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From Burnout to Balance: a 6-month restorative journey
Combining retreats in Sharpham House, online sessions and individual mentoring
Summary
4 nights - run annually
Any meditation experience
Single occupancy
Short periods of silence
Max. Spaces: 20
Overview
From Burnout to Balance is a mindfulness and nature-based programme that builds on our years of experience of supporting people recovering from burnout and stress.
Held over six months, this restorative journey combines in-person retreats, online gatherings, individual mentoring sessions, the sharing of mindfulness and nature practices and a community of participants walking the same pathway.
From Burnout to Balance creates a supportive container for you - for change to unfold gradually, and in the context of your everyday life.
How can this mindfulness journey help stress and burnout?
Rather than offering techniques to cope with an unsustainable pace, this programme asks a different question of you: 'How might I live, work and care in ways that do not cost me my health or aliveness?'
Many people are living at capacity, exhausted, overwhelmed, and unsure how to recover. Retreats can offer a powerful reset, yet returning home can make it difficult to sustain what begins there.
This programme offers a longer, steadier path: a journey of rest, nature and mindful recovery, supporting you to gently restore your nervous system and rediscover a sustainable rhythm of living.This is not about fixing yourself or pushing for change, but about resting, listening and rebuilding slowly.
You might also like our 4-night Mindfulness for Anxiety retreat
This retreat is for you if you:
- feel exhausted or overwhelmed
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have been giving too much for too long
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are recovering from, or approaching, burnout
- long for a slower, more sustainable way of living
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want to reconnect with yourself and with nature
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value community and shared experience
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are ready to prioritise rest and gentle change
From Burnout to Balance offers a compassionate chance to pause, breathe and find a healthier pace of life that can be sustained outside the retreat-space and long after you've completed this restorative journey.
What is Mindfulness?What you'll experience on this six-month journey:
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Two restorative retreats at Sharpham House: 24–28 October 2026 & 10-14 April 2027
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Five online gatherings to support reflection and integration, taking place on the second Tuesday of each month: November 10, December 8, January 12, February 9 and March 9
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Two individual mentoring sessions (arranged with the programme leaders)
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Simple, seasonal mindfulness and nature-connection practices to support daily life
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A supportive community of people walking a similar path
The practices are gentle and accessible, designed for those with low energy or recovering from prolonged stress.
To take part, you’ll need to be available for both retreat dates and the online sessions.
What is a mindfulness meditation retreat?
You will explore:
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mindfulness for overwhelm
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burnout's effect on the nervous system
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reconnecting with nature as a source of support and regulation
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the creation of compassionate boundaries and sustainable pacing
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rest as a foundation for resilience
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 - 9.50am the following day
Typical retreat schedule
Day 1: Arrive between 3-5pm for welcoming talk and settling in
| Mornings | Afternoons |
|---|---|
| 7.00am - wake up | 12.30pm - meditation |
| 7.30am – morning movement | 1.00pm - lunch |
| 8.00am - morning meditation | 3.30pm-5pm – Home groups |
| 8.30am – breakfast and tasks | 5.30pm - meditation |
| 6.00pm – supper and tasks | |
| 9.00pm – House moves into silence until 9.50am the next day | |
Final day: There is a closing circle at 10.30am and depart at 12 noon. The retreat will move into silence each evening from 9pm – 9.50am, and till 2.30pm on day 3.
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 within 18th century parkland thought to have been designed by Capability Brown, offering calming views over the River Dart, in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
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By Car
By Train
By Taxi
On foot or cycle from Totnes
By CoachLeaders
Lindsay Alderton
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Ollie Frame
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Costs
Fees & payment
- A £100 deposit secures your place
- Remaining balance paid in two instalments:
- 5 August 2026
- 24 September 2026
- Programme begins 24 October 2026
Total cost:
- Standard Room — £1,505
- Premium Room — £1,705
- Heritage Room — £1,905
- Bursary — £753
If you’d like to talk through payment or bursary options, you’re welcome to get in touch.
Payment breakdown
| Room type | Deposit | 2nd Payment | Final Balance | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Room | £100 | £655 | £750 | £1,505 |
| Premium Room | £100 | £755 | £850 | £1,705 |
| Heritage Room | £100 | £855 | £950 | £1,905 |
| Bursary | £100 | £278 | £375 | £753 |
(see also room types below)
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
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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