Rest and Renewal (Devon, UK)

Rest and Renewal is a six-night silent meditation retreat in the Insight Meditation tradition, held at Gaia House in West Ogwell, Devon, England. It is open to people new to Insight Meditation and to long-time practitioners, and it sits at the start of the year as a time to set a direction for practice. It is led by Nathan Glyde, Antonia Sumbundu and Sumedha.

What to Expect

The retreat is built around the pāramis, the awakening qualities that include generosity, kindness, wisdom, resolve and equanimity. Together the teachers explore how these and other qualities can be developed and then applied to the realities of daily life in the year ahead. The idea is to set a compass, clarify your view and reconnect with your own inner resources.

This is a residential retreat held in silence. Apart from individual or group meetings with the teachers, participants are invited into silence for the whole retreat, following a daily meditation schedule. Retreat conditions apply from the moment you arrive: observing silence, following the schedule and practising meditation.

Registration is between 2.00pm and 4.45pm on the opening day. Anyone new to Gaia House is offered an induction at 4.45pm. On the final day, departure is after 12.30pm, or after 1.30pm for those staying for lunch. Everyone is asked to commit to the full length of the retreat. At the close there is an opportunity to offer dāna, a voluntary contribution that supports the teachers, the centre and the residential coordinators.

About the Teachers

Nathan Glyde has practised and studied meditation since 1997 and has taught on retreats since 2007. In 2004 he co-founded SanghaSeva, whose retreats emphasise wisdom and compassion in ecological and humanitarian service. Gaia House recognises him as an Insight Meditation teacher. With Zohar Lavie he also writes and runs DependentOrigination.org, a body of work on the Buddha's teaching of dependent origination.

Antonia Sumbundu is a Dharma teacher, clinical psychologist and mental health specialist who has practised meditation for over 35 years. She leads retreats and supports practice groups internationally. She holds an MA from the University of Copenhagen and a Master of Studies in MBCT from the University of Oxford, and has completed the Bodhi College Dharma Teacher Training programme.

Sumedha became interested in spirituality in her teens and, after studying Comparative Religion at university, practised as a nun in the Thai Forest Tradition in the UK. Her practice is shaped by honouring the awake heart and our interconnected nature. After disrobing in 2010 she spent ten years co-creating an eco retreat place that emphasised simplicity and connection to nature. She now teaches in Europe and the UK and is a core teacher with Sacred Mountain Sangha.

The Setting

The retreat takes place at Gaia House in West Ogwell. Rooms are a mix of shared and single. Some single rooms can be reserved in advance for those who need them to attend, while others are held for requests and allocated in the days before the retreat, with priority given to people with medical, mental or psychological needs. The centre's only ground floor bedroom is wheelchair-accessible, and availability should be checked with the retreat manager before booking.

Before You Go

The retreat is suitable for all levels of experience, and the teaching is in English. Meditation retreats ask for sustained practice and some stability of psychological health. If you have recently experienced significant trauma or psychiatric illness, or are in acute emotional distress, this may not be the right time for a silent retreat, and anyone under the care of a mental health professional is encouraged to talk it through with them first. About two weeks before arrival, a short set of questions about physical health, mental health and dietary needs is sent to help the team support you.

Teaching, accommodation, the daily schedule, meetings with the teachers and the induction are included. Travel and dāna are not. Rates are tiered, and a Financial Assistance and Bursaries Fund exists for those who need it. Extra nights before or after the retreat can be added at an additional cost.