Alfoxton Park - The Heart's Longing for Freedom 2026

The Heart's Longing for Freedom

2nd - 5th July 2026

For Dharma practice to truly flourish and transform our lives it needs to be both rooted in our actual lived, embodied experience and coupled with the sense of inspiration, perspective and possibility that the imagination can give us. On this reflective retreat we will explore together the Inuit folktale of 'Skeleton Woman'. A story that suggests the possibility of a creative alchemy of how we might live more fully from the deepest longings of the heart.

Over the course of the retreat, along with meditation and ritual, we will share and support each other in a group context. In this way, we can create a holistic environment where all aspects of our lives can become open to the transformational potential of the Dharma. A place of both grounded awareness of who we are, our inspiration and deepest longing for freedom.

Suitable for those with an experience of meditation within The Triratna Buddhist Community.

Facilitation Team

Nagasiddhi

Nagasiddhi currently works as a hospice chaplain. He regularly leads and supports retreats at Rivendell and is also an artist. He is known for the sense of humour and creativity he brings to his Dharma teaching. In particular, he helps others make connections between the Dharma and their own lives by using stories and images. His own artwork can be viewed at nagasiddhi.com.

Mandarava

Mandarava is an artist, puppet maker, and storyteller who creates immersive settings for enactments and ritual. She has a background working in professional theatre. As well as her interest in working creatively, she has trained more recently in the ‘healing arts’ and is now working as a ‘Somatic Experiencing and Focusing Practitioner’. Both are body-oriented approaches that help bring about more aliveness and release what has stuck in our lives. She is inspired by a holistic approach to practice.

Timings & travel

Timings

Please arrive between 3pm and 5pm on the first day. Dinner is served at 6pm. The retreat will finish by midday on the last day.

Travel

The nearest railway stations are Bridgwater and Taunton. We are about 1h 15min from Bristol by car.

The 15 bus leaves Bridgwater at 16:50 during college term dates and stops at the Plough Inn in Holford. We are a 15min walk from there.

Please get in touch for further advice with public transport, or for help arranging lifts / carpools.

Make sure to put "Coach House 2, Alfoxton Park" into Google Maps. Other variations will take you to Alfoxton House nearby which is not us. Otherwise use grid reference 51.165187, -3.220080.

The What3Words for our car park are ///soup.candy.huddling

Accommodation & Food

Accommodation

This is a camping retreat - bring a tent or live-in vehicle. Toilets, showers and a sauna are available. Warm and waterproof clothing are advisable, along with gloves and boots or wellies. You may also wish to bring a torch and hot water bottle.

We have limited accommodation indoors for those with specific needs. Please let us know when you book if this is the case for you.

Food

Delicious vegan meals will be provided throughout the retreat.

Accessibility & Diets

We are committed to Alfoxton being a fully accessible venue and are working hard to achieve this. However, while the renovation work continues, visitors with specific mobility or accommodation needs may experience barriers to accessing all areas of the building and land.

If you have any questions or concerns, just get in touch, and please inform us of any significant dietary or accessibility requirements before submitting your booking request.

Costs

Alfoxton Park is a charity and works on the principle of Dana or a 'gift economy'. Read more about Dana here.

A £108 deposit will secure your place on this event. You will be invited to make a donation to Alfoxton when you attend.

If you are an Triratna Order member and need financial support to pay a retreat deposit, you can apply for a grant from the Abhayaratna Trust.

Technology, Alcohol & Drugs

All of our events are alcohol and drug free.

During the meditation retreats we ask you to turn off your mobile phones and other devices and not contact people outside of the retreat.

For all other events and workshops we ask you to be mindful of the use of devices and stay present, in order to make the most of your time here.

Any Questions?

Check our FAQ page or send us an e-mail at events@alfoxtonpark.org.uk

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