Mindfulness Retreat

5 Days of Meditation, Mindfulness Teaching, Relaxation & Reflective Silence
All set amidst the stunning natural beauty of the Cotswolds
Led By Top Mindfulness Teacher Suryacitta
Held at Hawkwood College, just outside Stroud in Gloucestershire.
Accommodation and all meals provided.
Lifts there and back will be arranged for those who don't drive.

Mon 20th April to Fri 24th April 2020

  • 5 days of teaching & guidance by one of the UK's foremost Mindfulness teachers
  • Fully-inclusive quality accommodation in the grandeur of a former Stately Home
  • An idyllic, tranquil location in a celebrated natural beauty-spot
 
Pay £170 deposit to secure your place
Then pay the balance either in monthly instalments up to April, or as a single payment by 1st March
Total price per person:
£680 shared room  |  £795 single room
Deposit payments are securely processed by PayPal
Or scroll down for full details...

Spend five days in the company of likeminded people, sharing in a structured program of meditation, relaxation and Mindfulness practice that's designed to move everyone gently into a deep state of stillness and intense meditation experience.

"A residential Retreat can be your pathway to discovering new levels of inner-peace, true relaxation, and blissful serenity"
About The Retreat

Beginning on Monday 20th April 2020 (and running through to Friday 24th April 2020) the Nottingham Mindfulness Group will be hosting a five day residential Mindfulness Retreat amidst the stunning beauty and natural tranquility of the Cotswolds - at Hawkwood College, a former stately home just outside Stroud that is set in acres of beautiful gardens, woodland, meadows and a working organic farm.

And we are delighted to announce that these five days of Mindfulness teaching, guided meditation practice, reflective silence and blissful relaxation will be led for us by one of the leading figures in the Mindfulness movement in Britain - top meditation teacher, Mindfulness expert and bestselling Mindfulness author Suryacitta.

The Retreat itself will run from 2pm on Monday 20th April through to approximately 2pm on Friday 24th, although all participants will rendezvous beforehand in the Nottingham city centre (at 9am on 20th) to have coffee together and to then travel on as a group to Hawkwood College. (Similarly, everyone will travel back together to Nottingham on the afternoon of 24th, arriving back in the city centre at around 5.30pm.) Lifts will be arranged for those who do not drive (see details below).

Once we have all arrived and settled-in to our rooms at Hawkwood College on Monday 20th, we will share in a relaxed lunch together (all meals are provided) before the first session of teaching and guided meditation gets the Retreat formally underway at circa 2pm.

From then on the days will consist mostly of alternating periods of:

  • Guided meditation (all led by Suryacitta in person - for more about Suryacitta see opposite, or below if you're using a phone or tablet)
  • In-depth teaching by Suryacitta on Mindfulness and meditation
  • Stillness, reflective silence and rest
During the days there will be ample opportunity to wonder in the beautiful grounds of Hawkwood College and to explore the surrounding Cotswolds countryside. In addition, as rest and relaxation is a key element of the Retreat, time will be provided each day for a siesta or afternoon nap after lunch.

Most evenings will be a time to relax and un-wind further, either individually (if that is your choice) or together with others in gentle, informal socialising in the company of the other Retreat participants (using the lounges, sitting room and social areas of the main House). Note that there will be no TV facilities, but your own books and magazines can be brought along with you on the Retreat to be read in the evenings. (Hawkwood College also has an in-house library that is available to residents, and a selection of Mindfulness-related books and magazines will be provided by the Retreat facilitators for general use.) Traditional board games will also be on-hand, if required. 

A hearty breakfast, formal lunch and full evening meal will be provided each day, along with mid-morning coffee and afternoon tea (both these refreshment breaks will include cakes and/or biscuits). All food served at Hawkwood is fresh and home cooked, prepared daily in Hawkwood's in-house kitchens using seasonal, locally sourced organic produce (some of which comes directly from Hawkwood's own estate farm). We will all eat our meals together in the communal dining room. On occasions when meat or fish is being served, vegetarian and vegan meal options will be available. (Note that some meal times may consist of vegetarian and vegan dishes only.)

