THE WINTER BARDO
ONLINE RETREAT

29 Dec 2026 - 02 Jan 2027

“Bardo is a Tibetan word referring to what we experience in the period between death and rebirth; however, more generally, the word may refer to the gap or space we experience between any two states.”

— Lion's Roar Magazine

The Winter Bardo: Online Retreat Deposit

£30.00

Over five days, we'll mix meditation and dharma reflection with an honest look at the year behind us and the year to come. Alongside essential Dharma teaching, we'll draw on some creative thinking about how to review and plan our lives to make the most of them.

5 days to review and reset your life for the coming year

Every year, in that bardo-like week between Christmas and New Year, I feel torn — part of me wants to be on retreat, part of me wants to spend the time looking back over the year that's been and start dreaming about the one ahead.

I want to meditate, to stare out at the snow, but I also want to look through the last year's photos and diaries, and to think about what creative directions I want to take my life and practice in the coming year.

This year we are combining both to create The Winter Bardo, an online retreat, and we'd love you to join us.

What to expect

Over five days, we'll mix meditation and dharma reflection with an honest look at the year behind us and the year to come.

Alongside essential Dharma teaching, we'll draw on some of the creative thinking out there for how to review and plan our lives creatively — from Oliver Burkeman, Alain de Botton, Mason Curry, and others.

Each day moves between two threads, woven together:

The retreat thread — seeing our lives through a dharmic lens, through short teachings, meditation, quiet reflection, and opportunities to share with others.
The review and vision thread — taking stock of where we've been and where we're heading, our relationships, work, health, creativity, and practice.

Approaches:
Expect journaling, collage (digital and analog), letter-writing, and ritual, alongside the more traditional retreat elements.

“To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly.”

— Henri Bergson

The four reminders

Our framework is a fresh look at ancient teaching: the four reminders — these are the four thoughts said to turn the mind toward the Dharma.

Our precious human life - Approaching our lives with self-compassion and creativity.

Impermanence and the inevitability of death - A reason to both hold our plans lightly, and get to the things that are most important.

The law of karma, cause and effect - A reminder that we have real power to shape what comes next in our lives.

The suffering of samsara - Remembering to keep whatever we plan pointed toward waking up, and not just trying to ‘fix samsara’.

Each day, the same rhythm

Morning 2hrs— Meditation, qigong and reflection, reviewing and planning our lives in the light of the Dharma.

Afternoon 2hrs — A more practical, creative feel: collage, letter-writing, journaling.

Evening 1hr — Meditation and ritual, to close the day.

(On New Year’s Eve we’ll have a longer evening programme)

Optional extras

If your schedule allows some free time during the retreat, you might use it to clear and reset a part of your physical space for the year ahead — one room, one category of things (clothes, for instance), or even your digital space.

We'll offer a few simple ideas and tips if you'd like to take this on alongside the retreat.

Five days, five themes

Tuesday 29 December —
Our precious human life: A bird's eye view of 2026

We start by simply looking — through old journals, photos, and letters — to get a real feel for the shape of the year gone by. Reviewing our lives with self-compassion. What new themes do we want to build on? What's ready to be left behind?

Wednesday 30 December —
Impermanence and the inevitability of death: Letting go of unfinished business

Sitting with impermanence brings a certain urgency to anything left unresolved from 2026, while we sit lightly with our plans for 2027. What old stories are we ready to let go of? What values do we want to embody going forward?

Thursday 31 December —
The law of karma, cause and effect: Creating a picture of 2027

If impermanence teaches us to hold our plans loosely, karma reminds us that we're shaping ourselves and our world constantly, through every action of body, speech, and mind. Nothing is fully in our control — but everything we do, and don't do, shapes what comes next.

Friday 1 January —
The suffering of samsara: Sending invitations to the universe

We'll start the year with an intention: that all we do serves waking up. With 2027 ahead, we'll look at the four seasons to come, each with its own energy — fallow winter, sowing spring, growing summer, harvesting autumn. On New Year's Day, we'll send invitations to the universe, to the people and qualities we want to welcome in.

Saturday 2 January —
How you live your days is how you live your life

The day — those 24 hours between one sleep and the next — is the real working unit of a life. Taking inspiration from creative people, we'll look at our own daily rituals and shape a few new ones for the season ahead, along with a simple rhythm of weekly and monthly review — so that next year, we have a real record of what worked.

Ideas for how to set up your retreat

Home alone – Perhaps you have the opportunity to be home alone, or to go away somewhere for a little solitary retreat.

With friends – You could arrange to do the retreat with friends, either staying together, visiting one another, or even just meeting online to check in.

Weaving the retreat into your life – If you have family or work commitments, you could put aside blocks of time to engage with the retreat in between your commitments.

Reschedule the retreat to suit you – If this is a retreat you really want to do but the timing doesn't suit you, sign up to get all the recordings and resources, and then schedule the retreat at a time that works for you.

Timings - All sessions will be recorded and uploaded within a couple of hours in case you need to catch up

Retreat Cost

This retreat is offered on a dana basis, which means you choose how much you would like to give. We will ask for a donation at the end of the retreat.

Meanwhile we are asking for a deposit of £30.00 to book your place.

NOTE: If you already have an account with Red Ladder Studio, login at checkout.