Cultivating Equanimity

A retreat for developing balance, stability and peace

Equanimity is quality of mind and heart that allows us to embrace the whole of our experience and the fullness of life. 

So often in life we want to hold on to what is pleasant and avoid what is unpleasant or challenging. This habit is a deep source of suffering. It's a reflex that prevents us dwelling deeply and peacefully in the here and now.

Equanimity is a practice of cultivating both courage and love. It is the courage to really be here for all that life brings us, and the love to embrace and include all of experience - not shutting anything out. 

On this retreat, we'll spend time practising this cultivation of courage and love - this cultivation of equanimity.

We're offering this retreat to our community members


If you'd like to join the retreat, just sign up to our community membership. It costs £10 per month and you can cancel any time.

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Register your place

Live guided meditations

Meditating with others is a powerful way to nourish our practice of mindfulness. Knowing that we are practising with others at the same time - even if they are hundreds or thousands of miles away can strengthen our intention and deepen our presence.

Devote a day to practice

On this retreat we will engage in practices that enable us to deepen into rest and stillness.

Stillness offers the opportunity to see what is happening from moment to moment with clarity and freshness.

With this clear seeing we are able to release from habitual patterns of reactivity and instead turn towards and embrace all of life.

Find inspiration and connection with others

We've been amazed at the level of connection and intimacy that can emerge on zoom calls. We think of it as a digital campfire.

Over the course of the retreat, you'll spend time with everyone as part of the whole group, but there'll also be times where you'll breakout into smaller groups and have the chance to share and learn with people from all over the world.

Retreat Schedule

The online retreat will have a mix of teaching, guided meditations, and opportunities to share and connect with others in zoom breakout rooms. The schedule for the day will be as follows...

  • 10am-11.20am Sitting, movement meditation & bodyscan

  • Break

  • 11.35am-12.15pm Open awareness practice

  • 12.15pm-1pm A mindful walk cultivating equanimity

  • Lunch

  • 1.45pm-2.30pm Equanimity Practice

  • Break

  • 2.45pm-3.30pm Listening Circle

  • 3.30pm-4pm Closing Sitting Practice

Instructor(s)

Michael Bready

Michael is the founder and director of Youth Mindfulness. He has’s taught mindfulness to thousands of children, teenagers and adults and developed numerous mindfulness curricula including the Youth Mindfulness Kids Programme, SOMA Programme, Mindfulness for Life and Inner Strength Programme for young men in prison. His current passion is exploring what the latest science is telling us about the nature of human beings and how that can lead to a brighter, wiser, and more humane future.

Lorna Walker

Lorna is a mindfulness teacher and trainer with decades of experience in the education and social care sectors. She was previously a principal teacher and wellbeing advisor at Quarriers and is one of Youth Mindfulness’ lead trainers and co-author of the Youth Mindfulness SOMA Programme. Lorna has a passionate interest in building compassionate communities, and takes a systems-based approach to nurturing the wellbeing of staff teams. She has a particular specialisation in harm reduction and works closely with CALM Training to bring mindfulness and compassion training to staff teams both in the UK and internationally.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How much time do I need to set aside for this retreat?

    The retreat will start at 10am on Sunday 2nd April and runs until 4pm There are short breaks in the schedule as well as a longer break for lunch. We recommend that you keep the entirety of day free so that even when you're not on a live session you can still keep the energy of mindful practice alive.

  • What happens if I miss a session or I can only make part of the day?

    We've put this retreat together as a complete experience so we think you'll get the most out of it if you attend all the sessions. However, if for some reason, you have to miss a session, it's not the end of the world.

    What's most important is that you commit to the experience as much as you can - that's the way you'll get the most out of it.

  • How should I prepare?

    Clear your diary and set up a comfortable space where you can be undistracted. Commit to putting aside other distractions - like your mobile phone and other devices for the duration of the day. Let any people you live with know that you'll be going on this retreat and think ahead to how that can work best in your household.

  • I live with other people, can I still join?

    Absolutely! You don't need to live in a hut on a mountainside to participate in this retreat. In fact, part of the learning on this retreat can be an exploration of how to deepen our mindfulness practice in the context of our own home. It'll be helpful to talk with the people you live with before the start of the retreat to let them know your plans and that you'll need to be undisturbed during the sessions. Closer to the start of the retreat we'll send information on how to prepare.

  • Who is the retreat for?

    The retreat is for anyone looking to deepen and refresh their mindfulness practice. We expect many people who have completed training with Youth Mindfulness, but we also welcome people who have never trained or followed a course with Youth Mindfulness.

Tech questions

  • What equipment do I need?

    We'll be hosting the retreat through zoom. You can access zoom through your web browser or by downloading the app. You can test zoom is working on your machine by going here: https://zoom.us/test

  • I don't have a very stable internet connection, will this be a problem?

    This could be an issue when you join the breakout rooms - it might be difficult for other participants to hear you.

    If you can watch youtube videos alright with your internet connection, you should be able to follow the talks and the guided meditations.

  • Do I need to have my camera turned on?

    While not essential, we do encourage this, as it creates a sense of connection amongst the whole group.

  • Can I join the retreat from my phone?

    Yes you can. But we think the best experience will come from joining on a device with a larger screen - like a laptop or tablet. If a phone is most convenient for you - you're most welcome to join in this way.