheryl Lancellas
    Cost: 5 days accommodation + R300 surcharge
    Dates: Sunday 10 March 2024 - Friday 15 March 2024

    cheryl lancellasWe like to think of Devahiti Yoga as an all-encompassing yogic system founded on the traditional disciplines, while simultaneously embracing the exciting, and ever expanding, new developments in yoga. Continued education and a passion for Pranayama, has led to many “aha” moments around breathwork and healthy breathing. Join Cheryl for 5 days of yoga and meditational breathwork to enhance your health. The retreat will be held in an atmosphere of silence.

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    Cheryl Lancellas, co-founder of Devahiti, has trained in dance, yoga, personal training, meditation, physical therapy, fascial release, massage, polarity, reiki and pranic healing.This unique combination of modalities has been a most effective way to work with clients experiencing pain and to assist them along their path of self-healing - and has culminated in Devahiti, a combination of yoga asana, pranayama, meditation, body work and sound therapy. Devahiti, or “Divine Order”, was born out of a desire to amalgamate a lifetime of traditional yoga practice and teachings, with a body-alignment practice, which has its roots primarily in yoga, polarity therapy and ayurveda. Yoga has been in Cheryl’s life for decades and it is what she depends on for guidance towards divine order (Devahiti).

15 March 2024
  • Yin And Restorative Yoga

    Teacher: Phumla Shongwe
    Cost: 2 days accommodation + R300 surcharge
    Dates: Friday 15 March 2024 - Sunday 17 March 2024

    phumla shongwe2021If you feel worn out, stressed and depleted in these challenging times, then a nurturing Yin Yoga retreat is just what you need. This restorative retreat will replenish and heal you physically, mentally and emotionally. Yin yoga is a more meditative type of yoga where the postures are held while your body is supported with props, allowing you to relax, to breathe into the stretching and gravity to do its work. The slower, meditative pace gives you the opportunity to turn inwards, to breathe mindfully and to be at ease within your yourself.

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    Phumla Shongwe is a qualified yoga teacher and healer. She began her yoga journey in 2007 as a student and completed her first teacher training in 2011 qualifying as an Ashtanga yoga teacher. She also teaches Yin yoga, Restorative yoga and Children’s yoga. She is currently completing her Kundalini yoga teacher training level 2, while also embarking on a two year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training with the Sounds True Foundation in the USA. She encourages her students to reach beyond their perceived limitations to achieve their full potential.

21 March 2024
  • From Fear To Fundamental Well-Being: Healing Relaxation, Yoga And Meditation

    Teacher: Albert Osel (Buhr) and Lulu Erasmus
    Cost: 3 days accommodation + R400 surcharge
    Dates: Thursday 21 March 2024 - Sunday 24 March 2024

    albert st mammes osellulu erasmusAlbert and Lulu 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.

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    Albert Osel has travelled the world to learn the best methods for subduing the stress response, after he recovered from debilitating anxiety himself. A former novice monk, he now runs workshops for people struggling with severe anxiety, and facilitates mindfulness programs in the corporate environment. As a member of Harvard's Langer Mindfulness Institute he has taken his workshops to an international audience. His book, Angel of Fear, was published in 2016.

    Lulu Erasmus is a certified hatha yoga teacher, reiki healer, EFT tapping practitioner, Theta healer, Thai massage therapist, past-life regression therapist and Ecstatic Awakening dance teacher, with years of experience in movement therapy and other embodiment practices.

28 March 2024
  • Open the Heart And Still the Mind: The Joy Of Heartfelt Presence

    Teacher: Sue Cooper
    Cost: 4 or 7 days accommodation + R400 surcharge
    Dates: Thursday 28 March 2024 - Thursday 04 April 2024

    sue cooper 202128 March 2024 - 1 April 2024 or 28 March -  04 April 2024

    This 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 Easter Weekend retreat or as an extended 7 night retreat. 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 (like-minded practitioners finding solace in the shared silence), 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.

    As we embrace the joys and the sorrows of life with a greater understanding of impermanence, we move beyond fear, shame and crippling self-doubt. This frees us from our habitual reactivity and from the curse of perfectionism. 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 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-heartedness and healthier boundaries in our relationships. 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, which is offered on a sliding scale, with reductions and payment plans on request.

