“God is your being.”  So says the anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing and The Book of Privy Counselling, texts which are of singular importance for the practice of meditation.

We are already one with God.  We don’t think our way to discovering this oneness, but by releasing everything that obscures this simple truth. To discover the depths of our oneness with God and all creation is enough to open our awareness “with a humble stirring of love.”

Originally written as practical guides for his student, the author teaches with a blend of wisdom and simplicity, directness and humour that reaches across the centuries.

Following the extremely positive feedback received following the in-person retreat, we are hosting this online to allow as many people as possible to participate and enjoy the gift of practising with fellow meditators.

The central focus of this experiential retreat will be silent meditation practice - exploring the practical teachings in the texts through our deepening stillness and shared silence. The invitation is to return to the still centre within, where we are one with each other and all creation in God, to return as places of love and peace in the world.

The retreat will be relevant and accessible to anyone searching for truth and peace, regardless of their faith, beliefs or previous experience of meditation.

It starts on Friday 10th Feb at 5:00pm with an orientation talk followed by a period of silent meditation. It finishes on Sunday 12th Feb at 3pm.

What people said who attended the in-person retreat

“Being immersed in the practice for a whole weekend was hugely enabling and encouraging for my personal spiritual journey. The teaching was incredibly accessible to a wide audience and deeply engaging, shared with passion, integrity and overwhelming openness and honesty.”

“I’ve been going on retreats over the last 20 years – this has been by far the most valuable because it has helped enormously to grasp more deeply the essence of the practice.”

“Very rich and accessible teaching, delivered with warm-hearted integrity. Valued opportunity to practice with fellow meditators and sink into a more profound silence than everyday life usually allows. The sowing of nurturing seeds which have been bearing fruit in the days since.”

Silence

The practice of silence will begin following the orientation talk on Friday and continue until lunchtime on Sunday.

Short talks across the retreat will be balanced with regular periods of sitting meditation, walking meditation and time for private practice. 8pm sessions on Friday evening and Saturday evening will be an opportunity for group conversation and reflection on what people have heard in the talks and encountered during their meditation in the day.

There will also be opportunities for short private meetings with the retreat leader, Chris Whittington.

Although the practice of silence may be new to some, most people find this a powerful and wonderful experience. Maintaining a quiet and peaceful environment - walking, moving, and doing things quietly – is important for our practice and a gift we can offer to each other.

To help cultivate and preserve interior and exterior silence, we suggest that you:

- Try to keep any reading to an absolute minimum during the retreat. The focus of the retreat is silent meditation practice; Try to avoid (or keep to an absolute minimum) any use of electronic devices.

- Let contacts who may otherwise be in touch with you know that you are on silent retreat and ask them not to make contact unless it’s an emergency. You may find it helpful to put and an ‘out of office’ on your email so you don’t feel compelled to reply during the time of retreat.

Retreat leader

Chris Whittington is the founder of the School of Contemplative Life. He was introduced to contemplative practice at the age of 19 during a period of formation at the Benedictine monastery of Prinknash Abbey, after which he studied at the Dalai Lama’s monastery in India. Chris regularly delivers talks, workshops and retreats across the UK. For more information about Chris' formation, please click here.

Retreat schedule

A detailed schedule is available on request. Please email info@schoolofcontemplativelife.com if you'd like a copy. 

While you are encouraged to attend all the planned sessions, please don’t worry if the first session is too early for you. Bringing a gentle spirit of discipline to the retreat is good, but listen to your body and be compassionate to yourself whenever you need to.