Becoming Places of Peace: Weekend meditation retreat in Dorset

Event description

The person who establishes peace in themselves, said the Orthodox monk Elder Thaddeus, ‘will imperceptibly pass it on to others.  It will radiate from us even though we may not be aware of it.’

What if the source of peace we long for isn’t something to earn, something we lack, but a sacred treasure already within us, waiting in silence to be discovered? What if this discovery could transform not just our life, but the world around us?

Drawing from his new book, The Missing Peace: Meditation as a Spiritual Path to Peace, Community and Oneness, Chris Whittington will explore an almost forgotten wellspring of ancient wisdom reaching back to the Desert Fathers and Mothers, guiding us on a pathway to help us live with greater peace, compassion – to become places of peace in the world.

Through a flow of short talks, silent meditation practice and conversation, we’ll explore:

•    How our noisy, distracted minds create the illusion of separation—from God, from one another, and from creation;
•    How meditation helps us see through that illusion and reawaken our connection to the oneness of being;
•    How, as we are restored to ourselves, we are also restored to each other;
•    And how each of us can become a place of peace in the world.

Christian meditation is not about mastering techniques, but about relationship. It reveals that we are not separate from one another or from any part of creation, but one in God’s Oneness.

The realisation of oneness is the deepest foundation of peace within us and the deepest foundation of peace between us, for our care of each other and of our precious world. “When it is truly seen,” wrote Julian of Norwich, “no person can separate themselves from another.”

Who is this for?

This retreat will offer important insights for those who practice meditation, but is carefully crafted for those who are new to the practice but feel drawn to discover the deep wisdom of the Christian contemplative tradition. It will be relevant and accessible to anyone searching for truth and peace, regardless of their faith, beliefs or previous experience of meditation.

What to expect

The focus of the retreat is silent meditation. We will practice bringing loving-attention to all our daily activities – while sitting, while walking or eating, while looking at a beautiful tree or simply enjoying a glass of water. We will practice encountering the world deeply.

The retreat timetable includes plenty of time for conversation, including after talks as a whole group, and opportunities to take part in small group discussion sessions scheduled across the weekend. Breakfast will be in silence.

Practical information

The retreat sessions will start at 4pm on the Friday and finish at 15:00 on the Sunday. It will involve extended periods of meditation practice and silence.

Saturday and Sunday begin at 6:30am with meditation practice. Early morning meditation is a wonderful way to greet the day together. While we very much encourage everyone to attend this session, if this is difficult for you for any reason please don’t worry. It is always enough to do what we can – or what our life allows.

Small reflection groups, hosted by Chris, provide an opportunity for up to seven people to meet and explore together a question or two about their meditation practice, or how practice relates to what they have heard during a talk or to daily life. We can learn so much sharing with and listening to others.

Venue, accommodation, meals and costs

Othona Dorset is a peaceful retreat centre set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the Jurassic Coast. Surrounded by rolling countryside, open skies and sea air, it offers a simple, welcoming and deeply grounding environment ideal for stillness, reflection and spiritual renewal.

Prices include all teaching, accommodation and meals. Prices start from £296 and please refer to the Othona website for more details about their pricing policy. Their tiered pricing for this retreat reflects true costs (Standard: £329), supports reduced rates and bursaries (Benefactor: £362), and a Basic rate (£296). There are concessions for shared rooms and non-residents. The price you choose does not impact your room allocation.

Event leader

Chris Whittington is the Founder of The School of Contemplative Life. He was introduced to contemplative practice during several years of formation when he lived at the Benedictine monastery of Prinknash Abbey in England. Chris’ monastic teachers taught meditation as a universal wisdom found within all the great spiritual traditions, a pathway to peace and solidarity with people of all faiths and none. Following an introduction by the Abbot of the Prinknash community, Chris subsequently studied at the Dalai Lama’s monastery in Dharamshala, India.

Chris regularly delivers talks, workshops and retreats and has introduced the practice of meditation in the Christian tradition to thousands of people in the UK and abroad. He is known for his ability to communicate the subtleties of the practice and complex spiritual texts in simple, practical ways, resonant with the challenges of daily life.

Chris is the author of the The Missing Peace | Meditation as a Spiritual Path to Peace, Community and Oneness being published by Canterbury Press.

Testimonials

“From start to finish, the retreat was incredible.  The schedule was ideal: a mix of lectures, meditation, silent meals and private practice. This was my first experience of The School of Contemplative Life and I drove 9 hours on a gut instinct to attend. It was worth every minute. Chris is an attentive and insightful teacher; clearly with a wealth of knowledge.  This is the kind of teaching I have been searching for! Thank you for making it possible. I feel relieved and excited to have landed on a path I can trust. I know I can learn, develop and grow under such guidance. Post-retreat, I feel a sense of inner peace and calm that is new.. .a wonderful beginning.”

“The content was extraordinary and life changing, not to be dramatic! I was already a (newish) meditator but the extra sitting meditations, the walking mediations in your beautiful grounds, in the quiet company of others, was very special.  Chris is a wonderful teacher, speaking with precision and clarity about the simple (yet deep) truths of who we really are.  I felt the presence of God more clearly than perhaps I ever have done and know that in some way I am changed, even now I’m back home.”

“There is so much that I valued about this retreat and so many things I will be taking forward: being given the opportunity to practise meditation multiple times through the day, the teaching, the peace, the fellowship with others, learning to train my mind.”

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