QiGong
Silent meditation retreat - people sitting in circle meditating
The Coach House for Hire
Sharpham Trust Coach House Retreat
Sharpham Trust Coach House Retreat

Mindfulness & Qigong: a 4-night Coach House Retreat

Summary

10 Reviews
4 nights - Bi-Monthly
Any
Single
Short Periods
Max. Spaces: 16

Overview

Develop your mindful awareness through Qigong, an age-old practice that harnesses the power of the breath, movement and intention to create health, vitality and balance within the body.

Qi means 'subtle breath' or 'vital energy' and Gong translates as 'skill cultivated through steady practice'.

Qigong is a practice deriving from The Tao - an ancient school of Chinese philosophy of living in harmony with 'the source of everything'. But you don't have to be a devotee nor experienced in the practice to benefit.

This retreat features dedicated Qigong sessions alongside meditation: connecting both practices to deepen your sense of mind/body awareness and nature connection.

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 full-board 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:

  • you want to explore the benefits of nature-based mindfulness and mindfulness meditation
  • new or experienced in qigong and or mindfulness
  • keen to work with mindfulness principles in your qigong practice
  • looking to spend some time connecting with nature in beautiful surroundings
  • you need to rest and rejuvenate
  • are aged 18 and above
What is Mindfulness?

What you'll experience on this retreat:

  • experience qigong practice perfect for beginners and the more experienced alike
  • experience guided meditations, relaxation sessions and periods of silence and quiet contemplation, amid breath-taking scenery on the banks of the River Dart
  • have opportunities to reconnect with nature, including guided walks on the stunning estate
  • have free periods each day to relax, reflect and rejuvenate
  • be living in community with like-minded people, sharing experiences and tasks
  • four mornings learning about and helping in our ornamental and kitchen gardens
  • 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, sharing experiences in the kitchen gardens and on the wider Estate
  • delicious, healthy, home-cooked vegetarian food that regularly receives rave reviews
Yoga on the lawn

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
View our FAQs

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 - 9/9.30am the following day


Typical Schedule

Day 1: Arrive between 3 - 5pm for welcome meeting and settling in

Mornings Afternoons
6.45am - wake up  1.00pm - meditation
7.00am – morning movement/meditation 1.30pm - lunch
8.00am - household tasks 3.00pm – free time or group walk
8.30am – breakfast 4.30pm - mindful qigong
9.30am – Home Group (silence ends)  6.30pm – supper
10.15am - gardening 8.00pm - evening session
  9.00pm – Personal time (Coach House moves into silence until 9.30am the next day)

Final day: depart by 11am

The retreat will move into silence each evening from 9pm – 9/9.30am and on one full day in each retreat.

Reviews

I don't ordinarily leave reviews, but my 6 days at Sharpham last week changed my life.

Having been sliding down darker mental slopes for months now, battling feelings of low self esteem, stress, feeling lost, but crucially not really realising it, a week's detox at Sharpham helped me come to a measure of acceptance about who I am, reignite my purpose and worth, calm me and rejuvenate me. Not to mention the beautiful scenery, wonderful tasting and nourishing vegan food and ever helpful, loving and supportive staff.

Would HIGHLY recommend to ANYONE, especially if you've become trapped in the 21st century all-rush-no-play. 100% worth the money.

James Graham
May 2023

Just finished a brilliant 'Nature, Self & Community' retreat in the Coach House at Sharpham. A nurturing space that has enabled me to take some time for myself and to press the reset button. Food, surroundings and programme couldn't be faulted

participant on 4-night retreat at The Coach House

The Wildlife Discovery retreat with Sharpham Trust is a wonderful, enriching experience. It provides an excellent balance between meditation, exploring and learning about nature and periods of silence (perfect for those of us who practice mindfulness but also love to get to know others). By the end of the five days there was a real bond among we 14 participants (I include our two fabulous volunteer co-ordinators) ; after such a joyful and rewarding experience, how could there not be? And nowhere can it be more beneficial to be mindful than in this amazing landscape overlooking the River Dart.

Francesca, Wildlife Discovery retreat participant
See all Reviews

The Coach House nature mindfulness retreat centre at The Sharpham Trust

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.

Get Directions View Venue

Leaders

Caroline
Caroline Low - Qi Gong Teacher Read more +

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

Available dates

2024 07 May

The Coach House: Mindfulness & Qigong (4 nights)

With Caroline Low & Coach House Coordinators
2024 21 Jul

The Coach House: Mindfulness & Qigong (4 nights)

With Caroline Low & Coach House Coordinators
2024 29 Sep

The Coach House: Mindfulness & Qigong (4 nights)

With Caroline Low & Coach House Coordinators