A GESTURE OF AWAKENING
A two-part meditation intensive retreat with Paramananda,
for beginners and experienced practitioners
7 - 12 / 21 June 2024
'A Gesture of Awakening' is the silent meditation retreat that sits at the heart of our programme. Held in 50 acres of ancient woodland and led with grace and insight by the inimitable Paramananda, this retreat offers ideal conditions to quieten the mind and dive deep into your meditation practice.
This year the retreat will be in two parts: the first part (7th - 12th) is open to meditators of varying levels of experience, with the second part (12th - 21st) giving more experienced meditators the chance to go deeper. You are welcome to book either or both of the two parts, based on your meditation experience.
We have structured this retreat in this way as an offering to the many friends of Alfoxton who are interested in Buddhism, and would like to find out more and begin to develop a meditation practice of their own.
For the whole two weeks, each day will feature a mixture of led meditations and personal practice. The teaching will aim at the essence and form of meditation, with guidance given for developing the skills needed to deepen our connection with ourselves and others. Paramananda's sessions offer unique pathways to embodiment and absorption, often involving poetry, relaxation and music. Alongside these there will be offerings of ritual, guided walks, open fires, silence and saunas.
You will be able to specify when you book which weeks you wish to join for.
PARAMANANDA
Paramananda has been teaching meditation and leading retreats around the world for over 30 years. He is also a poet and author of four books on meditation: Change Your Mind, A Deeper Beauty, The Body and The Myth of Meditation.
TIMINGS & TRAVEL
TIMINGS
Unless otherwise stated, please arrive between 3-5pm on the first day. Dinner is served at 6pm, with the opening session at 7.30pm. Our retreats usually finish by midday on the last day.
The exact schedule will be provided either in your confirmation email or when you arrive.
TRAVEL
The nearest railway stations are Bridgwater and Taunton. We are about 1h 15min from Bristol by car.
The 15 bus leaves Bridgwater at 16:50 during college term dates and stops at the Plough Inn in Holford. We are a 15min walk from there.
Please get in touch for further advice with public transport, or for help arranging lifts / carpools.
Make sure to put "Coach House 2, Alfoxton Park" into Google Maps. Other variations will take you to Alfoxton House nearby which is not us. Otherwise use grid reference 51.165187, -3.220080.
The What3Words for our car park are ///soup.candy.huddling
Accommodation & Food
ACCOMMODATION
This is a camping retreat - bring a tent or live-in vehicle. Toilets, showers and a sauna are available. We have limited accommodation indoors for those with specific needs. Please let us know when you book if this is the case for you.
FOOD
Delicious vegan meals will be provided throughout the retreat.
Accessibility & Diets
We are committed to Alfoxton being a fully accessible venue and are working hard to achieve this. However, while the renovation work continues, visitors with specific mobility or accommodation needs may experience barriers to accessing all areas of the building and land.
If you have any questions or concerns, just get in touch, and please inform us of any significant dietary or accessibility requirements before submitting your booking request.
Costs
Alfoxton Park is a charity and works on the principle of Dana or a 'gift economy'. Read more about Dana here.
A deposit of £75 will secure your place on the first week, £108 for the full two weeks. You will be invited to make a donation to Alfoxton when you attend.
If you are an Triratna Order member and need financial support to pay a retreat deposit, you can apply for a grant from the Abhayaratna Trust.
TECHNOLOGY, ALCOHOL AND DRUGS
All of our events are alcohol and drug free. During the meditation retreats we ask you to turn off your mobile phones and other devices and not contact people outside of the retreat. For all other events and workshops we ask you to be mindful of the use of devices and stay present, in order to make the most of your time here.
Any Questions?
Check our FAQ page or send us an e-mail at events@alfoxtonpark.org.uk