    A pre-retreat individual session via Zoom/Whatsapp is required for newcomers or if you have not attended one of Sue’s residential retreats before. The fee for this will be the 50-55 minute medical aid rate and will be reduced if necessary. Please contact Sue on to arrange a time and for the course fee.

    CPD accreditation for health and mental-health professionals will be confirmed, at an additional admin fee of R375.

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    Sue 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 over 30 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, Blue Butterfly and Somerset Gift in the Western Cape; Dharmagiri Insight Meditation Centre and the Buddhist Retreat Centre in KwaZulu Natal; and Emoyeni Retreat Centre in the North West Province, as well as 6-8 week "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 .

05 April 2024
  • Active Hope - Practices For Difficult Times

    Teacher: Tsunma Tsondru
    Cost: 2 days accommodation + R600 surcharge
    Dates: Friday 05 April 2024 - Sunday 07 April 2024

    tsunma tsondruHope does not sit on the threadbare couch clutching a lotto ticket, passively waiting for good luck. Hope wields an axe, actively breaking down the door in a crisis. We can’t escape that Earth is in crisis. It’s also ever-more evident that we feel this crisis within ourselves as personal crisis. There is creeping hopelessness, fatalism, anxiety, denial, and numbness - a disengagement from the natural world which sustains us. The inner crisis even has a name now: eco-anxiety. To hear the daily news is to hear the myriad ways in which humanity is sensing and expressing the eco-anxiety.

    How to respond to these crises? Can we better understand the eco-anxiety of these times? How should we live in these times? Within a framing of Active Hope, the weekend will be spent in group and solo practices from The Work That Reconnects, moving through the spiral of gratefulness, grief, and transformation that will unlock your unexpected resilience and creative power. Hope is waking up to the beauty of life, on whose behalf we can act. As Joanna Macy always says: I am so grateful to be alive at this time of great upheaval, because we are made precisely for these times! Mostly we will practise in silence. As much as possible we will practise outdoors, in contact with nature. The retreat will be held in an atmosphere of silence and introspection.

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    Tsunma Tsondru is a nun ordained by Tai Situ Rinpoche in the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. She met Buddhism through Louis van Loon at the BRC in the 90's. After working as a lawyer and environmental scientist, she left for Spain for a traditional Kagyu three-and-a-half-year retreat, followed by a second retreat of four years. Returning to Cape Town, she  served on the Board of the Southern African Faith Communities Environmental Institute - a multi-faith NGO - for 6 years and as its Executive Director. She later spent a 10-day intensive retreat with Joanna Macy, engaging with Macy’s “Work That Re-Connects”, which she teaches at the BRC and other places, Her particular interest is deep ecology, eco-philosophy and wilderness work, and the role that spirituality, ethics and connection/interdependence can play in transforming us and our economic and social systems in protection of the Earth.

08 April 2024
  • Beginner's Mind, Quiet Mind: Meditation Instruction And Practice For Meaningful Daily Living

    Teacher: Tsunma Tsondru
    Cost: 4 days accommodation + R400 surcharge
    Dates: Monday 08 April 2024 - Friday 12 April 2024

    tsunma tsondruIt 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 mid-week retreat will bring out our Beginner’s Mind through the practice of meditation. The time will be silent, quiet, and slow. There will be meditation instruction and guidance, formal sitting, and time for walking, writing, or staring into the distance. The retreat is suitable for those with or without meditation experience and will be held in an atmosphere of introspection.

    View teacher details
    Tsunma Tsondru is a nun ordained by Tai Situ Rinpoche in the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. She met Buddhism through Louis van Loon at the BRC in the 90's. After working as a lawyer and environmental scientist, she left for Spain for a traditional Kagyu three-and-a-half-year retreat, followed by a second retreat of four years. Returning to Cape Town, she  served on the Board of the Southern African Faith Communities Environmental Institute - a multi-faith NGO - for 6 years and as  its Executive Director. She later spent a 10-day intensive retreat with Joanna Macy, engaging with Macy’s “Work That Re-Connects”, which she teaches at the BRC and other places, Her particular interest is deep ecology, eco-philosophy and wilderness work, and the role that spirituality, ethics and connection/interdependence can play in transforming us and our economic and social systems in protection of the Earth.

