What is a retreat?

We live in a world that seems to get faster and busier with every passing year. With our working lives and urban lifestyles increasingly characterised by stress, the chance to step back to gain some perspective on our lives is often limited to an annual holiday.

Even a short retreat gives us a special opportunity to withdraw from the bustle of life. It is a chance to take stock, live more simply for a time, and regain the initiative which we may have lost from our lives.

By spending time in a beautiful and tranquil environment, away from our usual habits and commitments, we can refresh ourselves.

Meditation, discussion and reflection on the deepest issues in life can help us gain a new perspective.

Companionship with like-minded people can help us to gain a taste of spiritual community - caring for each other and ourselves in an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect. Its great to be with other people at their best!

You don't have to be a Buddhist to come on one of our retreats, or have any intention of becoming one!

We'd suggest you start with one of our Introductory events. Meditation is our starting point and can help anyone. It is however placed in a Buddhist context, which we explore more thoroughly on Going Deeper retreats.

The whole point of a retreat is to be able to get away from shopping, internet, newspapers, phone calls, and the normal busy-ness of everyday life.

The resident team, and visiting helpers, are here to help you have a proper retreat. In particular, for everyone's benefit, we ask you not to use mobile phones during your stay. Even brief text messages can be a distraction! We keep non-urgent mail for you until the end of a retreat, but you are welcome to give our phone number to others, for emergency only.

Programme

Common to all retreats is the practice of meditation, using the two basic practices taught by the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO).

Each retreat has its own unique programme. In addition to meditating and eating together, it may also include study and discussion, periods of silence and free time. The programme for those who have already been here will include puja (Buddhist ritual) and longer periods of meditation and silence. Though meals are usually cooked for you, we ask all retreatants to help with serving and clearing up meals, and looking after the house and garden.

If you've not been here before, we'd recommend one of our Introductory retreats. But you can also learn the same meditation pratcices at one of the urban centres run by the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order.