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Buddhist meditation retreat: Living in Awareness - 6 nights at The Barn
Lead a fuller, richer life when you cultivate awareness in your everyday
Summary
Duration: 6 nights - run regularly
For those with some meditation experience
Single occupancy
Silence nightly until morning & on 1 whole day
Max. Spaces: 11
Overview
Living in Awareness is a 6-night Buddhist meditation retreat at The Barn retreat venue in beautiful South Devon, exploring how you can deepen your mindfulness practice and bring it into all aspects of your daily life.
How can you experience life fully with awareness, rather than on autopilot?
In these retreats we will focus on meditation and mindfulness, with guided and silent sitting meditation, walking meditation, and informal mindful practices sprinkled throughout the day.
Different meditation techniques will be introduced and practised throughout the week, and visiting Buddhist teachers will help give context for these practices.
In this retreat you will be supported to deepen not just your sitting meditation practice, but also to weave mindfulness into everyday life in order to cultivate a more still, present, and clear mind.
Introducing this retreat
Interested in deepening your meditation practice?
Wanting to go deeper into Dharma?
In this video, Barn Retreat manager Tasha Bassingthwaighte introduces our Living in Awareness retreats.
This retreat is for you if you
- want to experience a retreat in the Buddhist tradition
- would like to spend time in supportive community, including undertaking some simple community tasks
- would like to experience periods of silence and reflection
- are aged 18 and above
What you’ll experience on this retreat
- The opportunity to reflect on the theme of present moment awareness and how to deepen your practice in everyday life
- three meditation periods each day (including guided, silent and walking meditation)
- periods of silence and quiet contemplation
- living in community with like-minded people, sharing experiences and tasks, including cooking and eating together and helping in our gardens
- community sharing and mindful movement
- a single-occupancy room and your own space in which to rejuvenate, with free time to deeply rest and reconnect with yourself
- access to 24-hour hot teas, coffee & infusions in the kitchen
- 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
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
The weekly schedule provides opportunities for both individual reflection and group meditation.
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.
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. This includes three 40 minute formal meditation periods each day.
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.
Note that we hold silence overnight from 8.40pm to 9.15am in the morning, and all day Wednesday. Lunch each day will also be eaten in silence on this retreat.
Sunday
| Afternoon |
|---|
| 2.00pm to 4.00pm – Your arrival |
| 5.00pm – Welcome Meeting |
| 6.30pm – Light evening meal. Then settling in |
| 8.00pm – Meditation, followed by silence until 9.15am the next day |
Monday to Friday:
| Mornings | Afternoons |
|---|---|
| 6.00am – Wake up | 12.20pm – Guided or silent meditation |
| 6.25am – Movement & meditation | 1.00pm – Lunch |
| 7.30am – Household tasks | 2.00pm – Personal time |
| 8.00am – Breakfast | 5.00pm – Teaching (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday) |
| 9.15am – Silence ends, morning meeting & check-in (except Wednesday) | 6.30pm – Light supper |
| 10.30am – Mindful gardening | 8.00pm – Guided or silent meditation followed by silence until 9.15am the following day |
Saturday:
As above until 8.00am. Silence ends at breakfast. Then it's time to clear your room and depart between 9.00am and 10.00am.
The Barn Retreat Centre at Sharpham
Our popular meditation retreat venue in the Buddhist tradition is where up to 11 people join together living in community for weekly retreats, including a variety of themed retreats - scroll on to see them all.
You'll be staying within a friendly atmosphere of fellowship, sitting together in daily meditations and mindfully tending our organic vegetable gardens.
You'll have your own single room, you'll get to eat produce from what's grown on the land here and you'll also get time to explore the wonder of the beautiful and contemplation-inspiring Sharpham Estate.
Second time there and it continues to deliver! The coordinators are brilliant at creating a sense of community and peace. The setting is incredibly beautiful and allows for an deep immersion with natureGet Directions View Venue
By Car
By Train
By Taxi
On foot or cycle from Totnes
By CoachLeaders
Barn Coordinators
Read more +
Costs
Rooms & rates
All rooms are comfortable single occupancy, with a shared bathroom.
They are allocated randomly, unless you have a medical need - please let us know on your booking form.
Click here for more information on our types of bedrooms and facilities
Meals, bedding, and towels are included.
Select from the following rates:
| Subsidised rate | Standard rate | Supporter rate | ||||
| A heavily subsidised rate for those on low incomes who would otherwise be unable to attend. This is made possible by the generosity of others who are able to pay the higher Supporter Rate, helping us keep retreats open and accessible to everyone |
The Standard Rate for those not on a low income, covers the costs of your retreat and contributes a small amount to the upkeep of The Barn. Your payment helps maintain the retreat spaces, keep rooms and communal areas in good order, and ensures the experience is welcoming and enjoyable for all who visit. |
For those able to pay a little more, you'll make a wider, lasting impact, helping to preserve the estate and its wildlife, sustain the charitable work of the Trust and ensure future participants can benefit from the peace and renewal we offer. By choosing this rate, you’re helping The Trust to thrive - now and in the years to come. |
||||
| Up to March 2027 | £445 | £495 | £575 | |||
| From April 2027 onwards | £455 | £495 | £575 | |||
Dana
Dana is the Pali word for generosity or donation. The volunteer coordinators are receiving only a small payment for expenses whilst living at The Barn and are generously giving their energy and understanding to us all. Your donation, if you are able, is welcome.
Bursary places for those on low incomes
We are committed to making Sharpham Trust retreats accessible to everyone, no matter their income, and we have a variety of bursary schemes.
See our Bursary Places page here to explore ways in which you can come on a heavily-discounted retreat.
Bursary Fund donations
If you’d like to support even more people beyond your own retreat, you can donate to our Bursary Fund. Every gift helps make retreats accessible to those who might otherwise miss out.
If you’d like to help another person go on retreat with us through our bursary scheme, you can give online quickly and easily by clicking here
Terms & Conditions
Available dates
2027
28
Feb
Living in Awareness: a 6-night Buddhist retreat at The Barn
With Barn Coordinators
2027
23
May
Living in Awareness: a 6-night Buddhist retreat at The Barn
With Barn Coordinators
2027
25
Jul
Living in Awareness: a 6-night Buddhist retreat at The Barn
With Barn 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.
© 2026 Sharpham Trust | The Sharpham Trust Sharpham House, Ashprington, Totnes, Devon, UK TQ9 7UTUseful Links
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