Mindful Communication

Skills Course

Weekends in May - October 2026

Over six months, discover what communicating from the heart truly means. Through three residential weekends and a week-long retreat at Alfoxton Park, this training weaves together insights from Buddhism, Marshall Rosenberg, psychotherapy, trauma theory, and Neuroscience.

Develop skills in deep listening, authentic speaking, and navigating difficult conversations, creating a paradigm shift in how you see and relate.

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.

2026 Agenda

Three long weekends:

Thursday 14th - Sunday 17th May
Friday 31st July - Monday 3rd August
Thursday 1st - Sunday 4th October

Plus Jayarja's 'Living from the Heart' retreat, Saturday 5th - Friday 11th September.

This is an intimate course for a small number of people to deepen their communication skills. We ask that you have some experience practising Mindful Communication. We will not ask you for a deposit until your place on the course has been accepted.

Timings and Travel

Timings

Each weekend will begin at 9am on the first scheduled day. Students are invited to arrive from 4pm the day before to settle in. Each weekend will then conclude at 4pm on the last scheduled day. Again, students are welcome to spend that night at Alfoxton and depart by 11am the following morning. Please make sure to inform us of your intended arrival and departure times well in advance.

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 event - 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 residential weekends.

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 £275 deposit will secure your place. You will be invited to make a donation to Alfoxton when you attend.

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 alfoxtonevents@gmail.com

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