Online
Retreat:
The Three Marks
18-19 February 2023
Free your mind from self-created anguish
See into the nature of reality
Mingyur Rinpoche, a highly-regarded contemporary Tibetan teacher, inspired me to explore his teaching of the "three marks of reality" on the 2022 Autumn Retreat on Holy Island.
What emerged was a powerful experience for everyone. We saw how this practice of seeing everything through the lens of the three marks can feel tremendously liberating.
So, wanting to bring this practice to more people, I have decided to offer it as an online weekend course this February. You are very welcome to come and learn it with me.
On this weekend retreat you will:
explore the painful habit of solidification and how that creates so much mental suffering
feel into the three 'marks of delusion' that cause that solidification
learn the simple but powerful practice of "The Three Marks" which dissolves that solidification
enjoy the liberated mental feeling that comes from embracing the 'marks of freedom'
expand your more liberated mind to encompass the 'otherousness' of the world.
What are the Three Marks?
Habitually our minds make everything around us and within us very solid.
From a Buddhist point-of-view this typically means we make things:
unchanging: when we have a bad thought or feeling , it's going to be there for ever.
independent: we are the reasons things occur and there's no mitigating factors when things go wrong
singular: we are alone and isolated, and we are one thing or nothing.
But all of these ways of perceiving ourselves are delusional and they feel heavy and full of suffering. The true nature of reality is in fact the opposite. Reality is :
coming and going: everything is in flux
arising because of this and that: everything is interconnected and mutually co-determining
many things at once: we are deliciously multiple
As you sit with the ramifications of these truths, your self-experience starts to shift quite radically.
Pricing
We're pricing this online workshop flexibly as we're aware that for various reasons people are struggling with money at the moment.
So when you click through to the booking page you will see three options:
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Supporters: this is a slightly higher price tag for those of you who might be able to support others who are struggling.
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Baseline: this is the standard cost for the retreat, so pay this if it feels manageable.
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Concession: this is a lower price tag for those who might otherwise struggle to afford the experience.
And, of course, we never want money to stop you from getting the benefit of meditation. So if the concessionary rate is also too much for you right now then please click the right-hand button below and we will find a way to make it happen!
What to expect from a this online workshop
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This is an online workshop using Zoom. It is not an in-person retreat but we like to hold a strong container for the weekend. The zoom link will be sent to you when you register.
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We will begin on Sunday morning at 10 am (all times UK time) with introductions.
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We'll finish at 5 pm on Sunday and have an hour's break for lunch. There will be tea and pee breaks too.
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Alistair will teach and guide practice throughout the weekend. His teaching will be illustrated where necessary with slides.
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There'll be plenty of time to share experiences in break-out groups.
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The teaching and Q&A sessions will be recorded and shared with you after the retreat. (For reasons of confidentiality please don't share beyond the group!
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 East Sussex. 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.
