Mindfulness Retreats

Are you looking for a Mindfulness Retreat?

You might be looking to take some time out, to relax away from the stresses of life, to begin a mindfulness journey, learn some new practices in mindfulness, compassion and insight, or to deepen your practice and just be.

Whatever inspires you to take a meditation retreat we have a range of retreat courses just for you online, where you relax at home and create your own retreat setting.   We also have some retreats on Holy Isle or at Samye Ling in Scotland. These venues have all the ingredients of being ideal retreat settings.

 

Mindfulness Retreat FAQ’s

What is a Mindfulness retreat?

A Mindfulness retreat is a span of a set number of days of dedicated practice.  Our retreats provide guided practices with an experienced tutor and a structure.  Some are suitable for beginners with no experience and others are best suited to those who already have a regular mindfulness or meditation practice.

Some of the retreats might have a theme, such as being in nature, compassion or learning something to include in our practice.  Others form a structured course such as the Mindfulness to Buddhism retreat and the Wisdom retreat.  There are also 5 day retreats for the Mindfulness Teacher Training.  Our members weekend retreats are free to members. No previous experience is needed for this retreat and if you wish, you can make this a 5 day retreat for £125. Every year we run a Mindfulness for Life Retreat which is suitable for those who are familiar with our courses and have an established mindfulness meditation practice. Every other year we run a conference at Samye Ling, Tibetan Buddhist Centre in Dumfriesshire, Scotland.  This is run in a retreat like setting with mindfulness teachings and workshops.

Most of our retreats include periods of silence which are required for Mindfulness Teachers as part of their registration with the British Association of Mindfulness Based Approaches (BAMBA).

 

How much do meditation retreats cost?

Our Members weekend retreats are free to members.  We hold two of these per year. Members are able to extend the retreat for 3 more days for £125 which enables them to satisfy their retreat requirements for their registration with the British Association of Mindfulness Based Approaches (BAMBA).  We usually arrange it so that 50% of waking hours is in silence during a retreat, but it is up to participants if they want to do more or less than this. For Mindfulness teachers doing a retreat for their BAMBA listing more than 50% of waking hours should be in silence.

Our Mindfulness Retreats generally cost around £350 for 6 days.

 

What is a good place for spiritual retreats?

Spiritual retreats are often held at a peaceful centre where participants can literally retreat from everyday life and immerse themselves in their practice.

It is also possible to create a nurturing retreat setting at home. Maybe putting aside a room with some comforts such as blankets and cushions and agreeing with family that you will be setting time aside to focus on your practice and rest.

Some participants go to a hotel or hire a self-contained cottage to participate in the online Mindfulness retreats.

 

How do you plan a Mindfulness retreat?

If you are heading to a venue to do your Mindfulness retreat, you will need to plan accommodation and travel and you might want to take some comforts from home such as blanket or cushion so that you are comfortable throughout your retreat.

If you are going to do an online retreat at home, you might want to create a space or room in your house for the duration of the retreat. If you live with others, you might want to let them know that you might not be very communicative during the retreat and let them know what you are doing so you can maintain a sense of peace.

 

Can you do silent retreat at home?

You most certainly can do a silent retreat at home so long as you have agreements with others that you will be immersed in a retreat like setting for the duration of the retreat.  You might want to create a retreat like space in your home, with whatever makes you feel comfortable.

 

How do you do a self-retreat?

You can do a self-retreat by either going away to a hotel, self contained cottage, or a venue which runs retreats.  Retreat centres are usually immersed in nature and are peaceful and provide food, so you don’t need to worry about anything else other than your practice.

You can also self-retreat in the comfort of your own home. You might want to make arrangements so as to not be disturbed and create a space in your home where you feel comfortable for the duration of your retreat.