Non-residential Weekend Retreat with Ajahn Brahm & Ajahn Canda: “A Mind Like a Still Forest Pool”
Ajahn Brahm & Ajahn Canda at the Mercure in June 2025
Ajahn’s Chah’s simile of the “still forest pool” beautifully captures the essence of a peaceful mind that is fully aware. He described sitting silently in the deep forests of Thailand, so still that wild animals no longer sensed his presence and gradually began to appear ~ first the familiar, then the rare and remarkable.
In a similar way, when the mind is allowed to settle, something profound begins to unfold. Stillness is not only deeply restful and nourishing; it becomes a source of insight. From a place of inner calm, we begin to see more clearly, respond more wisely and discover new ways of meeting life. Rather than withdrawing, we become more resilient, more grounded and better resourced to engage with the world around us.
The weekend includes sitting and walking meditation, Dhamma talks, Sutta discussions, and plenty of humour ~ shared with warmth, depth and joy from our two teachers.
Whether you’re new to meditation or deepening an established practice, you’re invited to step out of the noise and busyness of life, reset the mind and reconnect with a sense of clarity, balance and quiet confidence you can carry into everyday life.
Location and Practical Details
Located in tranquil Iffley Village within Oxford and just ten minutes’ drive from Oxford city centre, lies the Mercure Oxford Hawkwell House Hotel. Set among three acres of private gardens, this is the perfect setting to enjoy a quiet time of retreat in one of the UK’s most historical cities. The beautiful River Thames’ tow path is ten minutes walk away through the pretty Iffley village – ideal for walking meditation or to simply watch the river flow by.
For this retreat we have full use of the main conference hall, seating up to 130 participants. Tea (served twice a day) and a lunch of deluxe sandwiches & salad is included in your booking. Gluten free and vegan options will be available.
Comfortable chairs will be available for meditation; limited floor space is available. Please kindly bring your own meditation mat with a cushion if you prefer to sit on the floor, as we will not be able to provide these.
This is a non-residential retreat (without accommodation included); however, you may wish to book a room at the same hotel by directly contacting them (of course, after you have received your final booking confirmation for the retreat!). Alternately, there are many other hotels nearby and in Oxford city centre.
Tentative Retreat Schedule
Saturday 21st November:
09:00 Arriving, Settling in & Tea
09:30 – 11:15 Dhamma Talk & Guided Meditation (Ajahn Brahm)
11:15 – 11:45 Walking Meditation
12:00 – 13:30 Lunch break (food served in the dining room at the Hotel – see event description above)
13:30 – 14:15 Sutta Class (Ajahn Brahm and/or Ven Canda)
14:30 – 15:15 Guided Meditation (Ajahn Brahm and/or Ven Canda)
15:15 – 15:40 Walking Meditation
15:40 – 16:10 Silent Meditation
16:10 – 16:30 Tea Break
16:30 – 17:15 Q&A Session (Ajahn Brahm)
17:15 – 17:45 Silent Meditation & Blessing, Departures by 18:00
Sunday 22nd November:
09:00 Arriving, Settling in & Tea
09:30 – 11:15 Dhamma Talk & Guided Meditation (Ajahn Brahm)
11:15 – 11:45 Walking Meditation
12:00 – 13:30 Lunch break (food served in the dining room at the Hotel – see event description above)
13:30 – 14:15 Sutta Class (Ajahn Brahm and/or Ven Canda)
14:30 – 15:15 Guided Meditation (Ajahn Brahm and/or Ven Canda)
15:15 – 15:40 Walking Meditation
15:40 – 16:00 Tea Break
16:00 – 16:45 Q&A Session (Ajahn Brahm)
16:45 – 17:15 Metta Meditation
17:15 – 17:45 Discussion on Anukampa Bhikkhuni Project & Departures by 18:00
Ajahn Brahm is kindly coming all the way from Perth to England to support Anukampa Bhikkhuni Project’s charitable aims – of spreading the Dhamma and developing Anukampa Grove. As the first residence for bhikkhunis in the UK, Anukampa Grove gives women an opportunity to practice as bhikkhunis and provides a place for our warm-hearted and diverse community to practice. The volunteers who organise these retreats give their time freely, helping us keep costs as low as possible. At the end of the retreat, there will be an opportunity to donate towards the running costs of Anukampa Grove and requisites for the resident nuns.
If you would like to contribute to sponsoring accommodation for Ajahn Brahm, Ajahn Canda and Samaneri Upacala, please donate here, reference: ‘monastic costs.’
We may be able to offer some financial assistance to those of limited means through our bursary fund, collected entirely through the generosity of others.
You are welcome to donate to our bursary fund here.
Application Procedure
Next steps:
1. Please ensure you read all the above information carefully first, and then fill in the application form below. At this stage you will not be required to make a payment.
2. After submitting your application form, within five minutes you should receive an email confirming that we have received it. Please check your junk mail inbox if you do not receive it. We advise you to add our email address bookings@anukampaproject.org as a contact, to prevent our emails going into your junk folder.
3. If you do not receive your ticket within an hour, please contact us at bookings@anukampaproject.org. Please be aware that emails that we send to non-Gmail, Hotmail or Outlook email account outside the UK (e.g. .pl; .gmx etc), are often rejected as ‘undelivered’ for unknown reasons. Please therefore contact us from a Gmail, Hotmail or Outlook email account where at all possible, to save disappointment.
We aim to approve your application within a week. If you haven’t heard from us after one week, please contact us at: bookings@anukampaproject.org.
Health and community care: Please do not attend if you feel ill (e.g. if you have any symptoms of Covid or any other viral infections).
The ticket / registration fee is £180 per person, which includes two tea breaks and sandwich lunch for each day of the event (Saturday and Sunday).
This registration fee is refundable minus £50 BEFORE 21st September 2026. Please note that from 22nd September no refund will be given, unless someone on our waiting list is able to take your place. If your ticket can be taken by someone else, you will be refunded minus £50. Whilst we will make every effort to offer your ticket on, we are sorry that this cannot be guaranteed.
All ticket proceeds go toward covering venue hire and other arrangements. Any excess will go toward general running cost of Britain’s first Vihara for bhikkhuni, “Anukampa Grove.”
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Registration for this event closes on the 18th of November.