These popular retreats offer a nourishing mix of movement and meditation, giving time to connect with yourself and to experience community with others, all held in the beautiful landscape of Balquhidder Glen. 

The retreat combines introductory meditation teaching with a blend of traditional yoga and contemporary approaches to embodied movement. This playful synthesis of body-based approaches to well-being in the peaceful and supportive environment of the retreat can help you find ease and balance in your life. 

We will introduce two traditional Buddhist meditations and offer a solid introduction to the principles of meditation, giving you tools and practices that you can continue at home. We will also explore some traditional Buddhist teachings to get a sense of how these might be relevant in modern life. 

No previous experience of meditation, yoga or embodied movement is assumed, so these retreats are suitable for complete beginners, and they are also a good refresher for those who already have some experience.

For more information, read the retreat information sheet. 

Our human heart holds both our suffering and our joy. And our hearts are also universal, boundless and full of love.

On this retreat we will be invited to open to our heart’s qualities and learn to sit with self-blessing, strengthening our capacity to open and meet ourselves and the world. We will focus on embodied meditations that will lead us into the hidden depths and treasures that lie in our hearts; and explore the heart-opening potential of living for a week in spiritual community with like-minded people. 

The approach to teaching will be practical and direct, with meditation, poetry, simple ritual, movement and time in nature. We will have plenty of time to reflect and just to be, free from all the pressures and demands of our ordinary lives.

This retreat is suitable for complete beginners to meditation as well as being an ideal refresher for those who already have some experience. For more information, read the retreat information sheet. 

This retreat will take a playful approach to reconnecting with the body through the elemental experience of water and through movement. Each day we will have the opportunity for several swims in the local lochs and rivers as well as other explorations of water and wet places. 

We will have daily guided movement sessions to support embodiment and connection. There will also be introductory meditation teaching, daily collective meditation practice, and a practical contemporary look at some traditional Buddhist teachings. 

Swim activities will include lifeguard supported bank-based activities, swim trips (for more experienced swimmers) and the opportunity for un-supported personal swimming. There may also be the opportunity to walk by water and explore local burns and waterfalls.

For more information, including swimming ability and wetsuit requirement, please read the retreat information sheet before booking. For more detail about wetsuits, read our guide. 

This retreat takes an embodied approach to meditation - cultivating presence, aliveness and kindness through sitting meditation and mindful movement practices including free-form dance, gentle yoga and Qi Gong. This retreat is perfect for beginners interested in a contemporary and body-based approach to Buddhism and meditation, as well as those looking to deepen their existing practice through an embodied lens.

You'll learn two traditional Buddhist meditations – the mindfulness of breathing and the loving-kindness practice - as well as receive a clear introduction to the principles of meditation. We will also be exploring some traditional Buddhist teachings to get a sense of how these might be relevant to modern life. 

As well as time to move and meditate together, this retreat will include time for reflection, discussion, connection with others and time to explore the beautiful landscape around Dhanakosa and time to rest and just be, away from the pressures of everyday life. 

This retreat is suitable for complete beginners to meditation as well as being an ideal refresher for those who already have some experience. No experience of movement or dance is required, only a willingness to explore your experience of movement in the body you are living in. For more information, read the retreat information sheet. 

This retreat will take an embodied approach to the traditional Buddhist teaching of the four foundations of mindfulness – of body, feelings, thoughts and awareness – known as the Sattipatthana.  

We’ll practice slowing down and sensing into the subtle details of arising experience in movement and meditation, weaving between and combining these two aspects of practice – movement and stillness – to explore and deepen qualities of presence and aliveness.

Developing mindfulness of these aspects of unfolding experience grows our ability to embrace life fully – the painful and the beautiful – and to loosen fixed or limiting views of ourselves and others. 

The dance sessions will usually be with music and will involve guided exploration, exercises and time to follow your own experience in movement. No experience of dance or movement is required, only a willingness to explore your experience of movement in the body you are living in. For more information, read the retreat information sheet.

This is a Going Deeper retreat, for people who have done an introductory retreat or have been attending a local Buddhist centre and are familiar with the Metta Bhavana and Mindfulness of Breathing meditation practices. 

Qi Gong is a practice which can help generate more energy and vitality - supporting well-being, balance and ease. Meditation is an integral part of Qi Gong and the two practices complement each other beautifully and can offer an experience of deeper connection with ourselves, others and the natural world. 

We will spend time practicing Qi Gong on the loch-shore and in the grounds and woodlands surrounding Dhanakosa, learning a sequence of movements which you can continue to practice at home after the retreat. 

The meditation teaching will introduce an embodied approach to practices of breath awareness and the cultivation of loving-kindness. We will also explore some traditional Buddhist teachings to get a sense of how these might be relevant in modern life. 

This retreat is suitable for complete beginners to meditation and Qi Gong as well as those who already have some experience. For more information, read the retreat information sheet.