Details:
Date: Thursday 22nd July – Monday 26th July
Retreat Leader: Ven Mary Reavey
Requirements: Everyone is welcome
Cost: Generosity Model – Donation only (by clicking the ‘Donate Here’ button below). Land of Joy provides: All meals, accommodation, workshops, materials and good firewood for soulful nights.
Format: Onsite only / Retreat begins: 7pm on the 22nd July / Retreat ends: with lunch on 26th July
Recommended arrival: 3pm – 5pm on the 22nd July to join for supper and get settled into the space
Accommodation: Land of Joy wishes for everyone who visits the centre to feel welcome, accepted, safe and secure. Our accommodation options are very limited, with mostly single-sex shared accommodation and a very limited number of single rooms. Single accommodation can therefore only be offered on a priority basis. Please read the relevant sections of the booking form carefully.
About the Retreat
Developing a regular practice can be challenging. We may have received teachings and know a range of practices, but bringing these together into something realistic and sustainable in everyday life can be much harder.
During this practical workshop you will have the opportunity to explore minimum, medium and more extensive approaches to daily practice and will be encouraged to develop a one day retreat plan focused on a Lam Rim topic.
Ven Mary will be on site to help you get settled. She will offer guidance for an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening, the form of which will depend on needs of the participants. It may therefore take the form of Discussion, Teaching, Q&A or Meditation.
As this retreat is primarily self led, please bring the following with you:-
- A Lam Rim topic that you wish to meditate on
- Material related to that topic which will support your practice e.g. explanatory texts (you are also welcome to use books in Land of Joy’s library).
- Any supporting practices such as Lam Rim prayers you would like to use
- Pen and paper etc.
The emphasis will not be on prescribing one particular routine, but on developing the structure, consistency and confidence to take greater responsibility for your own practice.
What Will be Offered?
The retreat will combine guidance and discussion with plenty of opportunity to put what you are learning into practice, including:
- Developing a realistic and sustainable daily practice
- Exploring minimum, medium and more extensive practice
- Learning how to structure a half-day, day or weekend retreat
- A focus on independent practice
- Opportunities for questions and discussion with Ven. Mary
- Creating a practical plan to take home
Who is This For?
This retreat may be particularly helpful if you:
- Are already familiar with buddhist practices but struggle to maintain a regular daily practice
- Feel overwhelmed by how much you could be doing or don’t know where to start
- Would like to develop greater consistency in an existing practice
- Want to become more confident practicing independently
- Would like to undertake personal retreat but are unsure how to structure your time
You do not need to arrive with an established daily practice. The retreat is an opportunity to start from where you are and explore what is realistic for you.
Why Attend?
A sustainable practice isn’t necessarily about doing more. It is about finding a rhythm that can become a genuine part of your life.
This weekend gives you the space to explore what works for you and, importantly, to put it into practice. By the end, you will have developed a realistic structure for your daily practice alongside a framework for making use of longer periods of practice — whether a free half-day, a day or a whole weekend.
The intention is for you to leave feeling more confident in shaping and sustaining your own practice, both in everyday life and in retreat, and with a stronger foundation for undertaking longer periods of individual retreat in the future.
Retreat Boundaries
To help create the best conditions for meditation practice, this retreat will be held within a supportive framework:
- Silence – Silence will be observed outside of group sessions during some periods of the day to encourage calm and inward focus.
- Technology-free space – You will be encouraged to switch off phones, laptops and other devices for the duration of the retreat, except for reading texts and other dharma related material.
- Respecting the schedule – Participants are asked to attend all sessions on time, as consistency supports both personal practice and the group environment.
- Mindful living – Meals and daily activities will be approached with awareness, becoming part of the retreat practice itself.
These boundaries are not restrictions but supports — creating a safe, focused space in which the mind can settle and deepen.
About Ven Mary Reavey
