Total Immersion 2026: The Myriad of Things

Led by: Paramananda with support from Karunagita, Bodhamayi and Upayavira
Location: Bowerwood, Nr. Broadhembury, E. Devon
Deposit amount: £130
Experience level: Experienced meditators – at least three years
Age group: Adults
Total suggested cost (excluding deposit): standard:£500, supported:£330, donation tier (helping others to come on retreat):£840
Vehicle Pass: Car:£15, Live-in- 6m and under: £30, Live-in- over 6m: £30

See our FAQ for an explanation of the deposit/ dana/ donation tier system. Please do read this if you think that you will not be able to afford the retreat or if you are not sure about the deposit/dana/ donation tier system in any way. We have suggested donation amounts to guide; these are structured to relate to what it costs us to run a retreat. However you are free to give as little or as much as befits your circumstances.

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To follow the way is to study the self. 

To study the self is to forget the self. 

To forget the self is to be illumined by the myriad of things. 
-Dogen

Paramananda has led retreats for over 35 years. He teaches a soulful approach to meditation, infused with poetry and myth, and at the same time emphasising connection to the body, land, place and each other.

This two-week intensive meditation retreat will draw on the attitude of beginner’s mind to invite an opening to a different way of being in the world. Living and meditating together in silence we will explore how our psyche is grounded in relationships to place, opening the way for re-enchantment of our world.

What is this retreat and who is it for?

This retreat is aimed at sincere meditators who practice regularly. It is ideal for those with substantial meditation experience within the Triratna Buddhist community, e.g. three or more years.

At the same time, we can facilitate those who are newer to meditation or new to Triratna, to participate. We can support you to take part if you have:

1. at least a year’s experience with the core Triratna meditation practices, or
2. substantial meditation experience in another tradition

If either of these applies, please tell us on the booking form. If you are uncertain if this is the right retreat for you, please do get in touch.

What to expect

The retreat will largely be held in silence, but at the same time involves a significant aspect of living in community through working, living and practising together. The daily timetable will be something like this:

6am- Rise
6.30–8am- Meditation
8.15am- Breakfast
9–10.30am- Morning circle and work period
11am–1pm Teaching and practice session
1pm- Lunch
3pm- Bodywork practice with Siwan
4.30–6pm- Practice session
6pm- Dinner
8-9pm- Evening ritual

Looking for a longer experience?

This retreat and our Pyre of Being Men’s retreat are running back-to-back in 2026. If you would like to book for over three weeks’ worth of retreat, that’s wonderful, and we warmly invite you to do so. There is a one-day gap between the events. If you are staying for both and would like to support the retreat team in the preparation and set-up, we will gladly accept your help and host you for free.

If you’d like to stay for the day but continue doing your own practice and activities, we are still happy to feed and host you, but would ask for an extra Dana contribution of around £10 per day to cover costs.

In either case, we ask you to continue to stick to the retreat behavioural guidelines during the gap.

Click here to find out more and to book The Pyre of Being Men’s Retreat

Things to note

• We have an extensive Retreat FAQ page here. Please read this thoroughly and, if you have a question that isn’t answered, get in touch.
• Please be aware that this is an intensive meditation retreat with extended periods of silence. It is not unusual for retreats of this nature to stir things up. If you are relatively new to such retreats, we suggest you discuss it with your local sangha peers and teachers to check if the retreat is a good fit for you. Please also see our FAQs and the document linked there – ‘Are you well enough to be on retreat?’
• If you are bringing a vehicle to a retreat and it is staying onsite, you need to buy a vehicle pass. This helps us to manage the number of vehicles on our sites as space is very limited. Please do not bring a vehicle if the relevant pass is sold out. Please liftshare where possible or use public transport. We offer pick up from Honiton train station for this retreat.