Weekend mindfulness & yoga retreat, Suffolk 

Shamash will be co-teaching this relaxing mindfulness and yoga retreat with Lucia Cockcroft, yoga teacher and editor of www.yoga-abode.com

Our venue for the weekend will be the fabulous Potash Barns in rural Suffolk – one of our favourite retreat venues, and under two hours from London. Potash Barns comprises three separate listed, converted barns, lovingly restored to an exceptionally high standard. In all three barns (each with individual lounge and kitchen), ancient beams and fireplaces sit alongside super-comfy beds and Egyptian cotton bedlinen. 

The centre is surrounded by open fields and countryside (plus a few farm animals!) – and the beautiful Suffolk coast is half an hour’s drive away. 

Intention
This retreat is intended to be a general introduction to mindfulness meditation, rather than an in-depth explanation of the clinical applications. The ancient practice of yoga is a natural twin sister to mindfulness – essentially, yoga is mindful movement; an awareness practice that encourages us to be more in tune with the interaction of body, mind and breath. Practised regularly, yoga also keeps the body strong, toned and flexible. 

Rough schedule

Friday evening: arrivals after 3.30pm

6.30-7.30pm – General Introduction: what is mindfulness? Followed by a few simple mindful meditation exercises, and then some Restorative Yoga before dinner.

7.30pm – Dinner!: three courses, home-made, and vegetarian (plus organic/locally sourced where possible). Food is one of the highlights at Potash Barns; no diets here!

Saturday morning 
8.30 – Breakfast, with home-made yoghurt, bread and marmalade; free range eggs from the garden; juices. 
10am-noon – Introduction; Body Scan Meditation; paired and group discussions; mindful walking; mini meditations. 

1pm – Lunch! Then free time until dinner: drive out to the coast; chill out; take a walk; curl up with a book. 

4pm – Afternoon tea and cakes by the fire. 

6pm – 7.15pm – Gentle Restorative Yoga 

Sunday Morning 

10am – 11.30 – Intro, Mindful Sitting Meditation, paired and group discussion. Mini meditations. 

11.30-12.30 – hatha yoga. 

1pm: Lunch, then departures before 3pm. 

Teachers

Shamash Alidina:  Shamash is one the UK’s leading professional mindfulness trainers and coaches. He is international bestselling author of ‘Mindfulness For Dummies’ and has been featured on TV, and in newspapers, magazines, and radio shows internationally.  Shamash trained to be a Mindfulness Teacher with the Centre of Mindfulness at Bangor University and has trained with Jon Kabat-Zinn, as well as attending retreats with the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh, one of the world’s foremost teachers and practitioners of mindfulness. Shamash is not a Buddhist himself, and teaches in a secular way. 

Lucia Cockcroft:   Lucia has been practising yoga for 15 years, and teaching for four. Her initial training was in the USA, with the highly regarded Sivananda school of yoga. She has since completed teacher trainings with Sarah Powers (mindfulness, yin yoga and yang yoga); Judith Lasater (Restorative Yoga), Fiona Agombar (yoga for ME and chronic illness) and Catherine Annis (Scaravelli). She is a registered Relax and Renew Trainer®, certified by Judith Lasater. Lucia also teaches mindfulness meditation in London and Essex, and has studied with, amongst others, Bhante Henepola Gunaratanamedi – author of Mindfulness in Plain English.

Book Now – visit Ya Retreats here