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Time to create: Mindfulness, Creativity and the Natural World
Summary
Overview
"A creative life is an amplified life. It's a bigger life, a happier life, an expanded life, and a hell of a lot more interesting life
- Elizabeth Gilbert, creativity advocate and author of Big Magic
This retreat offers an opportunity to access your creativity and imagination through a unique blend of mindfulness and nature connection.
Together we will experience present-moment awareness using different creative mediums including visual arts, creative writing, movement, song and more.
The emphasis of this retreat is being playful and open to exploring our creative spirit rather than becoming an expert in a particular medium or focusing on an end product.
Absolutely no artistic skills or experience are necessary - just a willingness to play and experiment in a supportive and non-judgmental setting. Materials will be supplied, but please bring your own if you would like to use them in your free time.
Experienced leaders are there to support you, plus you'll enjoy periods of free time to rest and reflect on your learning, in a place far from the busy-ness of every day life.
You'll be staying in The Coach House - our retreat centre specifically aimed at connecting you with nature.
See the Leaders tab above for teachers and their styles.
This retreat is for you if:
- New to mindfulness practice or are looking to sustain and reconnect with your practice in a new way
- Curious to explore your creative spirit in a playful way and in a safe and non-judgmental setting
- Feeling stuck creatively and would like the chance to freely experiment and explore your creative expression
- In need of rest, replenishment and renewal
- Looking for tools, practices and resources to sustain you in your everyday life
- Are aged 18 or over
What you'll experience on this retreat:
- Develop mindfulness and nature connection practices and periods of silence and quiet contemplation
- Explore and re-discover your natural creativity using a range of different art forms and materials
- Immerse your senses in colour, shape, form and sound
- Take inspiration from the rich beauty of the natural word world that surrounds Sharpham, including our rewilding project, all set in an area designated for its Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
- a chance to learn about & witness our efforts to re-wild the Sharpham Estate
- full-board accommodation in a Grade II-listed Georgian Coach House set within Capability Brownian parkland, with Grade 2*-listed gardens designed by Percy Cane in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty close to nature, amid breath-taking scenery on the banks of the River Dart
- a single-occupancy room and your own space in which to rejuvenate, with free time to deeply rest and reconnect with yourself, far from the busy-ness of daily life.
- a safe and supportive community with like-minded people
- delicious, healthy, home-cooked vegetarian food that regularly receives rave reviews
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
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.
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.
The retreats typically move into silence each evening from 9pm - 10am the following day
Typical Schedule
Day 1: Arrive between 3 - 5pm for welcome meeting and settling in
| Mornings | Afternoons |
|---|---|
| 7.00am - wake up | 1.00pm - lunch |
| 7.30am – morning movement | 2.00pm – free time |
| 8.00am - meditation | 3.45pm - afternoon creative session |
| 8.30am – house nurturing tasks | 6.00pm – supper |
| 9.00am – breakfast | 8.00pm - evening session |
| 10.00am - home group | 9.00pm – Personal time (Coach House moves into silence until 10.00am the next day) |
| 11.00am - morning creative session |
Final day: There is a closing circle at 7.30am and depart by 11am
The retreat will move into silence each evening from 9pm – 10am and till 7.30am on the final day
The Coach House
When you stay at The Coach House, you'll be in comfy, single rooms in a beautifully converted 18th century stable block, set in the stunning scenery of Sharpham's grounds. You'll experience daily meditation and movement sessions, time in our gardens and on the land and you'll eat delicious and homegrown vegetarian and vegan meals.
Coach House retreats focus on nature connection through a varied programme of retreats designed to connect you to Sharpham's flora and fauna, with plenty of time for you to rest and reflect.
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By Car
By Train
By Taxi
On foot or cycle from Totnes
By CoachLeaders
Barry Thurgood - Coach House Manager
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Brigit-Anna McNeill
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Coach House Coordinators
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Emma Capper
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Jess Stein
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Costs
The Sharpham Trust is committed to ensuring that retreats at The Coach House are accessible to all - regardless of income.
All rooms are comfortable single rooms, with either an ensuite or a shared bathroom. All meals, bedding and towels are included. 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 which will be sent to you once you have booked.
Participants at The Coach House can select which rate they pay according to need:
Supported Rate £495
The Sharpham Trust is committed to ensuring that retreats 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 £545
Paying the Standard Rate means you will be contributing towards our running costs, supporting the work of The Coach House and helping retreatants on lower incomes to access our retreats.
Benefactor Rate £625
If you are able to pay the Benefactor Rate, that means that you'll be supporting others who cannot afford to benefit from a retreat on The Sharpham Estate. Your choice to pay this rate will help us with the running costs of The Coach House, 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.
There will be a maximum of 18 guests on this retreat.
All rooms are single occupancy, giving you your own space in which to relax.
If you have a medical condition that requires you to have an en-suite room, please contact the Programme Administrator on the number below as these rooms are limited and are bookable on a first-come first-serve basis.
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.
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
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Available dates
2025
27
Jul
The Coach House: Time to create - Mindfulness, Creativity and the Natural World (4 nights)
With Emma Capper & Coach House Coordinators
2025
24
Aug
The Coach House: Time to create - Mindfulness, Creativity and the Natural World (4 nights)
With Emma Capper & Coach House Coordinators
2025
07
Oct
The Coach House: Time to create - Mindfulness, Creativity and the Natural World (4 nights)
With Brigit-Anna McNeill & Coach House Coordinators
2026
08
Feb
The Coach House: Time to create - Mindfulness, Creativity and the Natural World (4 nights)
With Jess Stein & Coach House Coordinators
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.
© 2025 Sharpham Trust | The Sharpham Trust Sharpham House, Ashprington, Totnes, Devon, UK TQ9 7UTUseful Links
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