Alfoxton Park - Living from the Heart

Living from the Heart

A Mindful Communication Retreat

4th - 11th September 2027

Join us to explore the skills and principles of Mindful Communication. Learn how to live with greater warmth, authenticity and integrity. How to stay in touch with your needs and values in turbulent and tricky times. How to increase confidence and compassion in your interactions with yourself and others.

Learn the Buddhist practice of loving-kindness and radical self-responsibility as you cultivate greater authenticity and integrity. Through meditation, ritual and reflection, connect deeply with yourself and one another as we practice in community together.

The structure of the day will allow time for meditation, group learning, reflection, and enjoyment of the magical surroundings: 50 acres of ancient wood and moorland. There will be also opportunities to work on the building and land for those who want to support our wider vision for Alfoxton Park.

Led by Jayaraja and Merlin, the retreat is suitable for anyone from complete beginner to experienced in NVC, or even an FBI hostage negotiator.

Facilitation Team

Jayaraja

Jayaraja has been teaching meditation and mindfulness for over 25 years. He has a diploma in Gestalt psychotherapy and trained in Nonviolent Communication with Marshall Rosenberg. He is the co-author of two books on play and community building and two books on communication for teenagers. He has trained in Restorative Circles and has studied neuroscience, developmental psychology and trauma. He has been a member of the Triratna Buddhist Order since 1993.

Merlin

Merlin has been practising NVC daily for over 17 years, has co-facilitated several week-long Mindful Communication retreats, as well as helping run Jayaraja's Buddhafield workshops in recent years. He holds a PhD in Experimental Particle Physics and is currently a full time astronomer, helping construct and operate a revolutionary new observatory in Chile.

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

We serve a vegan menu using mostly organic fruit and vegetables, from Riverford and our own walled garden. We are able to cater for most general food intolerances, such as gluten free, but not for all diets. See 'Accessibility and Special Diets' below.

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. Please get in touch about any significant accessiblity requirements.

It is not possible to cook for people with highly sensitive allergies: if you are a coeliac or have any other medical condition which could seriously jeopardise your health or your experience then please get in touch to discuss a potential self-catering plan with our Kitchen manager.

Please contact us about either of these 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 £137 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 & 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

Page updated

Report abuse