Ancient Woodland, Ancient Peace
15-18 October 2026
4-Day Cornish Forest Retreat
Let the forest teach you rest.
Join Alistair for this first retreat in his new home of Cornwall. Reconnect to your natural wellsprings of peace in this magical fragment of ancient Cornish forest.
This retreat is part of Mindsprings' year-long project to relax and enjoy. So often we come up against the paradox of "straining to relax" or "enjoyment as a job", and Alistair has discovered how powerful Nature can be in dissolving these contradictions. We don't need to create peace, just let Nature point it out - inside us, and all around us in the living world.
The retreat centre in Bodmin is the perfect place to do this. Powerful sessile oak forests, full of ferns and lichen. A riverside sauna. Huge communal spaces to sit by the fire. Delicious and nutritious food. And individual and twin cabins nestled in the woods themselves.
Sometimes we just have to let Nature do the work for us
Alistair says:
"I'm so happy to have found this extraordinary retreat centre on the edge of Bodmin Moor, Cornwall.
At Cabilla, you’re not in any old woodland — you’re stepping into one of the last fragments of Atlantic temperate rainforest in Britain. These are rare ecosystems found in wet, mild western regions and they support an extraordinary diversity of mosses, ferns, lichens and other life that make them feel more like myth than a real place. They're the 1% remainder of what used to cover the whole of the Atlantic seaboard.
For four days, we are spending time with these ancient sessile oaks and letting them guide us to the experience of "naturally arising peace". So often we strive for relaxation, which, of course, is just more stress. But in magical places like this wooded valley down to the River Bedaldar we don't need to strain to relax but allow the peace of the wooded world into our hearts."
About Cabilla
Cabilla Cornwall's mission is to inspire everyone to experience the restorative powers of nature,.
In a secluded valley nestled within the breathtaking surroundings of Bodmin Moor, you are welcomed into the ancient embrace of rare Atlantic Temperate Rainforest and peaceful wildflower meadows – all paired with elegant living spaces, comfortable accommodation and best-in-class facilities.
Cabilla is wise, intelligent, vital land that lends itself perfectly to holding and healing. Marvel at centuries old oak trees, open your heart to the songs of rare bird species, get lost amongst the bluebells, drink water fresh from the spring, swim in the ultra-pure Bedaldar river and sleep under starlight when the day is done.
What to expect from this Mindsprings Retreat
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We'll gather on Thursday for lunch at 12.30, if you're able to get there in time. And we'll have an afternoon of settling in before the retreat begins on Thursday evening.
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The daily schedule for Friday and Saturday is fairly similar
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We'll gather in the Main Barn (the centre of all group activity and eating) for some pre-breakfast energy work and a short sit.
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Sam will cook us a delicious and healthy breakfast, and then we'll head outside for the morning session.
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Weather dependent, most of our sessions will begin in the barn and then spill out into the woods and valley.
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We'll have lunch at 1.30 and then have a couple of hours for wandering and resting.
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Before supper, there is another group sit by the river or in the Barn. And then supper at 6pm.
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A final group session after supper is a further chance to practice together and integrate what we have learned during the day.
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Generally, it's lights out and silence after 10pm - so early nights, though you could go for a moonlight walk!
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We finish on Sunday after lunch, around 2pm, so you have time to get home. If you need to leave early, the final formal practice and closing will be around 11am.
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We often explore silence on these retreats. It's a very friendly silence and, again, many people love this element of the retreat.
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Please make sure you've tied up all electronic loose ends before you arrive. We have a no-phone rule during the retreat.
About the teacher
Alistair is a broadcaster, psychotherapist and meditation teacher.
He's worked for the BBC for more than 20 years and works as a UKCP-accredited therapist in Cornwall. Since 2004, he's run Mindsprings, his therapeutic meditation organisation, which teaches body-based and Buddhist solutions to many of our everyday problems.
Mindsprings offers popular meditation-based courses on many subjects:
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helping people with anxiety, dissociation, stress.
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working with mental health in the LGBTQ community.
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exploring the growing field of embodiment and somatic practices.
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teaching Buddhist practices for mental health and well-being
Alistair teaches in England, Wales, Scotland, Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, Iceland and the Netherlands.
Food, Accommodation and Pricing
The cost of the retreat is £275, which includes breakfast, lunch and supper from Thursday to Sunday and the teaching. Accommodation fees depend on where you'd like to sleep!
Cabilla is a new centre with 12 "koyt" cabins in the ancient woods. Each has a log burner and can be set up as a single or as a two-bed twin. Please note the bathrooms and showers are in the main retreat centre, a short walk away. So it's luxury rustic.
I have allowed for 6 single-occupancy koyts and 6 twins, which makes space for 18 people. We can shift these if more people want to share or more people want singles. There's also space for camping and camper vans.
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Camping: 4 pitches in the beautiful wild garden near the main building (£75 for the whole retreat)
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Campervan space: 3 spaces in the carpark in front of the main building (£125 for the whole retreat)
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Shared koyt: single bed in a 2-bed cabin in the woods (£285 for the whole retreat)
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Solo koyt: double bed in your own cabin in the woods, for solo sleepers or couples (£450 for whole retreat)
Don't let money stop you coming on retreat...
Mindsprings would like people to practice even if they are struggling financially, for whatever reason. We offer a limited number of partial bursaries for these retreats.
Getting to Cabilla
Directions
The easiest way to find the venue is via the Google Maps link for Cabilla Cornwall here or on What3words with ‘romantics.galaxy.budget’. We recommend that you drive to us so you can explore the local area more easily. Plug PL30 4DW into your sat nav and follow the signs – you’ll find us. Or to reach us by train, our nearest station is Bodmin Parkway, where you can arrange for a taxi to bring you here.
What clothing and footwear to pack
We always recommend bringing lots of warm, waterproof clothing that dries easily, plus waterproof footwear. Bring warm layers for the day and especially for night, as it can get chilly – multiple pairs of warm socks are a must.
Wellies or walking boots are absolutely essential. We would recommend bringing a pair of slippers and/or thick socks to wear in your Koyt, as we kindly ask that you do not wear outdoor shoes inside.
Phone supply and phone chargers
There is a charging station in The Barns for electronic devices if necessary. Unfortunately, we cannot be held responsible for any personal items left unattended. We would recommend a digital detox and leaving your phone switched off!
In your Koyts
We provide luxury Bramley products in the bathrooms and Koyts.
We provide Egyptian cotton bed linen and Atlantic blankets for guests staying. Plus towels for your stay and wild bathing.
