taking mindfulness deeper main
The Octagonal Room at Sharpham House
Meditation in Octagonal Room
Sharpham House near the River Dart
Sharpham House Rooms
Food at Sharpham House

Taking Mindfulness Deeper: 5-night Sharpham House Retreat

Summary

5 Reviews
5 nights - Seasonal
Non-Beginner
Single
Longer periods
Max. Spaces: 20

Overview

Strengthen your existing practice at a Sharpham House retreat with extended periods of meditation and silence, exploration of self-compassion, nature connection, yet with plenty of time for rest and replenishment – all within our tranquil setting.

"I am inviting you to go deeper, to learn and to practise so that you become someone who has a great capacity for being solid, calm, and without fear

                                                                                              - Thich Nhat Hanh

This retreat is ideal for anyone who has been on a retreat previously, either at Sharpham or another retreat venue, or undertaken an 8-week Mindfulness Course.

It is an opportunity to sustain your mindfulness practice, consolidating the skills and techniques you’ve already learnt and deepening your knowledge and experience of moment-by-moment awareness.

The retreat will take place in Sharpham House, our beautiful Grade 1-listed Georgian mansion set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with views over the steeply wooded River Dart.

Each retreatant will have his or her own bedroom in the House, fully catered for by our House staff, and the chance to explore the surrounding gardens and Capability parkland.

All retreat food and drink is vegetarian, prepared by our in-house cooks - it regularly receives rave reviews.

This retreat is for you if:

  • Interested in exploring secular mindfulness practice further or reconnecting to your practice
  • Curious about experiencing longer periods of sitting meditation and periods of silence as a way to strengthen and support your practice
  • In need of rest and replenishment
  • Feel inspired by spending time reconnecting with nature
  • Would like to learn how to sustain your practice when you return to everyday life
What is Mindfulness?

What you'll experience on this retreat:

  • experience guided meditation and periods of silence and quiet contemplation
  • explore embodiment, with simple mindful movement exercises
  • be offered opportunities for you to take mindfulness into the outdoors through nature connection and sensing activities (weather permitting)
  • live in community with like-minded people, sharing experiences and some simple everyday tasks, including the washing-up
  • be able to explore our tranquil Capability Brownian parkland and our Grade 2*-listed gardens designed by Percy Cane
  • have 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. Click here to explore our rooms.
  • enjoy delicious, healthy, home-cooked vegetarian food that regularly receives rave reviews and have access to 24-hour hot teas, coffee & infusions in our Toasting Room
  • be cared for full-board in a Grade I-listed Georgian House surrounded by history and art, with staff looking after you, in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty close to nature, amid breath-taking scenery on the banks of the River Dart
Sharpham House retreats window

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

The retreat programme will include three 40-minute meditation sessions per day with periods of silence to help strengthen the practice. There will be one full day spent in silence.

Typical retreat schedule

Day 1: Arrive between 3-5pm for welcoming talk and settling in

Mornings Afternoons
7.00am - wake up bell 12.20pm - meditation
7.30am – mindful movement 1.00pm - lunch and shared tasks
7.50am - meditation 2.30pm – personal time 
8.30am – breakfast and shared tasks 5.20pm  – meditation
10.00am – daily meeting, break the silence in home groups 6.00pm – supper and shared tasks
  8.00pm – evening session
  9.00pm – House moves into silence until 10am the next day
   

Final day: There is a closing meeting at 10.30am, and your departure by 12noon. 

Reviews

My first retreat. Didn’t disappoint. I read a lot about the beautiful scenery and food which don’t get me wrong helped massively but the teaching was what matter most to me. Jo and Steve truly embody mindfulness and their teaching was gentle yet insightful. I did the 3 day silent retreat and I would have happily stayed far longer. Appetite and excitement for this project very much refuelled. Paul

Angy Panda 6863
July 2023

THE most magical and amazing place for a retreat. I cannot recommend Sharpham highly enough, I'm telling all my friends! The food is divine, the location is breathtaking and the facilitators are highly skilled. I'm creating space in my diary for the next one very soon!

Louise Neicho
September 2022

Sharpham House is the most idyllic and tranquil places for a mindfulness retreat. It offered us the perfect conditions to facilitate a deeper connection with ourselves, with the beautiful nature and the rich wild life surrounding the area. Being under the skilful, generous and mindful guidance of our kind, open-hearted coordinators Nina and Will has created the perfect space to bring to light deep powerful insights. I am truly grateful for this life-changing experience.

Cristina Vulcan
June 2023
See all Reviews

Sharpham House in Spring

Sharpham House

Sharpham House is the perfect place to experience a mindfulness retreat: a Grade I-listed Georgian mansion at the centre of the stunning Sharpham Estate, where you're nurtured with delicious vegetarian and vegan food (much of it grown organically in our Walled Garden).

The House is set in beautiful gardens, surrounded by a parkland designed originally by Capability Brown, offering calming views over the River Dart, in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Get Directions View Venue

Leaders

Lynette Robinson
Lynette Robinson Read more +
Nina Jankelson - assistant manager of The Barn retreat centre at Sharpham
Nina Jankelson - Assistant Barn Manager Read more +
Rupert-Marques-2
Rupert Marques Read more +
Steve Banks
Steve Banks Read more +
Will Evans
Will Evans Read more +

Costs

  • £565 - Standard room, single occupancy, full-board 
  • £625 Premium room, single occupancy, full-board 
  • £725 - Heritage room, single occupancy, full-board 

From April 2024

  • £575 - Standard room, single occupancy, full-board 
  • £625 Premium room, single occupancy, full-board 
  • £745 - Heritage room, single occupancy, full-board 

There will be a maximum of 20 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

We don't have any dates currently scheduled but subscribe to hear FIRST when dates become available