This is our most demanding retreat, and our most complete. Day by day you go through breath, body, mind and feelings; then you look straight at the old self, the habits and conditioning of decades. On the seventh day there is only silence. Then the question: who am I? On the eighth night the old self goes to the fire. On the ninth you rehearse the new one, and at sunset the silence breaks, one word at a time. Strict in discipline, never dry: every day has its meaning, its movement and its evening.
The journey.
Arrive
The map of the ten days. The silence begins by the fire.
Breath, the first door
Breath and the nervous system.
The body
Where stress lives in the body. Body scans and the slowest walk.
The mind
The mind is a brilliant servant and a terrible master. Watching it.
Feelings
Reaction and response. Staying with a feeling until it passes.
The old self
Habits and conditioning: how the old you thinks, feels and acts.
A whole day of silence
No lesson. Only the bell, the longest sittings and an afternoon alone in nature.
Who am I?
Awareness and its contents. At night, the old self goes to the fire.
The new self
How imagination rewires the brain. Rehearsing who you are becoming. At sunset, the silence breaks.
Return
A plan for 21 and 90 days, a letter to yourself, goodbye.
How a day feels.
The bell rings early and the nights are for sleep: seven hours, always. Sittings grow from half an hour to an hour, broken by movement, walks, meals and rest. Questions go on a note or into the daily dialogue. The evenings are the reward: a story, music in silence, the fire, the stars. By the ninth evening, when the first word is spoken, most people barely recognise the person who arrived.
What you’ll do
For you if
- You are asking the big questions: existence, consciousness, the self
- You have done a retreat before, or our ten-day course at home
- You are ready for real discipline
- You can give ten days
Not for you if
- This is your first time sitting
- You are in a mental health crisis or under psychiatric treatment without your doctor’s approval
- You need your phone for work during these days
Included
Stay · All meals and herbal tea · Every session · A welcome kit (retreat notebook, pen, water bottle) · 21 days of WhatsApp practice after you leave · A monthly online sitting with past participants
Silence and the few rules
Phones are handed in on arrival. Be in the hall before the bell. Keep the colour of the day. No intoxicants. Please do not pick or eat anything growing at the place. If anything feels wrong, write a note or come to the reception.
Talk freely. The first day, the last day, the circles.
Quiet, but a soft word when you need something.
Full silence. Even a nod can wait.
In every colour you can ask the teacher your questions in the daily dialogue, or write a note. Help is always one step away.
What to bring
Please bring your own personal things. We provide the stay, the food and everything for the practice.
Always
- Loose, comfortable clothes for sitting and yoga
- Comfortable shoes and slippers
- Your own medicines, with a note of the doses
- Toothbrush, toiletries and a towel
- A small torch for the paths at night
- A yoga mat or your own cushion, if you have one
Winter
- A warm shawl or blanket wrap for the sittings
- A jacket or sweater
- Warm socks and a cap
- Thermal innerwear for the early mornings
- Lip balm and moisturiser
- A hot-water bottle, if you feel the cold
Summer
- Light cotton clothes
- A cap or hat
- Sunscreen
- Insect repellent
- A small hand towel
- Sunglasses for the outdoor sittings
Leave at home
- Books and laptops
- Valuables and jewellery
- Anything you will miss your phone for
Health notice
Meditation is not medical or psychological treatment. If you live with a serious physical or mental health condition, are pregnant, or take regular medicine, please talk to your doctor before booking and tell us on the health form. Do not stop any medicine for the retreat. Read the full notice
After you leave
For 21 days you get a short practice on WhatsApp each morning. Once a month you can sit online with everyone who has come before. And three months later, a letter arrives: the one you wrote to yourself.
Prefer to start at home? The 10-Day Self-Meditation Masterclass brings the same journey to your room, one day at a time.