Mindfulness and beyond - A retreat on the factors of awakening

Mindfulness, or paying attention to the present moment, is an integral part of our path to awakening. But it doesn’t stand alone - it plays the role of remembering, noticing, and directing our attention, so that other good qualities of the mind can arise. 

The Seven Factors of Awakening are an early Buddhist framework that describes how the mind & body can develop, starting with mindfulness but going beyond it towards liberation.

These factors are: 

• Mindfulness
• Investigation
• Courage
• Joy
• Tranquility
• Gatheredness of Mind
• Equanimity

In this retreat, we will examine all seven of these factors, with a contemporary and secular approach to early Buddhism, rooted in our practical experience of modern life. 

Through sitting and walking meditation, we’ll practice cultivating each factor.

With dharma talks and discussion, we’ll reflect on their contribution to a life of balanced engagement with the world. 

Through reflection and discussion, we will consider what awakening and equanimity can truly mean in our day and age. 

This retreat offers an experience to connect, share and grow in community. There will be space for discussion and interaction in the mornings, asking questions, and discussing how these themes show up in our lives. The rest of the day will be dedicated to silence, allowing for deeper introspection and reflection on the themes. 

The retreat takes place in the Coach House, on the Sharpham estate in rural Devon in the southwest of England. The organisation offers nature-based mindfulness programmes and is working to restore and recover nature on their 550-acre estate - creating rare habitats, making nests to welcome birds of prey and planting thousands of trees. It’s a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with beautiful gardens and calming views over the River Dart. The estate also has an extensive vegetable garden, and much of the delicious food you’ll eat will be organically grown onsite. 

Open to both new and experienced practitioners, this course is for you if you are interested to expand on your mindfulness practice, deepen your meditation and bring your practice off the mat too by exploring these seven ways of embodying awakening in your daily life.

What to expect:

Every day will contain a combination of silent continued practice, in-depth teachings by Martine & Bernat, peer discussion, and relaxed time to connect with others.

An example day:

7.30 sitting meditation
8.00 breakfast
9.30 teaching session (silence breaks)
10.30 breakout groups
11.00 tea break
11.30 discussion
12.00 meditation
12.30 lunch
14.30 guided meditation (silence begins)
15.15 - 16:45 Walking and sitting meditation
17.30 dinner  (silence breaks)
19.00 sitting
19.30 Q & A
20.15 walking (silence begins)
20.30 last meditation
21.00 end of the day

Costs:

• This retreat is offered on a dana basis – you will be asked to make an additional monetary donation at the end of the course to support the livelihood of the teacher.
• If paying a deposit – balance to be paid no later than 4 weeks before the module starts
• A limited number of Bursary places are available for this course

Additional Information:

• Open to all - new and experienced practitioners alike.
• Participants are asked to contribute 1 hour of work a day, in order to help with the running of the retreat
• Periods of silent meditation practice, as well as teachings and study
• Accommodation in shared and single rooms
• All meals included – vegetarian food with the possibility of catering for special diets
• On the last day, lunch will not be provided. 

Teachers:

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Praise for our teachers :

Martine:

“I'd like to acknowledge Martine, she is very generous and wise. This course made me want to practice dharma more.” - Participant from online course ‘Knowing How it Feels’ in collaboration with Tricycle: The Buddhist Review

“This wonderful course with Martine enabled me to go even deeper in what I already knew and practiced’ - Participant from online course ‘Knowing How it Feels’ in collaboration with Tricycle: The Buddhist Review

Bernat:

“I was very happy with Bernat as our teacher. He is very accessible and friendly and relatable.” Participant from online course ‘The Dharma of Pleasure’ 2025

“Bernat has a wonderful grasp of the dharma and a very clear way of teaching as well as a lovely presence.” Participant from online course ‘Feeling Your Way to Liberation’ 2024

“This course has given me a wealth of material to work with - ideas and practices to explore, and integrate into all areas of life.  Bernat's teaching style is very engaging; I'm appreciative of the liveliness and generosity he brought to class. “ Participant from online course ‘Feeling Your Way to Liberation’ 2024

“This course changed my meditation practice substantially. More useful than most retreats” Participant from online course ‘The Dharma of Pleasure’ 2025

Hear more from our teachers

Martine Batchelor is the author and co-author of several books, including:
Let Go: A Buddhist Guide to Breaking Free of Habits
Meditation for Life (co-authored with Stephen Batchelor)
Spirit of the Buddha
(See the full list here)

Bernat has an engaging Substack where he shares thoughts and reflections on the dharma and his life.
He also wrote an article on the Seven Factors of Awakening for Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. (Bilingual article - the English follows)

Venue: 

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