Retreats & Courses at Land of Joy
Land of Joy offers a range of introductory, next-step, advanced and secular retreats through most of the year. Please click on any event that interests you to learn more about it and book your place.
A full list preview of our 2024 programme can be here and the booking form is here.
Personal retreats or private stays are also possible depending on availability. Please click here for more details.
Please be aware events might be cancelled up to two weeks prior to their start date due to lack of numbers or other reasons. It is also possible they will be re-arranged if we have the chance to host touring teachers, so please keep this in mind when booking transport.
September
With Venerable Mary Reavey: Friday 6th until Sunday 15th September (ONSITE ONLY)
Are you curious about Buddhist practice, but don’t know where to begin? Have you attended Buddhist teachings and feel they could be useful for you but don’t know how to meditate on the subjects you’ve studied or how to apply them to your life? This retreat will answer these questions and more.
With Linda Noble & Christian Fischer: Tuesday 24th September until Wednesday 9th October (ONSITE ONLY)
This retreat is open to anyone who has taken the Kalachakra initiation, regardless of whether or not they have experience in Kalachakra practice, as it’s a great way to learn to practice the Kalachakra tantra.
October
Discover the workings of the mind and the mechanisms of suffering and happiness. Unlock your potential for mental balance, compassion and wisdom.
“The Buddha’s teachings may be considered a “science of mind” in that they provide a complete study of the mind, setting forth specific means for observing it, delineating the various types of consciousness and mental factors, making known the mind’s potential, and describing ways to transform the mind.” XIV Dalai Lama
Module 1: Cultivating Lasting Happiness: What Buddhism and Science Have to Say about It (ONLINE ONLY)
Each Wednesday from 2nd October until 23rd October 6PM to 7.30PM
With Venerable Mary Reavey: Sunday 13th until Sunday 20th October (ONSITE ONLY)
Shamatha is the method to sharpen and balance the mind. This mind is then applied in Vipassana to reveal the wisdom of the Nature of Reality. These teachings and practices reflect the clear and precise teachings of Lama B. Alan Wallace. We will review the main points in relation to developing Shamatha on the Breath.
Vipassana meditation utilizes the skills of Shamatha within the process of enquiry. In this retreat we will directly question our lived experience within the framework of the Three Marks of existence and the Close application of Mindfulness.
With Paula Chichester: Thursday 24th until Sunday 27th October (HYBRID)
Healing Mind, Spirit and Body- Growing Towards Wholeness in Love
An open heart is well-being. Our presence of well being helps everyone one we meet.
Buddhist Mind Science Course – Module 2
Module 2: Transforming the Mind to Cultivate Lasting Happiness (ONLINE ONLY)
Each Wednesday from 30th October until 30th November 6PM to 7.30PM
The course “Transforming the mind to cultivate lasting happiness” explores what meditation is and focuses on calming the mind and refining attention with the breath, a healthy emotional life, and enhancing wholesome emotions and mental states as first foundations for cultivating lasting happiness. It is complemented by references to current scientific understanding on attention training, wellbeing, empathy, and emotions.
November
With Paula Chichester: Friday 8th until Tuesday 12th November (HYBRID)
Medicine Buddha is an ancient, powerful meditation practice to heal the wounds of our body, mind and spirit —personally and globally. In this workshop, we will balance the five elements in the body/mind, using meditation and physical exercises interspersed with discussions on how to heal ourselves and others. The meditation will integrate recitation and imagination with periods of resting in the nature of mind.
With Paula Chichester: Friday 15th until Wednesday 20th November (HYBRID)
Glorious White Tara is the healer of all ills and giver of long life. This beautiful practice will be the foundation for a hybrid retreat focused on experiential meditations that will introduce the tantric sadhana and mantra recitation as a healing method. White Tara is a favorite of our teachers so we will be dedicating the power of this practice to the long lives of our gurus.
With Marina Brucet Vinyals: Monday 25th November until Wednesday 4th December (ONSITE ONLY)
The Vajrasattva practice acts at many levels, from purifying the mind from negativities and ignorance, to help healing inner bounds, emotional hindrances, and difficult experiences with which we struggle. It clears the way and lays the ground for practice, both psychologically and spiritually.
In the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the practice of Vajrasattva is one of the preliminary practices, which are traditionally done before engaging in long retreat. This retreat is a wonderful opportunity to purify and clear the mind with the practice and mantra of Vajrasattva.
Buddhist Mind Science Course – Module 3
Module 3: Getting to Know Your Mind (ONLINE ONLY)
Each Wednesday from 27th November until 18th December 6PM to 7.30PM
The module “Getting to know your mind” focuses on an exploration of the mind to understand what it is, its characteristics, and how can we become more aware of our mental processes and of our mind itself. It also deepens into techniques to diminish mental afflictions, and reflects on the possibility of the continuity of the mind and on karma. It is complemented by references to some current scientific understanding on the mind.
January 2025
