Before the pandemic we didn’t teach retreats online, but like everything else we did, when Covid hit our retreats went online. They work because people receive the same teachings, engage in the same practices and have an opportunity to share their experiences with peers and with tutors.

In person retreats do help in participants getting to know each other in the informal conversations in the breaks and over meals. This can be replicated for online courses to some extent by creating WhatsApp groups or peer groups, especially where a course takes place at multiple events over several months.

At the end of our retreats, we usually have a go round for everyone to share something of their experience.

A theme that arose for the online retreat was an initial scepticism about doing a retreat online and then surprise at how beneficial the home retreat experience had been. On top of the usual retreat benefits, participants found that a home retreat brought their practice into their daily life.

The “going away” from the stresses and strains of life for retreat had led to a separation for some participants between formal practice on retreat and informal mindfulness practice in daily life. The online retreat experience enabled participants to apply their learning in reflection and meditation on retreat, directly into the complexities of their home life and relationships. Participants had found this incredibly useful.

All had experienced significant insights and even where they had experienced challenges there was an overall feeling of having enjoyed and benefited from the retreat experience. Those who attended in person had loved the experience being at Samye Ling.

My own experience of going on retreat is similar to that of sitting to do my practice or of going out for a walk. I never regret having done it, even if there may have been some ambivalence before I started!

Even when a retreat experience has been challenging or fraught with resistance or overwhelm, I have always benefited hugely. I always learn something significant about myself, my mind or the world. My confidence and trust in myself, my mind and my meditation practice always grows.

I always move back into my daily life feeling rested, de-stressed, more awake and aware, and with an air of joyful curiosity.

It is an experience that I recommend for all committed meditators.

Of course at the Mindfulness Association we offer many opportunities for doing retreats, online or at Samye Ling and from one day to ten days! Click here for more information.

Kind Wishes

Heather

with Jacky Seery & Mike Pratt

In person at Samye Ling or Online weekend only Friday 26th April – Sunday 28th April 2024.

This mindfulness-based meditation weekend is open to anyone with a mindfulness meditation practice who would like to develop confidence in their practice. The weekend will be responsive to the needs of those attending, so that teachings and guided practices will be tailored to the themes that arise within the group through dialogue about practice. During the weekend we will make the most of the beautiful natural surroundings at Samye Ling with some guidance on mindfulness in nature and forest bathing.  There will be a daily practice schedule, with options for movement/walking practice and relaxation/bodyscan practice, as well as sitting practice.

The retreat can be attended in person at Samye Ling or online.

If attending in person please book your accommodation and meals directly with Samye Ling by emailing bookings@samyeling.org. They will need to know  what room you would like (please click here to see the room types and prices), your name, your address, phone number and preferred email address for the booking. No room bookings can currently be made via the Samye Ling website. PLEASE ENSURE YOU BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATION FOR PURELANDS RETREAT CENTRE (lunches will be taken at Samye Ling which is a 15 minute walk from Purelands)

This weekend can be attended in person at Samye Ling or Online

Weekend: Friday 26th April – Sunday 28th April

This mindfulness-based meditation weekend is open to anyone with a mindfulness meditation practice who would like to develop confidence in their practice. The weekend will be responsive to the needs of those attending, so that teachings and guided practices will be tailored to the themes that arise within the group through dialogue about practice. During the weekend we will make the most of the beautiful natural surroundings at Samye Ling and there will be a daily practice schedule, with options for movement/qigong/walking practice and relaxation/bodyscan practice, as well as sitting practice.

Mike will be joining us on this retreat weekend to help guide the art of naturally being in nature. This will include forest bathing, still hunting and the opportunity to re-child with animal qigong.

If attending in person please book your accommodation and meals  directly with Samye Ling by emailing bookings@samyeling.org. They will need to know the dates that you would like to stay, what room you would like (please click here to see the room types and prices), your name, your address, phone number and preferred email address for the booking. No room bookings can currently be made via the Samye Ling website. 

As mindfulness teachers, our presence is one of the fundamental qualities that we bring to our teaching. This reflects the stability of our mindfulness; the extent to which we are grounded in awareness itself. Mindful awareness increasingly becomes our reference point, rather than the contents of our experience, and is the place that we learn to teach from. As our presence develops, we become more fully there with other people, becoming comfortable with the unknown, and not turning away from things that might feel unpleasant. We can become more relaxed with whatever is happening, letting go of a sense of needing to do something or fix things. Of course, as teachers, the basis for this is our own mindfulness practice.

Building on the sessions of the membership weekend, this retreat led by Alan Hughes will be an opportunity to explore what mindful presence means for us individually.  The retreat will be very practice orientated, also incorporating periods of teaching, reflection and sharing.  As a support to our practice, we will also we have periods of “noble silence”, although the extent that we can engage with this will vary between us, depending on our personal circumstances.

READ MORE ABOUT THE RETREAT HERE

THIS ONLINE RETREAT IS FOR MEMBERS OF THE MINDFULNESS ASSOCIATION (You can join for just £10 – read more about that HERE)

COST: £137.50

Retreat offers a wonderful opportunity to deepen our mindfulness practice, step out of our daily routines, and recharge our batteries. This five-day retreat with lead tutor Jacky Seery will include guided practices and teachings on mindfulness, although the focus will be on our personal practice. It will be assumed that participants have some previous experience of mindfulness or meditation, so the retreat is not suitable for complete beginners.

We will be exploring inner space in our practice and keeping our practice fresh, so we don’t fall into a rut with it and allowing space for what is really here.

Silence can be a wonderful support to us settling our minds, and we will be incorporating periods of “noble silence” into the retreat, although the extent that we can engage with this will vary between us, depending on our personal circumstances. For mindfulness teachers, this retreat will meet BAMBA requirements for an annual retreat; in this case you should ensure that you maintain silence for a minimum of 50% of waking hours.   

This retreat is open to all members of the Mindfulness Association and to join the MA Membership please click here. We will encompass sessions from the membership weekend beginning on the evening of Friday 10th March and continue from Sunday afternoon until Wednesday 15th March 2023 in the afternoon.

Participants wishing to make this their BAMBA CPD retreat are recommended to attend only three teaching sessions over the course of the weekend so as to focus more on practice and to maintain suggested periods of silence in order to meet BAMBA retreat requirements.

To book the retreat please contact info@mindfulnessassociation.net

WE ALSO RUN A MINDFULNESS RETREAT FOR TEACHERS OF MINDFULNESS – you can read mora about that HERE.