About

We don’t think that going on a mindfulness retreat should require us to make any sacrifice in comforts, and in fact we offer something a little different with accommodation in a large and beautiful, historic country home with newly refurbished, individual, twin or double en-suite rooms, tasty and nutritious food, with vegetarian and vegan options, freshly cooked onsite by expert chefs – we even have a bar in the evening offering a little mindful drinking for those so inclined!!

The Gift Retreats are skilfully facilitated by expert teachers from The UK College of Mindfulness Meditation and The Devon School of Mindfulness including Madeleine Agnew, Nick Cooke and Nick Agnew.

Attendees at The Gift Retreat spend time being gently guided through meditations involving sitting on chairs, lying on mats, standing, mindful movement such as gentle yoga based stretching, and beautiful woodland and parkland walks. There are also plenty of periods of rest and non-doing. Nobody has to participate in anything that they would prefer not to, or has difficulty with.

Mindfulness teaches us the delightful notion of slowing down a little, giving ourselves the opportunity to be fully awake in the present moment, stepping out of autopilot mode and rekindling what we think of as ‘beginner’s mind’ – noticing things, almost as if we were experiencing them for the very first time.

One of our favourite retreat activities is known as a sound walk where attendees have to chance to walk with someone and take turns if they wish to be guided with their eyes closed. It takes a little trust and the idea is that we discover how we make adjustments and compensate with our other senses when we have a short period of non-seeing.

You do not need to have had any previous experience of mindfulness, meditation or yoga before attending one of our retreats. All our gift retreats have been specifically developed so they are appropriate for both complete beginners and long term meditators (who wish to deepen their personal practise) alike.

When you book a gift retreat, your booking will include: your stay in one of our highly comfortable, individual ensuite rooms, 3 delicious vegetarian meals, two tea and coffee breaks and a full programme of mindful activities including gentle yoga based movement, exploring mindfulness, countryside walks and guided meditations each day. (All rooms have access to a communal kitchen where you can store and make your own food and drinks if you wish. VIP luxury rooms have their own kitchen area.) The only additional costs would be for any extra nights accommodation that you may wish to book or if you choose to purchase drinks at the bar.

We take great pride in being inclusive, offering to accommodate those with mobility challenges and helping them, as much as we possibly can to be able to participate.

The gift retreats are led in a completely secular, non-religious way and we simply respect that each attendee may bring his or her own spirituality.

No need to talk!! Unlike some retreats, we do not impose a strict regime of silence. However, we do encourage the idea that we can let go of the need to make conversation –  that it’s OK just to sit quietly with others without feeling that it is rude not to talk! This can naturally feel a little strange at first but once we get used to it, it can feel comfortable and refreshing.

It’s very important to stress that going on a retreat is not some form of group therapy, although the effects of it are often profoundly therapeutic, leaving attendees feeling refreshed and renewed and with a wonderful sense of peace and well being.

If you would like to know more about our retreats or you have any further questions not covered in our FAQ’s page please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Thank you.