Day Retreat with Mark Ovland: Soft Heart, Supple Mind

_Soft Heart, Supple Mind _points to an intimate relationship at the core of practice. As we cultivate beautiful qualities of heart such as kindness, compassion, and generosity, our inner environment softens and opens; it becomes less tight, less defended, and less fixed. From this softening comes a quiet but powerful freedom: as the heart becomes more spacious, we find that the mind becomes more pliable, more able to entertain and release different ways of seeing our experience. Rather than being caught in any single perspective, we begin to hold views lightly, more able to pick them up and put them down.

On this daylong retreat we will explore this idea a little more fully, and its relevance to our daily lives: how softening the heart and playing with views can lead to deep and surprising freedoms, and a greater sense of meaningfulness and connection.

The retreat is suitable for all levels of experience. During the day there will periods of stillness practice and periods of movement. There will also be meditation instructions, reflections, and opportunities for questions. Outside of these times we will share the space in companionable silence.

Dana

Mark is part of a Buddhist tradition in which teachings are offered freely, within a culture of ‘dana’ or generosity. For that reason there is no fee for this day. If you would like to support Mark in his livelihood, and support the continued free sharing of these teachings, he will gratefully accept any donations, large or small. He will give details during the day, of how donations can be made. Those not able to contribute financially are just as welcome onto this day retreat as those who are.

Mark Ovland

Mark began practising meditation in 2008. Since then he has lived and worked in various monasteries and retreat centres around India and the UK, and spent a further two years on intensive silent retreat. He was a close student of meditation master Rob Burbea and was blessed to have lived with and assisted Rob during the last years of his life.

Aside from offering retreats and teachings in traditional Buddhist settings, Mark has also taught in schools, universities, prisons, and the workplace. In 2013 he co-founded Freely Given Retreats, a charity in the UK that runs weeklong silent meditation retreats on a donation basis. He believes that no one should be excluded from these opportunities and teachings due to a simple lack of money.

Wellbeing & Participation Guidance

• This retreat is educational and contemplative; it is not therapy or medical care.
• Participation is voluntary. You may pause, skip any practice, or sit out.
• Body-centred practice can surface strong emotions, memories, dissociation, dizziness or anxiety. If this happens, please tell a facilitator; simple grounding options will be offered.
• Suitability: If you are experiencing psychosis, mania, severe dissociation, active self-harm, or have been psychiatrically hospitalised in the past 3 months, please do not attend this format. If you live with PTSD/complex trauma or eating disorders, or trauma that is exacerbated by placing your attention on the body, we recommend working first with a trauma-informed clinician and attend only if stable and well-resourced.
• If symptoms worsen during or after the retreat, stop the practices and contact your GP/mental-health team.
• Please let us know about relevant physical/mental-health conditions, current medications, pregnancy, or recent surgery so we can offer adaptations.
• Age 18+. Please arrive sober; alcohol or non-prescribed substances aren’t compatible with this work.
• By attending, you confirm you understand the above and take responsibility for your own wellbeing. No specific outcomes are guaranteed.

The Venue

The Meditatio Centre is a vibrant and welcoming place and a true oasis in the hub bub of a busy city. It is open to people from all walks of life, from any religious, spiritual or secular tradition. It has regular meditation sessions and teaching on the practice and hosts an annual programme of events to explore the deeper dimensions of life.

They host events that look at the contemplative aspects of modern living: science, the arts, business, the environment, interfaith and the mystical core of Christianity. Workshops enliven the space – yoga, movement, poetry, dance – local artists are also invited to exhibit their work.