Urban Retreats were pioneered by the Sheffield Buddhist Centre in the UK, and have since been successfully taken up by many other Centres around the world. The idea of the International Urban Retreat is to encourage even more local communities to benefit from this great idea, but also for our global community to be on retreat together. It is another way of fostering a sense of us all belonging to a coherent and diverse, internationally united Buddhist movement.

The basic idea of an urban retreat is that is helps us learn how to practise in everyday life, to gain confidence that we can really sustain such a practice and actually change ourselves and our lives! It is about how to live an 'ideal urban life'. It is maybe especially helpful for people who find it difficult to get away on retreat because of family or work commitments. However, even those who do go on retreat often find returning from retreat and sustaining their practice is difficult — and the urban retreat can help them learn how to do so.

For those taking part at a Triratna Centre, the week starts with a day retreat at your local Centre on Saturday 8th October. During that day you’ll be helped and encouraged to set up the conditions to take your practice deeper. To support you during the week, there will be talks, led meditations, and other resources available, locally and online. The Urban Retreat ends with another day event on 15th October with the chance to reflect on how it went, and where you want to take your practice next…

For those doing the retreat online, there will be basically the same format — two 'day retreats' on the 8th and 15th, and daily input in-between… but all provided online! Get started now...