Please be aware that two days of the Retreat will be designated as silent days. On these days the only conversation and talking will be Suryacitta's teaching and guided meditations - Retreat participants will be invited (with expert guidance) to drop deeply into the profound bliss of inner and outer silence on these days.

The library in the main House (which is a communal space that has the ambience of a traditional library in a country manor house, complete with fireplace and sofas) is a silent space at all times, where Retreat participants are welcome to spend time relaxing in silence on any of the days.

The entire Retreat will all take place in the remote peace and natural beauty of Hawkwood College, its grounds and the stunning surrounding Cotswolds countryside - so we will be enveloped by the tranquility of nature for the full period of the Retreat while having the comfort of the College (a Neo-Gothic former manor house) as our base.

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Save up to 30% on the price of this Retreat!
Become a Core Supporter of the Nottingham Mindfulness Group and save either 10% or 30% on the price of this five day residential Retreat.
NMG Core Supporter

Standard
£35 per month

Get FREE admission to our weekly Thursday evening meetings, plus:
  • 10% off all our classes, courses, workshops & retreats
  • A monthly Newsletter especially for Sponsors & Core Supporters
  • A FREE monthly  guided meditation download
Potential value of benefits is £53 per month over a year
NMG Core Supporter

Premium
£750 once a year

Get FREE admission to our weekly Thursday evening meetings, plus:
  • 30% off all our classes, courses, workshops & retreats
  • A monthly Newsletter especially for Sponsors & Core Supporters
  • A FREE monthly  guided meditation download
Potential value of benefits is £936 a year / £78 per month
The Nottingham Mindfulness Group runs events, activities and courses in Nottingham that are designed to provide easy access to Mindfulness for everyone, regardless of their life situation or personal circumstances. We operate as a social enterprise (that is a "non-profit") with all our revenues committed to fulfilling this mission. The financial contributions made by our individual, personal Sponsors and Core Supporters are vital in making this work possible, and in keeping it accessible to all.
Although the principal invitation of the Retreat is for participants to spend the entire time within the seclusion of the Retreat Centre and its grounds (thereby remaining permanently within the atmosphere of calmness and serenity cultivated by the Retreat), you are not confined to Hawkwood and the option does exist (for anyone who wishes to vary the pace of their Retreat experience, or for those who feel a need for a period of respite) to venture out and explore Stroud or some of the picturesque Cotswold villages near by.

In addition, please note that - unlike some residential Retreats - this Retreat does not require participants to undertake chores or domestic duties. All of the housekeeping, cooking and washing up is handled by Hawkwood's staff, and the overall experience of this Retreat will therefore feel like a type of holiday.

The price for the Retreat is £680 per person for a shared bedroom or £795 per person for a single bedroom.

Pay a £170 deposit now to secure your place, and pay the balance either as monthly instalments between now and April, or as a single payment before 1st March 2020. (People who have a car and are willing to drive to Hawkwood College are asked to provide lifts to other participants; people who are being given a lift there and back are asked to contribute £20 petrol money to their driver.)

To book your place today simply click on the button below and pay your £170 deposit using any credit or debit card:
All payments are securely processed on our behalf by PayPal.
Once you have paid your deposit you will receive an immediate receipt by email from PayPal. Later (usually within 24 hours of your booking being made) you will also receive a follow-up email from us containing full details of your booking.
Cancellations - booking a place on this Retreat is a commitment. It is important that you let us know as soon as possible if you need to cancel your booking. Places are limited and it is vital that we have time to make your place available to someone else if you decide you can't attend. Cancellations made at least 3 months in advance of the Retreat will usually be eligible for a refund of the deposit paid less a £25 administration charge. Cancellations made after this (but at least 6 weeks ahead of the Retreat) will usually be eligible for a refund of 50% of any deposit paid, less a £25 administration charge. Cancellations less than 6 weeks ahead of the Retreat will usually forfeit their deposit.
A word about mobile phones, laptops and digital communications. You are asked to keep any use of these devices to a minimum during the five days of the Retreat. Withdrawing from digital media will enhance the benefits of the Retreat and add significantly to your overall Retreat experience. On any occasions when you do use one of these devices at Hawkwood, please do so in private and away from other participants, so as not to encroach on their Retreat experience or the Hawkwood atmosphere.

