Open to beginners and experienced meditators alike. This weekend can be attended in-person in Clapham or online on Zoom.

More info on the Shambhala Teachings Series here.

“Human greatness does not lie in wealth and power, but in character and goodness. People are just people, and all people have faults and shortcomings, but all of us are born with a basic goodness.” Anne Frank

“If we pause and breathe in and out, then we can have the experience of timeless presence, of the inexpressible wisdom and goodness of our own minds. We can look at the world with fresh eyes and hear things with fresh ears.” Pema Chödrön

This first weekend in the series of Shambhala teachings is an introduction to the good news: That we already have everything we need to live a fulfilling life regardless of all the challenges we face as individuals.

Meditation plays a part by bringing together body and mind in the present moment. Moments like this can be experienced as glimpses of ‘no struggle’ – that is, moments when we find ourselves relaxing into and trusting our own aliveness. 

We can learn to relate to our own aliveness with appreciation, bringing peace and clarity through the practice of meditation. We will work on developing friendship with our mind, skill in how to work with difficulty, and a sense of humour – offering a healthy and sustaining alternative to the anxiety that often underlies our experience.  

Here is a video on the Shambhala Teachings and their relation to Buddhism.

Feedback from recent courses:
“Loved the talks, and everyone was so open to each other’s opinions and experiences”

“Having done retreats before I consider this venue and organisation excellent and will definitely come again”

“I got all the answers I came for and am excited about my practice”

“Impressive support by staff and volunteers – very professional”

For further information please email: [email protected]

The Teachers

David Hope has been involved in Shambhala for 40 years. He helped establish the London Shambhala Centre in the early 1980’s. He set up Shambhala Training in Britain and ran it for many years. Since then he has taught widely in Europe and other countries worldwide, including Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. He has been involved with Dechen Chöling, our residential practice centre in France, since its beginnings in 1995, as one of the first co-directors, and in many other ways. In 2005 he was appointed as Acharya (a senior teacher) for the Shambhala community, a position which he stepped down from in the June 2020.

Rachel O’Dowd lives in Manchester, where she has run meditation groups and retreats. She discovered Shambhala teachings while living in California in the 1990s. Her professional background is in graphic design and in adult education, with experience of working in custody, probation hostels and rehabilitation centres. She is involved in climate activism and Active Hope (in the tradition of Joanna Macy). She also has a creative practice which relates to the Five Wisdom Energies.  

Payment Terms and Conditions
Please register and pay in full on registration, ensuring you click on the relevant price option to go through to PayPal where you can also pay by credit/debit card. Cancellation up to 1 week before the programme will receive a full refund, after that there will be a £20 fee charged for cancellation up until two days before, after which no refund is granted.

The early bird registration fee of £90 is available until two weeks prior, after which time the fee will be £110. A concession fee of £60 is available for those earning below £25,000 per annum and a concession fee of £50 is available for those earning below £20,000.  Please contact [email protected] to arrange a concession.