Mindfulness retreat: Mindfulness & Qigong - 4 nights at The Coach House

Claire Greenland

Claire has deep roots in Devon, arriving in 1981 as an art student at Dartington College, where she first connected with Sharpham, then a Buddhist community. There she met her qigong teacher, Max Weier, beginning a lifelong practice of embodied awareness and meditation.Claire has recently graduated from the CDL (Community Dharma Leader), training at Gaia House, the local Insight Meditation centre. She serves there as volunteer coordinator and facilitator for the Sunday Sangha, and also teaches on qigong retreats at Sharpham. Before returning to Devon, Claire taught in international schools across six cities worldwide. Her experiences of cultural change deepened her understanding of mindfulness, leading her to qualify with the Mindfulness in Schools Project (UK) and Mindfulness Schools (US). Drawing inspiration from nature, Claire also teaches Watsu (water shiatsu), encouraging learning from nature’s rhythms. She invites reflection: “Whatever happens, this beautiful planet will always support me,” helping others find steadiness, connection, and renewal in the living landscape.

Daverick Leggett

Daverick Leggett began studying and practising Qigong in the mid 80’s and has taught Qigong for over three decades. He practises the Hua Gong style which emphasises self healing and includes meditation, various moving and standing practices, sword and animal forms. The essence of this qigong is to open and deepen our connection to life. He began his working life as a smallholder and still grows much of his own food as well as being involved in communal growing projects and conservation management. In the summer he runs camps on Dartmoor with a focus on community building and immersion in the natural world. This reflects his belief in the deep medicine of belonging and connection with nature. Daverick is also a writer with two books on Chinese medicine and two books of poetry to his name. He lives in Dartington, Devon and is in love with the south Devon coast, the river and the moors, landscapes from which much of his poetry emerges.

Emma Dibben

Earth, and each other, and resonates deeply with Sharpham’s ethos for a more mindful, compassionate and environmentally sustainable world.

Emma has long had a curiosity and interest in meditation, sitting her first silent retreat at the age of 19. Her practice deepened as she came in touch with the teachings and philosophy of yoga. Since 2014 she has been supporting and facilitating, as well as sitting, many different retreats. She has a deep love of silence, solitude and the natural world. In her free time, she loves walking on Dartmoor and swimming in the magical river Dart.

Jas Tribe

Jas (they/them) has a passion for transformational inner work that shows up as positive change in the world. Jas is an event designer & facilitator, yoga teacher, community builder and farmer. They work through an embodied, imaginative, care focused lens, weaving knowledge of yoga, mindfulness, activism and the natural world through their work. 

10 years ago Jas was a wildlife conservation trainee at AMBIOS on the Sharpham Estate. Having since worked in a range of sectors - campaigning, education, wellbeing and food systems - Jas is back as a retreat facilitator! They have delivered workshops, trainings and courses to the general public, LGBTQIA+ groups, refugees, young people, businesses, NHS trusts, school teachers, community groups, and more.

Jas is also a ‘Work That Reconnects’ facilitator, running seasonal workshops and online courses to support people into reconnection with ourselves, each other and the natural world. 

Philip Anderson

Philip has been meditating since travelling in India and spending time in the Tibetan community in Dharamshala. He also has an interest in insight meditation Zen and the Thai forest tradition. Philip has trained to teach the MBSR 8-week course through Bangor University and has also taught mindfulness in schools via the dotB and PawsB programs. More recently Philip’s meditation practice has been leaning on the influence of nature and the idea of interbeing.