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Earth in Mind: Dharma, Deep Ecology and Land with Rupert Marques
Summary
Overview
"The birds have vanished into the sky.
And now the last cloud drains away.
We sit together the mountain and I,
Until only the mountain remains.
- Li Po
This retreat connects mindfulness and The Dharma with the natural world – at a time when the world urgently needs our care.
Elders within indigenous societies and contemplative traditions have long sought out the refuge of the wider natural world. These sages and elders of old deeply understood that the nature of their own minds was not separate from mountains and rivers and the great wide Earth.
We humans have become severed from a sensuous and intimate relationship with the wider natural world and our more-than-human relatives, with consequences for our own lives and those of the wider Earth community.
In this retreat, we explore the gifts of nature-based practice and contemplative practice, approaching our inner landscapes, deepening our intimacy with the natural world and experiencing how doing both deepens presence with life.
Meditation instruction will be offered around the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, alongside a range of nature-based practices drawing on an eco-centric model of human development that complement these foundations. Group inquiry and individual interviews will also be offered.
This retreat is offered as an invitation to resource ourselves, to deepen our gratitude for being alive on this Earth as well as to nourish and inspire us as we navigate our way into an uncertain future. This work is at heart about remembering what we most deeply belong to and offering our lives to that.
Do not try to save the whole world or do anything grandiose.
Instead, create a clearing in the dense forest of your life
and wait there patiently,
until the song that is your life
falls into your own cupped hands
and you recognize and greet it.
Only then will you know how to give yourself
to this world
so worth of rescue.
- Martha Postlewaite
This retreat is for you if:
- want to go deeper into dharma, with an experienced teacher close at hand
- want to bring your attention and practice to focus on the Natural World
- need resourcing in this changing times
- want to live and work in community, preparing meals together and working in the gardens
- are aged 18 and above
What you'll experience on this retreat:
- be living in community with like-minded people, sharing experiences and tasks, including cooking and eating together and helping in our gardens
- experience guided meditations and periods of silence and quiet contemplation
- periods of silence and quiet contemplation
- community sharing
- mindful movement
- finding connection with nature
- have a single-occupancy room and your own space in which to rejuvenate, with free time to deeply rest and reconnect with yourself
- have access to 24-hour hot teas, coffee & infusions in the kitchen
- be able to explore the beautiful Sharpham Estate, set within a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty close to nature, amid breath-taking scenery on the banks of the River Dart
What you'll need to know:
If you decide to stay with us, we’ll send you a list of what you need to bring for this retreat in your Welcome Letter that we send out after you've booked.
You can also find out more about staying with us on our Frequently Asked Questions page, including:
- accessibility information
- why we encourage you to come on your own and not with partners or friends
- what the difference is between our retreats
Schedule
The weekly schedule provides opportunities for both individual reflection and group meditation.
If you're coming to stay with us on retreat, it is important to make a commitment to arrive in time for the first group meeting and to attend all the days.
This ensures you experience the retreat programme from start to finish and helps your group of participants to gel.
It is important that you are willing to participate in working on the land as part of your mindfulness practice (we can easily find suitable tasks for people with health difficulties) and that you can commit to all the scheduled activities during the week. This includes three 40 minute formal meditation periods each day.
Silence
All our retreats include periods of silence as a way of deepening into mindful awareness.
If you are new to spending time in silence in the company of other people, it can feel awkward to begin with. But we encourage you to explore the silent periods with a spirit of openness and curiosity - people usually find it to be a positive experience.
Note that we hold silence overnight from 8.40pm to 9.15am in the morning, and all day Wednesday.
Retreats with residential teachers have a tighter schedule and have less free time than our standard 6-night retreats.
Sunday
| Afternoon |
|---|
| 2.00pm to 4.00pm – Your arrival |
| 5.00pm – Welcome Meeting |
| 6.30pm – Light evening meal. Then settling in |
| 8.00pm – Meditation, followed by silence until 9.15am the next day |
Monday to Friday:
| Mornings | Afternoons |
|---|---|
| 6.20am – Wake up | 12.20pm – Guided or silent meditation |
| 6.45am – Movement & meditation | 1.00pm – Lunch |
| 7.30am – Household tasks | 2.00pm – Personal time |
| 8.00am – Breakfast | 5.00pm – Teaching (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday) |
| 9.15am – Silence ends, morning meeting & check-in (except Wednesday) | 6.30pm – Light supper |
| 10.30am – Mindful gardening | 8.00pm – Guided or silent meditation followed by silence until 9.15am the following day |
Saturday:
As above until 8.00am. Silence ends at breakfast. Then it's time to clear your room and depart between 9.00am and 10.00am.
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The Barn Retreat Centre
Our popular meditation retreat venue in the Buddhist tradition is where up to 11 people join together living in community for weekly retreats, including a variety of themed retreats - scroll on to see them all.
You'll be staying within a friendly atmosphere of fellowship, sitting together in daily meditations and mindfully tending our organic vegetable gardens.
You'll have your own single room, you'll get to eat produce from what's grown on the land here and you'll also get time to explore the wonder of the beautiful and contemplation-inspiring Sharpham Estate.
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By Car
By Train
By Taxi
On foot or cycle from Totnes
By CoachLeaders
Barn Coordinators
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Rupert Marques
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Costs
Participants at The Barn can select which rate they pay according to need:
Supported Rate £375
The Sharpham Trust is committed to ensuring that retreats at The Barn are accessible to all - regardless of income. The Trust therefore offers a heavily subsidised Supported Rate for those unable to pay the Standard or Benefactor Rate.
Standard Rate £450
Paying the Standard Rate means you will be contributing towards our running costs, supporting the work of The Barn and helping retreatants of lower incomes to access our retreats.
Benefactor Rate £525
If you are able to pay the Benefactor Rate, that means that you'll be supporting others who cannot afford to benefit from a Barn retreat on The Sharpham Estate. Your choice to pay this rate will help us with the running costs of The Barn, enabling us to continue our charitable work connecting people to nature and fostering mindfulness and wellbeing, as well as caring for the land, wildlife and wider estate.
DANA
Dana is the Pali word for generosity or donation. The volunteer coordinators are receiving only a small payment for expenses whilst living at The Barn and are generously giving their energy and understanding to us all. If you are able donations are welcome.
There will be a maximum of 11 participants on this retreat.
All rooms are single occupancy, giving you your own space in which to relax.
Book easily and securely online or by phoning 01803 732542
Terms & Conditions
Please click here to see our booking and cancellations policy
Room Types
Click here for more information on our types of bedrooms and facilities.
All rooms are comfortable single rooms, with a shared bathroom. All rooms are randomly allocated, unless you have medical needs relating to your room allocation. If you have such a need, let us know on your booking form before the retreat begins.
Bursaries
Limited 50% bursaries offering reduced-price retreats are available for those experiencing financial hardship. Please contact the Programme Administrator at least 4 weeks in advance if you wish to apply.
Our bursary fund relies on donations. If you’d like to help another to go on retreat here through our bursary scheme, you can give online quickly and easily by clicking here
Available dates
We don't have any dates currently scheduled but subscribe to hear FIRST when dates become available
At the heart of the Sharpham Trust ethos is our desire to build a more mindful, compassionate and environmentally sustainable world.
We connect people with nature and foster mindfulness and well-being through our programme of retreats, mindfulness courses, outdoor learning and the arts.
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