The Winter bardo
Venue - The Guesthouse, Southern Sweden
We hadn't planned to hold retreats here in the depths of winter — until guests kept arriving and telling us how much they'd love to be here in the cold and the snow. So this January, we're opening our doors for a quiet, cosy retreat designed for winter.
In the farming world, January is when the fields lie fallow — a time of rest and recuperation, every bit as essential as the times of planting and harvesting. It's a natural pause point: a chance to review the year behind us, take stock of where we are, and let the first dreams of what's ahead begin to form.
This retreat offers that same kind of pause. A chance to turn inwards, press pause, and sit with where your life — and your practice — is heading.
Our days will unfold between three spaces at the heart of the retreat: the meditation room in the guesthouse, with its large windows looking out over the garden and cosy underfloor heating; the big lounge, all sofas and armchairs gathered round the stove; and the sauna for quiet evenings of contemplation.
Teaching will be light-touch — offered more as prompts for your own reflection than formal talks. Each day includes an optional one-to-one practice review with Vajradarshini or Dhammasiri, alongside a programme of meditation. Beyond that, the days are yours: for reading, journaling, and walking the surrounding countryside.
You'll also have access to our library, stocked with both Dharma texts and creative writing — a good place to lose an afternoon by the fire.
Silence
After a first day of settling in and getting to know one another, we'll move into silence together for four full days, until the retreat's final day.
Who is this retreat suitable for?
This retreat is suitable for anyone with an established meditation practice and some basic Dharma knowledge. It is not an intensive meditation retreat.
“Winter is a season of recovery and preparation.”
See what a typical day on retreat with us looks like.
Read more about who our retreats are for.
