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Experience the Sangha of Sisterhood in this version of our popular 6-night retreat, providing an ideal space to begin, maintain or kick-start a mindfulness practice.

The Barn offers a respectful space for meditation practice, reflection and a respectful sense of community where women (as self-identified) can experience a sense of sisterhood - supported in their own practice within a circle of women.

Like all retreats at The Barn, this women's version is based on the three pillars of

• meditation
• community
• connection to the land

The retreats help to develop a mindful approach to our lives, work and relationships and are for up to 11 people.

You’ll experience three 40-minute meditation sessions each day, outdoor walking meditation, mindful work in the organic gardens and woods and inquiry led by the retreat leaders and visiting teachers.

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

Sample meditation

Retreat leader Lindsay Alderton guides this metta meditation for the development and deepening of kind regard, helping you cultivate attitudes of friendliness to ourselves and to the world.

Staying in community

This retreat is for you if you:

• are prepared to live and work in community, preparing meals together and working in the gardens
• Want to experience a retreat in the Buddhist tradition
• 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.

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:

• be living in community with other women, sharing experiences and tasks, including the making of meals and taking care of The Barn
• experience guided meditations and periods of silence and quiet contemplation
• 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 you 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

Food & your dietary needs

We have a fully stocked organic and vegetarian kitchen. The main meal is at lunch time.

We can accommodate gluten-free and/or vegan dietary needs. However, our kitchen is not gluten, dairy nor nut-free. We do not provide gluten-free bread, but you are welcome to bring your own.

Due to the nature of the kitchens at the Barn with food being prepared by participants and no dedicated chef, we are not able to accommodate guests who have anaphylaxis. If you have anaphylaxis we recommend you book on to one of our other retreat venues - Sharpham House, The Coach House or our Woodland Retreats.

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.