12 April 2024
  • Finding My Voice - A Mindfulness Retreat

    Teacher: Annika Nicol
    Cost: 2 days accommodation + R400 surcharge
    Dates: Friday 12 April 2024 - Sunday 14 April 2024

    annika nicolDo you struggle to speak your truth? Feel scared to say or sing what is in your heart? Many of us hold back and listen to the critical voices in our heads. Over time, we may start to feel blocked in our throats, scared to speak what we feel, to make sounds, or to sing. We make ourselves small and hide our voices - fearing rejection or judgment. Can you listen to yourself and appreciate the unique sound of your voice? Can you bring consciousness to the way you express yourself?
    On this Mindfulness retreat we will deepen awareness of our voices and bodies. We will work with movement and the sensations in our bodies to help us open our throats and give voice to our experience – in the here and now.
    You are invited to come and explore your unique expression - to connect with your voice, to speak and sound from your heart, to sing regardless if it is in tune or not... No previous singing or sounding experience needed to benefit from this retreat. This non-judgmental process, held in the safe container of a group, will support you to find your own authentic voice.
    There will be periods of silent and sound meditations, singing, sharing and enquiries. In between sessions the retreat will be held in silence.

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    Annika Nicol has been practising as a Clinical Psychologist since 1997. She is a trained singer. Her original degree was in Music and Psychology and her Master’s dissertation in Music Therapy. She worked as a Psychologist in the NHS while living in the UK for 10 years. Her work included Music and Movement groups for Mental Health patients. She has been involved in meditation and Mindfulness practices since 1999. She trained in Mindfulness Psychotherapy at the Karuna Institute in Devon(UK) from 2000 to 2009. Annika feels passionate about supporting others to be more present and connected to their bodies and voices - to be alive in the here and now. She currently lives and works in Cape Town and runs a private practice as well as leading Mindfulness retreats.

19 April 2024
  • A Weekend Of Ishta Yoga And African Sound

    Teacher: Buhle Mabanga
    Cost: 2 days accommodation + R300 surcharge
    Dates: Friday 19 April 2024 - Sunday 21 April 2024

    buhle mabanga2023zawaditinashe oicJoin Buhle for a weekend of Ishta Yoga which is a blend of different styles of yoga practices. Ishta is an acronym for Integrated Science of Hatha, Tantra and Ayurveda, but also has deeper meaning in its Sanskrit roots that translates as “that which resonates with the individual”. As students, we each have our own path, and it is this very personal journey that Ishta Yoga seeks to encourage. In this full-rounded practice, you will also experience tapping, pranayama (breathwork) and inner child healing meditation. This retreat will also incorporate African indigenous music with Zawadi and Tinashe.

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    Buhle Mabanga is an accredited yoga and mindfulness teacher and founder of Nomvula Well-Being Movement. She began practising mindfulness, yoga and meditation four years ago with teachers Nandiva from Ishta Yoga and Mark Joseph from Mindful Revolution. In addition to her mindfulness and yoga work, Buhle is an artist, a children’s book author, a spoken word writer and a fashion designer.

    Zawadi Yamungu is a South African indigenous musician born in Kwa-Zulu Natal. She started her career with a local church group and was later exposed to acting, dance and composing music which enhanced her career as a professional artist. Umakhweyana, Ugubhu string bow and penny whistle are some of the instruments she plays. Working with Mbuso Khoza's African Heritage Ensemble, she has also collaborated with Gcina Mhlophe, Madala Kunene, Themba Mkhize, Nduduza Makhathini and other legends. 

    Tinashe is an indigenous instrument artist, hailing from Harare, Zimbabwe. His music - influenced by his late teacher - sparked the heart of his talent from a tender age. He plays the instruments mbira, flute, djembe drum and marimba. He has been with the Nomvula Well-Being as a sound healer and is uniquely talented.

