This retreat is for committed practitioners and community leaders involved in the Wake Up movement.

Wake Up is an active global community of young mindfulness practitioners, aged 18-35, inspired by the teachings of Zen Master and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh.

We come together to practice mindfulness in order to take care of ourselves, nourish happiness and contribute to building a healthier and a more compassionate society.

This retreat will be a blend of the regular Barn schedule with some practices specific to the Plum Village tradition and Wake Up community.

It will provide a place of refuge, nourishment and support for those with an aspiration to contribute to a healthy and compassionate society who are leading Wake Up groups or who are actively engaged in social and environmental transformation, in order to reconnect and resource themselves.

Read on for more details on this retreat and click the Leaders, Schedules and Venue & Directions tabs above for further information.

Wake up at The Barn

Practising mindfulness, concentration and insight enables us to cultivate tolerance, non-discrimination, understanding and compassion in ourselves and the world.

We aim to engage with understanding and compassion to the social, spiritual and ecological needs of our time.

We honour everyone’s diverse spiritual and cultural roots. You can join as a Christian, a Jew, a Muslim, as an agnostic or atheist, or member of any other spiritual or religious tradition.

This retreat is for you if you:

• want to resource and nourish your activism
• want to cultivate tolerance and compassion
• are prepared to live and work in community, preparing meals together and working in the gardens
• are aged 18 and above

There will be a maximum of 11 participants on this retreat.

There are periods of silence on each of our retreats.

Our programme of standard 6-night retreats at The Barn can be viewed and booked here

Daily meditations

There are approximately three 40-minute meditation sittings each day, and it's important that you commit to them to deepen your practice and connect to the community here.

Working on the land

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.

What you’ll experience on this retreat

During this retreat you’ll:

• experience guided meditations and periods of silence and quiet contemplation
• be living in community with like-minded people, sharing experiences and tasks, including the making of meals and taking care of the house
• 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

Mindfulness in nature at Sharpham

When you experience Sharpham's inspiring and nourishing environment, we hope you'll connect spiritually with the natural world, so you’ll:

• become aware of how we are all part of nature - not artificially separate from it
• pay attention to and appreciate the natural world surrounding us
• explore nature through your senses and your natural creativity
• Tread more lightly on our finite planet, developing a respect and reverence for all living things

Click here to read our ethos and principles

What might you bring?

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. But you might consider the following:

• Comfortable, loose clothing for meditation and movement sessions
• Indoor footwear/slippers
• Suitable seasonal clothes – it can get cold in the evening and in the winter
• Boots or comfy waterproof outdoor shoes and a waterproof jacket are advisable for local walks
• A journal or notepad if you want to write or draw during your time here

Find out more about staying at The Barn on our Frequently Asked Questions page

Food & your dietary needs

We have a fully stocked organic and vegetarian kitchen. The main meal is at lunch time. Everyone takes a turn to prepare this meal in pairs (this will be organised at the Sunday welcome meeting). We have plenty of simple recipes for you to choose from, or we can direct you to one in particular. Some participants like to use their own recipe ideas.

We can accommodate gluten-free and/or vegan dietary needs. However, our kitchen is not allergen-free. We do not provide gluten-free bread, but you are welcome to bring your own.

Please make sure you include dietary restrictions and any food allergies on your Booking Form. We may need to communicate further with you about specifics. The booking form is sent as a link once you have booked and paid for a retreat.

Our water is provided from our own spring, UV treated and filtered.

Your physical and mental health

This retreat is suitable for you if you have some meditation experience, or you are seeking to renew or reconnect with your practice.

Although meditation and mindfulness can be helpful in managing stress, depression and anxiety our retreats might not be suitable if you are experiencing major depression or other clinically diagnosed psychiatric illness such as bipolar disorder, psychosis or current self-harming. Click here for more information and for our booking process

If you have a medical condition that requires you to have a room close to a toilet, please contact The Barn team on the number below and we'll try to help.

The Barn draws me back year after year. The experience of working and sharing in mindful work and living is very special and never fails to deepen and enhance my practice.