Alfoxton Park - Introduction to Buddhist Meditation

Introduction to Buddhist Meditation
Core Practices for Beginners

25th - 28th June 2026

An opportunity for those new to the world of Buddhist meditation to spend a weekend learning core meditation practices. Led by experienced Dharma practitioners, the weekend offers an opportunity to step out of our daily lives and develop techniques to support and nourish ourselves and those around us.

Over the course of the weekend, we’ll explore:

Mindfulness of Breathing: Cultivating focus, presence, and calm through the power of the breath.
Metta Bhavana: Developing loving-kindness and compassion for ourselves and others.
The Psychology of Meditation: Understanding the principles and science behind meditation and how it positively impacts the mind.

There will also be plenty of time to enjoy our fifty acres of ancient woodland.

What we will do

In this retreat we will gain an understanding of foundational meditation practices that you can integrate into your daily life to reduce stress and improve well-being. It will be a chance to reflect, rest, and recharge in a peaceful and supportive environment.

No prior experience is necessary and you don't have to consider yourself a Buddhist to join this retreat - just bring an open mind, a willingness to explore and a readiness to be inspired.

Facilitation Team

Jyotika

Jyotika was ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order in 2000. He has worked for Dharma Life magazine, as Subhuti’s Personal Assistant, as Secretary to the College of Public Preceptors, and more recently has project managed the purchase and refurbishment of Shubha Vihara, Ireland’s first Triratna retreat centre. He now lives at Alfoxton Park.

He finds the Dharma – the teaching of the Buddha – endlessly fascinating in its depth, breadth, nuance and complexity. Simple teachings like ‘friendship is the whole of the spiritual life’, and ‘seek the wisdom that has faith as its goal’, which he’s been contemplating for over 25 years, still move him. He loves meditation and has a passion for writing and telling stories and fairy-tales.

Timings & Travel

Timings

Please arrive between 3pm and 5pm on the first day. Dinner is served at 6pm. The retreat will finish by midday on the last day.

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. Warm and waterproof clothing are advisable, along with gloves and boots or wellies. You may also wish to bring a torch and hot water bottle.

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 £108 will secure your place. 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.