The campsite we stay in and hold the meditation sessions is in a grassy field which is made of uneven ground. Pathways are not paved. Parking is available within the campsite and the distance between the vehicle and camping area is about 50 metres.

The compost toilets in the camping field are accessed up a set of three steps and have narrow doorways and cubicles. There are flushing toilets available at the entrance to the camping field, accessed by two steps. To preserve the rural nature of the environment we minimise any electrical lighting at night. You are recommended to bring along a torch or headlamp if you require extra light when moving around after dark.

The accommodation is all camping which requires a certain degree of mobility to negotiate low doorways and camp beds etc. You are welcome to bring your own tent, equipment, camper van, caravan etc which meets your needs. The deluxe glamping option available on our booking page is in a pre-erected bell tent which has plenty of headroom inside and a framed bed with proper mattress at a standard height. The doorway to these requires bending to enter.

If you are going to partake in the seated meditation sessions, this will require sitting for at least 45 minutes - you are welcome to adjust your posture during this as you wish. Participants are usually required to sit on the floor. You are recommended to bring with you a meditation cushion or stool or whatever else you need to be comfortable. We are able to provide a chair if needed.

We are an off-grid campsite, close to nature, so the weather may be damp and cold at times. Participants need to be able to be comfortable camping in this weather.

Participants on this retreat are welcome to engage with the program as much or as little as they like. The only requirement is that participants adhere to the principle of noble silence at all times once it has begun, and commit to following a digital detox by not accessing their devices during the retreat.

You are welcome to use your time on the retreat to engage with personal creative practices, as long as they do not cause disturbance to others. Journalling, writing, and drawing are all permitted. If you would like to bring a musical instrument to practice, we ask that you walk a little away from the main retreat area to choose a spot to play where you will not disturb others. We can help you find a good place when you arrive.

If you are bringing reading materials, we ask that literature be agreeable to the dharmic principles of sila, or morality. This means books which do not contain descriptions of violence, harm towards living beings, sexual acts, stealing, lying, intoxication or heedless acts. The tone of reading materials should be loving, kind and calm in nature. The aim of the retreat is to cultivate peace and mental clarity, and it is important that your sensory inputs support this.

We recommend that participants hand their phones in at the beginning of the retreat for safe keeping. Alternatively you can keep your devices in your possession, as long as they remain off for the duration of the retreat. We will give participants a mobile phone number from the organising team, which can be passed on to friends or family for them to contact if need be. Any messages from family or friends which need to reach participants will be communicated directly by a member of the organising team.

If you are at a point in your life where it is likely a friend or family member will need to reach you during the retreat, we ask that you wait until a calmer time to undertake your Practice of Peace retreat.

Noble silence on the retreat begins on the evening of the first day, after all the orientation and induction talks have been given, and after participants have been given opportunity to ask any questions that have arisen since their arrival. Silence continues until the morning of the fourth day. There will be opportunity to share and discuss your experience with your fellow participants on the final, fourth day.

If you have any issues come up during your retreat which relate to your accommodation, food or other domestic arrangements you can communicate them to a member of the organising team and we will do our best to address them. The organiser and retreat crew are here to help you, but at the same time it is expected that communication with them is kept to its absolute minimum, and that during the retreat you do your best to move through any issues you are having by yourself, without unnecessarily involving others.

Talking between participants is strictly prohibited. Please be aware that you will be asked to leave if we learn of this precept being broken, for the sake of the peace of others.

Many participants come to our retreats on public transport.

Pangbourne is the closest train station to our retreat venue and is easily accessed by direct trains from London, Reading, and Didcot Parkway.

From Pangbourne, it is a 40-minute walk or a 10-minute drive to the retreat location. We provide local taxi numbers on booking for onward taxi journeys from Pangbourne, if needed, and we also have a retreat WhatsApp group where people offer and request lifts and ride shares. We will also be operating a limited collection service from Pangbourne station on arrival day; you can sign up once you have booked your retreat ticket.

We do our best to keep our retreats as affordable as possible while still making it viable for us to provide them.

We regularly offer early bird discounts on tickets and run some seasonal promotions. To find out about these, send us a message to join our monthly mailing list.

For those that would prefer to exchange service for a ticket istenad of money, we have a limited number of Seva Crew Tickets. Crew help to set up and take down the retreat, and volunteer for a few hours during it, in exchange for getting to attend the event for free. Drop us a message to find out more.

We're here to help! If you have any additional questions or need more details about the retreat, please email us at retreats@insighttimer.com, and we'll be happy to provide you with all the information you need.