About The Retreat Leader



Suryacitta (his Buddhist name) is one of the leading figures in the Mindfulness movement in Britain.

He is the author of a number of popular books on Mindfulness, including 'Happiness & How It Happens: Finding Contentment Through Mindfulness', 'Mindfulness & Compassion: Embracing Life With Loving Kindness' and 'A Mindful Life'. He first began practising Mindfulness meditation himself in 1989 and he has been teaching Mindfulness since 2005. Today he runs Mindfulness CIC (a leading Mindfulness teaching organisation which trains and teaches new Mindfulness teachers). He has also co-designed and leads the MSc post graduate course in Mindfulness at Coventry University, where he is a visiting lecturer.

Suryacitta teaches Mindfulness directly to the public in highly acclaimed Mindfulness courses, workshops and retreats right across the UK and internationally - and he also leads occasional events on Loving Kindness and Compassion meditation.

While he is a practicing Buddhist in his personal life (he was ordained into the Western Buddhist Order in 1999), his public work mostly centres on teaching secular, therapeutic Mindfulness, including courses in MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) and MBCT (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy).

About The Venue

Hawkwood College is a Grade II listed building on 42 acres of grounds, including gardens, pastures, woodland and a natural spring overlooking the Stroud Valley.

Formerly the home of the Capel family for over 200 years, the estate is today a Retreat Centre and adult self-development College, with the beautiful grounds consisting of spacious gardens, a biodynamic organic farm and well managed ancient woodland.

The focal-point of the estate is the main House - a beautiful, stone-built Victorian mansion in the Tudor Gothic style which is noted for its Arts & Crafts features, and which contains some excellent examples of Arts & Crafts furniture - furniture pieces that continue to be in regular, daily use today.

The main House is the heart of the Retreat Centre, and some guest bedrooms and the social areas (including the dining room, lounges and library) are located in the main house, with additional bedrooms, other accommodation and the teaching spaces found in the adjoining, more modern extensions.

Note that Hawkwood College is a Retreat Centre and not a hotel or luxury resort. Accommodation (including the bedrooms) is always clean, comfortable and pleasant, but it tends towards the basic and much of the interior design and decor is functional, often including original period features (such as decorative coving, Edwardian wash basins and Victorian fireplaces). Bathrooms are shared (although most bedrooms have their own wash basins or vanity units), and all the bedrooms are different, individual and unique. The House has much charm and character, with many of the social areas, including the lounges and library, retaining the atmosphere of the Stately Home that Hawkwood once was.

Pictures of Hawkwood






Alternative Bedroom at Hawkswood www.NottinghamMindfulnessGroup.co.uk
Alternative Bathroom at Hawkswood www.NottinghamMindfulnessGroup.co.uk
Hawkwood College Shared Bedroom www.NottinghamMindfulnessGroup.co.uk
Above - Accommodation at Hawkwood
Below - Communal Areas at Hawkwood
Hawkswood College Gothic Arch www.NottinghamMindfulnessGroup.co.uk
Hawkswood College Window Seat www.NottinghamMindfulnessGroup.co.uk
Hawkswood Colleg Library www.NottinghamMindfulnessGroup.co.uk
Hawkwood College Entrance Hall www.NottinghamMindfulnessGroup.co.uk
Hawkwood College Staircase www.NottinghamMindfulnessGroup.co.uk
Below - Exterior, Main House & Grounds
Hawkwood College House And Grounds www.NottinghamMindfulnessGroup.co.uk
Hawkwood College Front Vista www.NottinghamMindfulnessGroup.co.uk
View from Hawkwood College www.NottinghamMindfulnessGroup.co.uk
Mindfulness and other forms of meditation are safe and appropriate practices for the vast majority of people and they are proven to offer a wide range of benefits, including the lowering of stress and deep levels of relaxation. Current research indicates that all forms of meditation (including Mindfulness) may be unwise for people with bipolar vulnerability or those who are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD) unless it is undertaken with clinical supervision. If you are currently receiving treatment for any form of mental health issue (or have received such treatment in the recent past, or have reason to believe that you might need such treatment), you should consult your doctor or health care professional before engaging with Mindfulness or any form of meditation.