26 April 2024
  • The Way Of Ubuntu: Exploring Traditional South African Healing

    Teacher: John Lockley and Nomusa Mthembu
    Cost: 3 days accommodation + R600 surcharge
    Dates: Friday 26 April 2024 - Monday 29 April 2024

    john lockleynomsa mthembuParticipants 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. Retreatants will learn one of the most ancient and misunderstood cultures in South Africa today - the Sangoma medicine people, the monks and nuns of Southern Africa. The retreat will focus on educating people about South African traditional spirituality and also lead participants on a spiritual journey to rediscover their own ‘soul’ or what is termed ‘umoya’ in Xhosa/ Zulu culture. This is a unique opportunity as there are very few places in South Africa today where people can learn from this mystical tradition. 'Ubuntu' in essence represents harmony and is similar to the Zen circle. Linking the past and present, it is an evolving state of co-operation and compassion whereby every human being is linked to their own families and communities as well as the unseen world of ancestors. John will be assisted by his colleague Makhosi Nomusa who is the resident Zulu Sangoma. Please bring a plastic basin which will be used for medicinal foot healing, a dream journal, pen and paper to take notes, a meditation blanket and an open mind. 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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    John Lockley is a traditionally trained sangoma from the Xhosa culture, with over 21 years' experience. He was taught the essence of 'Ubuntu' by his Xhosa elders in the Eastern Cape and has lectured and run retreats all over the world stressing the importance of 'Ubuntu' ('Humanness') and our need to unite as a human race and reconnect to our "blood and bones". The name he was given by his Xhosa teacher MaMngwevu in 1996 was 'Ucingolweendaba' which means "The messenger or bridge between people and cultures". This is an auspicious name and reflects his calling and mission to help bridge African spirituality and western psychology. John also has a background in Zen Buddhism and was a Zen student under the late Zen Master Su Bong from South Korea. His book Leopard's Warrior is an account of his pioneering journey in crossing the 'rubicon' or divide between white and black people in South Africa. This will be John's 6th retreat at the BRC and every year there are amazing stories of healing and transformation.

    Nomusa Mthembu has been a traditional healer and Sangoma since 2001. She lives in the Chibini community where she meets monthly with other traditional healers for traditional ceremonies. She has been a valued BRC staff member for twenty-two years.

03 May 2024
  • Yoga For Well-Being

    Teacher: Georgie Carter
    Cost: 2 days accommodation + R300 surcharge
    Dates: Friday 03 May 2024 - Sunday 05 May 2024

    georgie carter2023Scientists maintain that the leading cause of disease is not hypertension, diabetes or cancer, but stress. Stress is the underlying cause of disease. We can endure short periods of enormous stress, but not extended amounts of prolonged stress. In this retreat we use the tools of yoga, pranayama, qigong, meditation and yoga nidra or guided meditation to calm the nervous system, to soften and open up the body and allow it to re-calibrate after the stress of daily life. Most often we find we are not able to sustain regular practice of yoga or meditation due to the “flood” of stress in our daily lives. Sometimes we simply haven’t been shown the tools to learn to cope with these pressures. However, the body has an amazing ability to re-balance and, in doing so, to heal itself. Just two nights away can give your mind a rest, calm the sympathetic nervous system, regulate blood pressure and re-balance your body to restore health and well-being. The retreat is suitable for everyone and lays the foundation for deeper practice, cleansing and energizing.

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    Georgie Carter has been practising Yoga for many years. She completed her 200-hour teacher training with The Jivananda Centre for Well-Being in 2010 followed by an intensive Iyengar yoga course in Rishikesh, India with Usha Devi in 2015. Her passion is to apply yoga to everyday life in order to find a balanced and better way to manage daily challenges, to enable us to live a more loving, compassionate and purposeful life. She has travelled to India many times to deepen her practice. She currently lives in the Natal midlands, where she teaches yoga.

10 May 2024
  • THE SHIFT EXPERIENCE: The Art of Being - Part 1

    Teacher: John Homewood and Michelle McClunan
    Cost: 2 days accommodation + R600 surcharge
    Dates: Friday 10 May 2024 - Sunday 12 May 2024

    john homewood nov2019michelle mcclunanAre you ready for a life shift? John Homewood and Michelle McClunan bring their combined forty years of facilitating experience to this two-part retreat, providing you with a gentle, yet powerful process that will shift, awaken and nourish your whole being. You will leave this retreat greatly refreshed with a new and awakened perspective in life, taking with you practical tools to apply in shifting all areas of your life.

