‘The Pleasure of Absence’ (14 day retreat)
24th July - 7th August 2026, Kallara, Strathbogie Ranges, Victoria. Taught with Patrick Kearney.
The way of practice is that of letting go. We learn to let go of whatever disturbs our body and obsesses our heart. We learn that letting go is natural, not forced. And what do we let go of? What we no longer want, which we can now see only brings us pain. The path becomes one of learning pleasure. We think we understand pleasure as that which stimulates our senses. But the Buddha suggests that letting go of the obvious and opening to what lies beneath exposes a world of more subtle and therefore more satisfying pleasure. We could call this the pleasure of absence. When we are absent, pleasure finds no barrier.
On this retreat we explored these themes through the practice lens of ānāpānasati, mindfulness with breathing. Through this practice, body relaxes and mind quietens. Serenity and insight arise, letting go deepens, and the way to awakening opens.
The practice of intimacy allows us to deeply explore our experience of life as it unfolds each moment through body, feeling and mind. One way to open to intimacy is through the Buddha’s practice of ānāpānasati, mindfulness with breathing. Through this practice, body relaxes and mind quietens. Serenity and insight arise, letting go deepens, and the way to awakening opens.
‘Practising Intimacy: Awakening through letting go’ (14 day retreat)
18th July - 1st August 2025, Kallara, Strathbogie Ranges, Victoria. Taught with Patrick Kearney.
“Bushwalking in Mindfulness…
The Sanskrit word ‘yatra’ means ‘journey’, ‘path of life’ or ‘pilgrimage’. A yatra is a unique journey providing a special environment to engage with and enquire deeply into the potential of ‘human awakening.’
In the company of like-minded people, a yatra takes place within some of the most pristine landscapes of our natural world.” (From yatra.org.au)
Bay of Fires Dharma Yatra
21st February - 2nd March 2025, East Coast, lutruwita/Tasmania. Taught with Ronny Hickel.
‘Practising Intimacy: Liberation through serenity & insight’ (14 day retreat)
16th-25th August 2024, Pallotti College, Warburton, Victoria. Taught with Patrick Kearney.
Practising mindfulness allows us to become intimate with our moment-to-moment experience in ways that are not possible in the chaos of our everyday lives. In this retreat we explored intimacy – and what this intimacy reveals – through the two practice perspectives of serenity and insight, weaving them together in the movement towards liberation.
‘Nature & Embodiment’ retreat
6th - 9th January 2023, Nindethana, West Tamar, Tasmania.
Taught with Louise Taylor.