Retreat Calendar

Retreat Rates
  • £882.00 – Full Rate
  • £728.00 – Concessionary Rate
  • £0.00 – Retreat Team members only

Date & Time Details: The retreat starts on the first day at 6.45pm with the evening meal and finishes at about 9.45am on the last day.

Suitable for: Experienced Meditators

Holding to Nothing Whatever

With Singhashri and Balajit

July 30 - August 13, 2027

In a world intent on keeping us constantly distracted, one of the most radical things we can do is develop a deeper and more authentic relationship with our direct experience. The authenticity we develop supports us to see ever more clearly both the arising of suffering and the ever present potential for deepening into freedom.
Together we’ll pay close attention to what supports an individual and collective felt sense of safety, dignity, and belonging. This includes learning some simple neuro-sensory techniques and practising self and co-regulating skills.

Then we’ll be delving into the pithy meditation instructions of the Indian mahasiddha Tilopa, known as the Six Words of Advice, which support the establishment of Right View. Tilopa encourages us to let go of the past, the future, analysis, and control, allowing the mind to rest in clarity and openness — a holding to nothing whatever. From this clarity, we are free to respond to ourselves, others and the world with more courage, creativity, and conviction.

Finally, we’ll explore the bodhi angas, the Seven Factors of Awakening. These describe qualities that both orient our practice towards freedom and naturally emerge as the mind releases its habitual grasping. In this sense, they can be understood as the unfolding of what Tilopa’s instructions point toward: mindfulness, investigation, energy, joy, calm, concentration, and equanimity arising as we deepen into presence and heartfelt responsiveness. From here, we are free to respond to ourselves, others and the world with more courage, creativity, and conviction.

There will be periods of input, silence, simple mindful movement, group inquiry and reflection, as well as ritual.

Leaders

Singhashri
Singhashri (she/her or they/them) is a queer, Latinx-American-British Order member, dharma teacher and writer. They teach mindfulness and compassion as means to awakening to love, beauty and truth and have committed their life to supporting collective liberation for all and the joy and freedom found there. Singhashri has a background in youth work, strategic planning, organisational change management, and diversity, equity and inclusion. They are also an accredited Breathworks Mindfulness teacher, trainer and supervisor and is currently training as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP). They work at the intersection of dharma, social justice and somatics, weaving these into her writing,…
Learn more about Singhashri
Balajit
Balajit (he/him) has been leading retreats and events across the UK since 2007. For several years he lived and worked at Vajraloka Retreat Centre in North Wales. He is currently based in Birmingham, where he mixes Buddhist teaching responsibilities with work as a trauma therapist. He has studied the newly emerging psycho-biological approaches to trauma work- and is qualified in Somatic Experiencing, NARM therapy and SHEN Therapy. His teaching focuses on the core teachings of the Buddha as outlined in the ancient texts. He particularly emphasises the importance of body awareness and embodiment, both in meditation and in everyday life.…
Learn more about Balajit