Through being and accepting what is happening within us, staying with experience and learning to see more clearly we can taste into a mind and heartfulness that is larger than our habits that keep us stuck.The practice of Mindfulness supports us in discovery of who we are beyond our limiting histories, stories and ideas. Grounding into our bodies through bringing presence to our breath, our flesh and bones, our sensations we come into the shared embodied realm. We may find an aliveness, interconnectedness and sensitivity that is profoundly transformative when we are more embodied. Grounding into our hearts through listening into its natural qualities of depth, kindness, joy, compassion and equanimity we discover the light we can bring in ourselves and in the world. Drawing on tools from the Buddha's teaching in this retreat we will embark on this voyage together, in a shared context, with the inner journey of each of us also finding its own inner way. The retreat will be held in noble silence; there will bedharma teachings and question and answer sessions as well as one to one interviews offered, guided and silent meditations and yoga with Phumla.
Phulma 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 1, 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.
Find meaningful solitude on a Self-Retreat. One can do as much (or as little) reading, walking, meditation or resting as one chooses. Enjoy walks and bird watching in 300 acres of beautiful rolling hills and indigenous forests. Savour our delicious vegetarian food prepared with love by our wonderful cooks; or browse our well-stocked library. Visit the stupa and the raked Zen sand gardens and walk the labyrinth. Massage treatments, guided walks, qigong and meditation are offered by resident staff, Krishia and William mid week. Self-Retreats are an ideal opportunity to be in a gentle, sympathetic space where one can be still and get in touch with oneself.
William (Shogan) has been practising meditation for nearly 20 years, cultivating stillness and inquiry. He took precepts with Dae Chong, Osho at Poplar Grove and now leads morning and evening zazen at the BRC, weaving verses from the Dhammapada into meditation for reflection and insight. With a keen interest in how the Dharma might evolve in an AI-driven, multiplanetary future, William embraces both tradition and possibility. He also guides qigong in the mornings and offers tai chi in the afternoons, integrating movement into mindfulness. His practice is an invitation - to sit, to move, and to explore the ever-expanding nature of awareness.