    The retreat will integrate transformational, yet practical spiritual teachings of Presence, Awakening and Creative Art Processes. This integration will help you clear blockages that may have prevented you from living a healthy, peaceful and abundant life. All creative experiences are process-driven, as opposed to being outcome-based, so no artistic experience or skill is required. You will leave with a deeper sense of peace; a more focused sense of life purpose and rekindled joy and with greater emotional and spiritual intelligence to navigate life’s challenges.
    Should you only be able to attend the weekend, Part 1, you will still gain much. However, investing in the whole 4 days will provide you the space to integrate and apply this Shift even deeper and more fully into your awareness.

    For more info on their work see www.journesyofawakening.com

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    John Homewood is an inspirational speaker, teacher and Life Coach, with a passion for sharing the wisdom he has learnt through years of self-reflection, study and life-lessons. He has a gift in conveying complex subjects in a way that is easily understood, integrated and assimilated. His greatest joy is to help others to see their own lives from a higher and broader perspective, and to feel the joy of the present moment. His insightful wisdom teachings will help to clear your mind of its emotional and mental ‘stuckness’ to move into flow. For more than twenty years, John has inspired many with his radio and TV talks, as well as interactive seminars, workshops and retreats in the private and corporate sector.

    Michelle McClunan is an astrologer, Life Coach and Process Art Facilitator and uses a multi-faceted approach to help people to understand themselves, and to navigate their lives and rediscover their true purpose and potential. Using her own non-outcome based creatively experiential methods, she will guide you into a receptive state, where you are able to receive signals and messages from the intuitive intelligence that resides within you. As you engage in this work, you start to shift old patterns of thought or behaviour that may be blocking you from living the rich and fulfilling life you deserve. Michelle counsels and coaches one-on-one and has facilitated workshops and retreats for eighteen years.

12 May 2024
  • THE SHIFT EXPERIENCE: Living In Joy - Part 2

    Teacher: John Homewood and Michelle McClunan
    Cost: 2 days accommodation + R600 surcharge
    Dates: Sunday 12 May 2024 - Tuesday 14 May 2024

    john homewood nov2019michelle mcclunanAre you ready for a life shift? John Homewood and Michelle McClunan bring their combined forty years of facilitating experience to this two-part retreat, providing you with a gentle, yet powerful process that will shift, awaken and nourish your whole being. You will leave this retreat greatly refreshed with a new and awakened perspective in life, taking with you practical tools to apply in shifting all areas of your life.
    The retreat will integrate transformational, yet practical spiritual teachings of Presence, Awakening and Creative Art Processes. This integration will help you clear blockages that may have prevented you from living a healthy, peaceful and abundant life. All creative experiences are process-driven, as opposed to being outcome-based, so no artistic experience or skill is required.

    Part 2  will provide you the space to integrate and apply this Shift more deeply and more fully into your awareness. You will leave with a deeper sense of peace; a more focused sense of life purpose and rekindled joy and with greater emotional and spiritual intelligence to navigate life’s challenges.

    For more info on their work see www.journesyofawakening.com

    View teacher details
    John Homewood is an inspirational speaker, teacher and Life Coach, with a passion for sharing the wisdom he has learnt through years of self-reflection, study and life-lessons. He has a gift in conveying complex subjects in a way that is easily understood, integrated and assimilated. His greatest joy is to help others to see their own lives from a higher and broader perspective, and to feel the joy of the present moment. His insightful wisdom teachings will help to clear your mind of its emotional and mental ‘stuckness’ to move into flow. For more than twenty years, John has inspired many with his radio and TV talks, as well as interactive seminars, workshops and retreats in the private and corporate sector.

    Michelle McClunan is an astrologer, Life Coach and Process Art Facilitator and uses a multi-faceted approach to help people to understand themselves, and to navigate their lives and rediscover their true purpose and potential. Using her own non-outcome based creatively experiential methods, she will guide you into a receptive state, where you are able to receive signals and messages from the intuitive intelligence that resides within you. As you engage in this work, you start to shift old patterns of thought or behaviour that may be blocking you from living the rich and fulfilling life you deserve. Michelle counsels and coaches one-on-one and has facilitated workshops and retreats for eighteen years.

