The best silent retreats in the UK can a powerful experience not only by what they offer – yoga, meditation, mindfulness practices, time and space to commune with nature – but specifically what they don’t: talk.
NOON’s founder Eleanor Mills swears by her annual silent retreat. But the benefits aren’t just anecdotal. A wide range of studies have linked the experience of going on a silent retreat with positive effects that stay with participants even after they’ve returned to the chatter of everyday life.
The benefits of silent retreats
Research shows that silent retreats benefit us both in mind and body.
They have been shown to increase focus, reduce stress, anxiety and depression while increasing emotional resilience. Physically, they can reduce inflammatory markers and improve metabolic health, studies show.
And in our increasingly busy and noisy world, isn’t there an appeal to stopping, switching off the clamour and listening to ourselves? Here, we share our top picks across the UK.
The best silent retreats in the UK
Silent retreats in Devon
Sharpham House, South Devon
Sharpham Estate, Ashprington, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 7UT England | www.sharphamtrust.org
Sharpham House is one of Eleanor’s top silent retreats. Before arriving, her siblings took bets on how long she could actually stop talking. She discovered through the meditation, swimming, walking in nature and mindfulness that she actually liked “silent Eleanor”. She felt liberated from small talk with the other participants (“Being surrounded by friendly women who couldn’t speak is remarkably restful”). She discovered the pleasure of eating in silence and really tasting the food.
But mostly she learned self-compassion.
“I realised that often in my life I’ll turn to my partner or my children and ask: How do you feel? What do you need? How are you, really? But until [my retreat] I don’t think I have ever asked that question with loving interest of myself.”
So is a Sharpham House silent retreat worth it?
Eleanor’s opinion is unequivocal: “A hundred times yes.” Read Eleanor’s full review of Sharpham House.
Gaia House
West Ogwell, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 6EW, England | gaiahouse.co.uk
Gaia House is steeped in Buddha’s teachings of wisdom, compassion and meditation. (You don’t need to be Buddhist to take part in the retreats – just “an interest in inner exploration and development”.)
The teachers may be Buddhist nuns or monks and do not receive a fee, instead relying on voluntary contributions. Retreat participants sleep outside (you have to bring your own tent, sleep mattress and bedding) and share toilet and bathroom facilities with in-house occupants. Retreats have different focuses, with titles such Refuge and Embodiment, and Boundless Heart, Vulnerable Life. One retreat has meals that follow traditional Theravada monastic practice – the evening meal is tea and a biscuit. It also offers online retreats.
The aim of retreats here are centred around Buddha’s Four Noble Truths:
- Fully knowing suffering
- Letting go of the craving that causes suffering
- Experiencing the cessation of such craving
- Cultivating the Eightfold Path that leads to the end of suffering
Silent retreats in the South Downs – Hampshire & Sussex
We love the South Downs, so the idea of spending a weekend at a quiet retreat there is enormously appealing.
The Krishnamurti Centre
Brockwood Park, Bramdean, Alresford, Hampshire SO24 0LQ England | krishnamurticentre.org.uk
The retreats are held at this centre in South Downs National Park and are informed by the teachings of J. Krishnamurti, the religious teacher and thinker. “His purpose was to set humankind unconditionally free from the destructive limitations of conditioned mind,” according to the Krishnamurti Foundation America.
The organisers here describe it as “a place of no authority, and nothing is imposed, making it a unique place to stay.”
Meetings feature audio recordings of Krishnamurti teachings. Attendees can join sessions of sitting together quietly and join walks. The entire Centre is in silence after the opening meeting until the closing meeting before lunch on Sunday. The Krishnamurti Centre has 20 single ensuite rooms, and three flats, with either baths or showers. Rates start at £250.
Gayles
Little Gayles, Seaford Road, Friston, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN20 0BA | www.retreattogayles.co.uk
This retreat in the Seven Sisters Country Park projects a friendly vibe, acknowledging that silence can be “strange and a little intimidating”. It encourages participants to let go of the distractions, responsibilities and habitual conditioning that drives our behaviour and fills our lives so we can develop more self-awareness. The goal: to nourish and restore ourselves.
The 3-day retreats, which begin at 5pm on Day 1, include walks, meals, deep rest meditation, yoga, group discussion, a walk to the beach plus time for relaxation and your personal practice. Accommodation is shared dormitory spaces. Prices start at £330
