Open to beginners and experienced meditators alike. Can be attended in person or online.

The Shambhala Teachings comprise a series of five successive weekends and have been with us for nearly half a century. Their success has a number of aspects. They offer a simple secular five-stage meditative path open to all, regardless of background or belief-system: Buddhist, Christian, atheist or undecided.

This path helps us understand our ordinary life on the analogy of a journey, starting with the understanding that we already have all that we need.  One source book is Chögyam Trungpa’s Shambhala : Sacred Path of the Warrior, which makes clear that the warriorship we develop here is not aggression, but is tied on the contrary to basic goodness, and to gentleness as well as fearlessness. This path introduces us to a peer-group or cohort of practitioners who can act as spiritual friends. Lastly these weekends provide an opportunity for us to relate with the older students who staff and teach the weekends.

This Shambhala teaching sequence is presented as 5 individual weekends. It is recommended that you participate in these programmes in order, if possible. 

What each weekend involves:
•    Meditation Instruction
•    Time to Meditate
•    Talks
•    Discussion groups/pairs
•    One-on-one meetings
•    Regular breaks
•    Lunch and tea

This first meditation retreat/weekend is entitled ‘Discovering Ordinary Magic’ and concerns how meditation helps us  understand that we  already have all that we need.

If you have questions or would like to discuss in advance, please contact [email protected] repeaters welcome and encouraged at discounted price.

Here is a video on the Shambhala Teachings and their relation to Buddhism. More info on the Shambhala Teachings Series here.

The Teachers

Professor Peter Conradi is a free-lance writer and Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL). His books include Iris Murdoch : A Life, Going Buddhist, At the Bright Hem of God, A Very English Hero, Family Business : a Memoir, and A Dictionary of Interesting and Important Dogs. In the late 1970’s Peter lived in the US as an Exchange Professor at the University of Colorado in Boulder. It was there he first encountered meditation.

In 1990-92 Peter moved to Krakow in Poland, where he was Professor of English at the Jagiellonian University ,and helped facilitate the pioneer Shambhala Training Levels there. In 1997 he took early retirement to write. It also allows him to travel the world leading and teaching Shambhala practice retreats. He has led many Dathuns and half-Dathuns in DCL, Poland, and Wales.

Jim O’Neill has been practicing and studying Psychoanalysis for as many years as he has been practicing Buddhism. He teaches at The Philadelphia Association and The Site for Contemporary Psychoanalysis, of which he a member. He is also a member of the College of Psychoanalysts and a training supervisor, supervising other practitioners’ and trainee therapists’ clinical work. His psychotherapy teaching has often focused on the relationships and the useful links between Psychoanalysis/Psychotherapy and Buddhist studies and practice. Jim started teaching Shambhala Training and Buddhist studies in 1994 and has taught extensively throughout Europe.

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 £100 is available until two weeks prior, after which time the fee will be £120. 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.