Preparing for Retreats

Particularly if you have not previously attended one of our retreats you should read this page to inform you of various matters. Even if you have attended other retreats elsewhere there are several points specific to our events which will differ from those held elsewhere or by other organisations.

This page also answers several Frequently Asked Questions about our retreats and their arrangments.

Before Booking a Retreat

Be sure to understand the nature of our retreats. These are not countryside holidays, they are serious and intensive meditation events. Most retreats are silent events with no conversation permissible at any time. Most of the day is scheduled with continuous activities, comprising mostly meditation but also other activities such as work periods and some chanting. There is usually very little or no free time, but some retreats include scheduled outdoor walk periods and rest periods.

Consult the sample Daily Schedule and the Retreat Descriptions before making a booking.

Please also read the description of Maenllwyd Retreat Centre. This is an old and unmodernised property and you need to understand the requirements and limitations of the facilities. In particular if you suffer from any disability please contact the membership secretary for advice before making your booking. Whilst we try to accommodate people with disabilities there are unfortunately some insuperable obstacles in improving access to the property.

Maenllwyd Retreat Centre is located in Mid-Wales. We issue directions on confirmation of booking.

Please only book if you intend to attend. Late cancellation or no-show incurs a penalty of 100% of the retreat fee.

Before Attending a Retreat

Please read and act on the information that we send to you when we receive your booking. Please be sure to bring with you the items that we list as essential. e.g. torch (there is no lighting in dormitory and toilet areas, and in other areas there is only dim lighting from candles and paraffin lamps); sleeping bag (there is no bedding provided); wellington or similar boots (several times a day you will need to cross a muddy farmyard, and in work periods you may be working out of doors); etc.

Prepare yourself for retreat by so far as possible arriving rested. The schedule is quite intensive and we rise early, usually around 5am, retiring at 10pm, and so it may help to avoid 'jet-lag' if you adjust your sleeping time for a few days at home before the retreat.

Set your affairs in order before arriving at the retreat centre. The literal meaning of retreat is to retreat from the world, to temporarily set aside the concerns of everyday life so as to be able to concentrate on your meditation practice. Therefore it is unhelpful and inappropriate to expect to manage your affairs whilst you are on retreat. Furthermore it is impractical since there are no communication facilities at the retreat centre: there is no electricity, no telephone, and being in a Welsh valley there is no signal for mobile phones. Therefore be sure to advise your family and employer not to expect any contact at all during your time on retreat.

Travelling to Retreat

A common concern is in arranging travel to the retreat centre, and in particular in arranging lifts for those who do not have their own transport. We do try to make available to those needing lifts the contact details of other retreatants who have offered to provide lifts to those travelling from their direction. But we cannot guarantee to arrange lifts and you should not assume that lifts will be available.

Travelling to Maenllwyd by public transport is possible, but involves several changes. In essence it requires you to travel by train to either Llandindrod Wells (Llandindrod railway station) or Caersws, and from there to take a taxi. Taxi fare one-way is (in 2005) about £20 from Llandindrod Wells, more from Caersws. It is sometimes possible to travel part of the way from Llandindrod Wells or Caersws by bus to reduce the cost of taxi fares, but these buses are quite infrequent and may not be at suitable times. If you wish to avoid taxi fares altogether this will require you to arrive in Rhayader early enough in the day to get one of the infrequent post-buses to the village, and from there to walk, carrying your baggage with you, about 1.5 miles up a farm-track to reach the retreat house.

If travelling by public transport you will also need to plan your return journey. Usually (though not guaranteed) it is possible to get a lift from the retreat centre either to a railway station or at least to place from where you can phone for a taxi.

We do not provide full details of location and travel here since the retreat centre is not open to casual visitors. Full details are provided on confirmation of booking.

For most retreats we ask you to arrive between 6pm and 7pm. We do not serve a meal on the first evening, so we advise that you plan to eat whilst travelling or alternatively bring sandwiches to eat on arrival. If planning to break the journey to eat it is best if you do so before getting too close to Maenllwyd, since in these smaller towns cafes may close by 5pm or 5:30pm.

After Retreat

It is recommended that you try to plan for a quiet couple of days after returning home from retreat. We realise that this isn't always possible since there may be limits on how much leave you can take from work, and there may be family and other engagements which it is difficult to defer. But if it is possible to arrange some quiet time you will find that you appreciate it. Having spent several days in a silent retreat you may find 're-entry' to everyday life quite noisy and maybe even overwhelming. Furthermore retreatants commonly experience that the intensive meditation practice establishes an awareness which doesn't 'switch off' the moment the retreats ends, and given space to reflect insights may occur in the few days following the retreat.