Mindful creative all-day retreat

Mindful creative all-day retreat

A one-day mindfulness retreat, including meditation practices, creative expression and journaling, that will be held mostly in silence. Experience of creative expression is not necessary.

Background to the day

This day builds on the positive responses from offering a similar event last year. We realised from last year’s experience that there was a real hunger, both for connecting with our creativity and also for engaging with mindfulness and compassion practices in ways that keep us freshly discovering ourselves. We found last time that for some people, creative practices really deepened places inside that they could access in a way that was both different from, and also complementary to, the mindfulness practice.

Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, the great Tibetan meditation teacher, saw art as a direct extension of meditation practice. He believed that art naturally arises from the clarity of the settled mind. Trungpa emphasized a “Dharma art” that was simple, immediate and unembellished, not an ego-based, “self-expression”: “Dharma art is simply the activity of nonaggression. It is the expression of basic sanity. When you are free from aggression, your perception becomes clear and precise. Then whatever you do – whether arranging flowers, painting, writing poetry, or making a cup of tea – can become an expression of that sanity.”

Content of the day

This day will be held as a mostly silent retreat day with mindfulness practices interspersed with creativity, using clay, drawing/painting and journaling. Some meditation experience (such as having done an eight-week course) is required but no experience of artistic or creative work is needed. Materials will be supplied. The day will be held at the Sussex Education Centre in Brighton.

Why a one-day retreat?

A one-day mindfulness retreat is an important part of the eight-week mindfulness course. It also offers an opportunity to extend your practice within a supportive environment. For people who meditate regularly the retreat offers a great way to deepen and refresh your practice. Read more about the benefits of a day long retreat.

This day retreat counts towards the requirement to attend silent retreats as part your BAMBA registration as a mindfulness teacher.

Who is it for?

This day is right for you if you have attended an eight-week Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, Mindfulness for Life or Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course, or have an established mindfulness practice. No artistic experience is required. Please note, this is not a clinical intervention and it is not advisable to do this day in the heat of a crisis, when it would be important to access your GP or your designated mental health clinician.

Retreat leaders

Robert Marx

Robert Marx is Co-Lead for the Sussex Mindfulness Centre. He is a consultant clinical psychologist and Cognitive-Analytic psychotherapist, mindfulness (MBCT) and compassion-based (MSC) teacher. He has been co-running day retreats in Sussex Partnership twice a year for around 15 years and more recently, 5 day residential mindfulness retreats. Painting and writing have also been important to him and he has incorporated both into his own personal retreats.

Sarah Marx

Sarah Marx has been working therapeutically with adults, children and families for the past 20 years. Originally trained as an adult therapist and then as a Child and Adolescent psychotherapist, Sarah has worked in the NHS, university counselling services, schools, colleges and private practice. She has trained in multiple therapy modalities, including psychodynamic, Cognitive-Analytic and mindfulness (MBCT), Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), EMDR and Theraplay. Wanting to incorporate the transformative nature of creativity into her clinical work, Sarah qualified at the Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education (IATE) where she went on to teach. She has worked as a trainer for Trauma Informed Schools UK and is part of the leadership team at Beacon House. She is also a ceramicist and has exhibited locally.

Ticket prices:

The cost for the day is £75. We also offer a choice of two other options:

£100 – Supporting rate. You can support other participants to attend who are on a low income.

£50 – Supported rate, if you are on a low income and can’t afford the general admission price.

For enquiries: spft.smc@nhs.uk