17 May 2024
  • From Seeking To Seeing - Mindfulness Meditation

    Teacher: David Gardner
    Cost: 2 days accommodation +R400 surcharge
    Dates: Friday 17 May 2024 - Sunday 19 May 2024

    Heavy is the root of light,
    Stillness is the master of movement.
    Who can by stillness, little by little
    make what is troubled grow clear?
    Who can by movement, little by little
    make what is still grow quick?
    To follow the Way
    is not to need fulfilment.
    Unfulfilled, one may live on
    needing no renewal - Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching (interpretation by Ursula K. Le Guin)

    dave gardner 2022In this retreat, participants can expect to be guided gently through the process of becoming mindful through meditation and movement. Dave will lead sitting meditation in the Zendo, as well as walking and moving meditation in the inspiring and nourishing sanctuary of space that the BRC offers. 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.

    View teacher details
    David Gardner has been teaching for eleven years and studied meditation, yoga, martial arts, movement, acrobatics and dance with some remarkable teachers across the world. He formed 'Original Condition' - a meditation, mindful and creative movement practice that helps people to get started with theirs. He facilitates a learning environment where people can clearly see what obstacles are in their way, and provides transformative tools in the form of meditation and movement that empower people to turn perceived problems into solutions.

24 May 2024
  • Just Sitting Zen Retreat

    Teacher: Roux Malan
    Cost: 2 days accommodation + R400 surcharge
    Dates: Friday 24 May 2024 - Sunday 26 May 2024

    roux malanDuring this silent retreat you will be introduced to a style of Zen that combines Just Sitting (zazen), High-Energy Chanting (okyo), Vocalized Movements (Mu-I-Tai) to cultivate strong Ki’ai (energy) and quiet awareness (Mindfulness) that will enable you to face your fears until they disappear. The retreat will commence and end with a short tea ceremony. The sessions will alternate with zazen, walking meditation, chanting and movement.

    On the Saturday night in union with Buddhists around the world, we will hold a traditional Wesak ceremony - a lantern-lit circumambulation around the Buddha Rupa. Wesak is the most important day on the Buddhist calendar, commemorating the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha nearly 2500 years ago and is traditionally held on the full moon of May.

    View teacher details
    Roux Malan lives in Somerset West where he leads a small community of Zen practitioners. He is an ordained Unitarian minister on the overseas role of ministers
    of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches in the UK and currently serves the Cape Town Unitarians as a Community minister. He developed a deep and enduring interest in Zen Buddhism after attending the Parliament of World Religions in 1999. After moving to Rondebosch, he attended a weekly lay-led Zen group facilitated by Ron Schiff and participated in a Zazenkai retreat at the Dharma Centre in Robertson with Heila and Rodney Downey. In 2023 Roux started practising with a USA-based Zen community and completed Jiki (Just Sitting facilitator) Training. He also participated in a 49-day Training Session and two Zazenkai’s. He has a deep interest in eco-spirituality and interfaith work.




Mailing List

Submit your details to be informed of BRC retreats and activities.

Wishlist

If anyone would like to get involved by donating goods to the Centre, please see the much-needed list of items below, or email :  

  • Old laptop, in working order, for one of the community's passionate writers
  • Magimix food processor
  • Single and double bed linen (Beige or White)
  • Bath mats (Beige or White)
  • Bath and hand towels (Beige)
  • Indigenous trees
  • Vegetable seedlings
  • Bonemeal
  • Large gardening tools
  • Garden tables and chairs
  • Brush cutters

Contact Us

Office hours:
Weekdays: 08:00 to 1200 and 14:00 to 16:00:
Saturdays: 08:00 to 09:00 and 13:00 to 14:00
Sundays: 08:00 to 14:00

Email: (preferred communication)

BRC Office mobile numbers:
066 395 4682 or 082 579 3037

Durban mobile number:
082 466 8306 (Chrisi)

Physical address:  D64, Nirodha Farm, Ixopo, 3276
Click for Map

GPS coordinates: 30°06'15.4"S 30°02'46.6"E

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