We announce subsidised retreat places in time for World Mental Health Day 2026

6th October, 2026
by Katie Tokus | 4 Min Read
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Be mindful in nature on retreats at The Sharpham Trust

As World Mental Health Day (October 10) approaches, The Sharpham Trust is launching a new four-night residential retreat on its picturesque estate near Totnes in Devon - with subsidised places for people of low income. 

Our retreat for Anxiety and Low mood is a 4-night stay at The Coach House retreat venue, offering a restorative and supportive environment for those experiencing mild to moderate anxiety and/or low mood.

The Sharpham Trust is able to support bursary places on each retreat, enabling a large discount for people who would not otherwise be able to afford to come.

“This is a supportive space where you’ll combine mindfulness practice with time spent in nature, helping you to learn how to step out of cycles of worry and rumination, self-criticism and overwhelm and begin to relate to your thoughts and feelings with greater kindness and balance,” said Trust Director Julian Carnell.

“Many of us are aware that there has been a steady worsening in the nation’s mental health. For example, the latest NHS data shows that 96 million antidepressant items were prescribed to an estimated 9.1 million identified patients in 2025/6. We need to be doing more preventative work to help people find ways to cope better and we see this retreat as part of this approach.”

Be mindful in nature on retreats at The Sharpham Trust

What is The Sharpham Trust & what does it do?

The Trust is a charity which has been running meditation retreats and courses for over 40 years. Each year, it  welcomes more than 3,000 people to its historic estate on the banks of the River Dart.

The Trust’s mission is to make a more mindful, compassionate and environmentally-sustainable world and its particular specialism (and amazing natural setting) helps people access and connect to nature.

What will participants on this retreat experience?

Retreat participants will experience gentle, nature-based practices whilst learning practical tools to manage

stress, anxiety and low mood to support their emotional balance and resilience in everyday life.

This retreat includes:

  • guided meditations
  • nature mindfulness practices

  • relaxation sessions

  • mindful movement

  • periods of silence and quiet contemplation

  • personal and rest time

  • time outdoors to slow down and reconnect with the natural world at Sharpham

All Sharpham retreats feature small-group sharing and chances for supportive discussion with others who are likely to have shared experiences.

Be mindful in nature on retreats at The Sharpham Trust

Nature as healer - the Sharpham Trust Mindful-in-Nature way

The leaders of this particular retreat are trained mindfulness teachers and practising therapists and counsellors with deep experience of Sharpham’s Mindfulness-Based Nature Connection methods. 

This retreat incorporates nature-based mindfulness teachings and practices from the Trust’s Mindful-in-Nature programme that ran for nearly a decade.

Through this work, Sharpham facilitators explored how mindfulness practice and direct experience in nature can support wellbeing, resilience and a deeper sense of connection with the living world.

Out of this learning has grown an approach we call Mindfulness-Based Nature Connection. 

MBNC brings together mindfulness practice, sensory awareness and time in nature to support a direct, embodied experience of connection. 

The practices shared on this retreat are part of that evolving approach. They have been developed and refined through many years of teaching and guiding participants on the Sharpham Estate and are designed to be simple, accessible and easy to bring into everyday life.

Through a blend of indoor and outdoor sessions, mindful movement, nature-connection practices and shared reflection, participants learn practical ways to support their wellbeing in everyday life.

Who is this retreat for?

The retreat is designed for adults experiencing mild to moderate anxiety or low mood who would benefit from a supportive, non-clinical environment. 

It is not intended as a replacement for therapy or medical care.

 

Who are the retreat leaders?

Trained mindfulness practitioners and therapist/counsellors Emma Thom and Ollie Frame are leading this retreat.

 

What’s the accommodation like?

This particular retreat takes place in The Coach House - a beautifully-converted 18th century stableyard built at the same time as Sharpham House.

Each participant gets their own room and many of the rooms are ensuite. Shared bathrooms are close by.

 

What is the food and drink like?

Participants’ food and drink are included in the price, and as well as wild-food foraged from the Estate, they’ll be eating locally-sourced, freshly-cooked, vegetarian meals made by Coach House cooks.

 

How do I find more information and book?

For more information about this retreat, and to book, visit:

www.sharphamtrust.org/mindfulness-retreats/details/nature-mindfulness-retreat-for-anxiety