What our participants say about the courses we run
In-person courses and retreats
“Last year was tough for me and this was my first retreat since the pandemic. To say it was healing would be an understatement”
“I learnt so much. I learnt that you can’t recover time, you adapt. Just allowing it to be as it was gave me the time to process the last years. To realise we’d adapted to that.”
“Now, here I was being with people in a room. What you get in-person, which is different to online, is the natural relationships. You sit next to someone at breakfast, or you are in the queue for food or wash up together. You get these different touchpoints with different people. It was really nourishing, really healing.”
“The effects of being on retreat continued long after we left Sharpham. I had a dawning awareness of how I crave perfection. In the Qigong movement, Jaya’s guidance on softness – the allowing, the letting go – it was really impactful. Recently, I was going to nag my son about his hair (which I always do) but this awareness came in – this dear boy was actually perfect, whether his afro was a mess or not!”
“It has given me more space.”
– Esther, Stillness Flowing participant, 2022
“The quality of the teaching is excellent.”
“Many of the teachers have been instrumental in developing the mindfulness based programmes, and content is selected to provide a comprehensive structure to understand the early Buddhist texts that became the origin of the contemporary mindfulness.
“To spend time at Beatenberg and the quintessentially English countryside at Sharpham House was more than a pleasant experience. These areas are testimony to the stunning beauty of nature. Walking meditation in the snow of the Swiss Alps and the peaceful presence of silence overlooking the River Dart at Sharpham were memorable indeed.”
– Melani, Buddhist Foundations of Mindfulness participant, 2018
“I have a better understanding of the teachings, which in turn gives me a more comprehensive map for how I live my life from moment to moment.”
“As I dive deeper into the course, it seems that no stone will be left un-turned in terms of addressing the different areas which have a direct impact on how our hearts, minds and behaviours can be influenced in any given moment.”
– Caroline, Committed Practitioners Programme (CPP) participant (2018-19)
“This was an opportunity to find a community that was articulating some of the ideas I’ve been searching for over many years. It’s been so refreshing to hear in person some of things I’ve been looking for.”
– Day of Celebration participant, December 2020
“This training is a wonderful development opportunity for established mindfulness-based teachers who are seeking to deepen their understanding in ways that will enrich both personal and teaching practice. The retreats were held in extraordinarily nourishing and beautiful venues which was an added bonus!”
– Rebecca, The Mindfulness Course participant (2016-17)
“I appreciate the interaction of theory and practice and how we are helped to integrate it all into our lives. The knowledge, skill and generosity of the teachers (and their sense of humour!).”
“It far exceeds my expectations and I’m tremendously grateful to all concerned!”
– Maria, Committed Practitioners Program participant (2016-17)
Online courses and retreats
“I really can’t express enough how helpful it is to have Bodhi College enable me to sign up for online retreats that I can access in the midst of my caring and work responsibilities at home. For me being able to practise and learn ‘in the midst of’ really is the point. It is not just myself but also my husband and three children that really reap the benefits of what I cultivate on a retreat such as this one. I look forward to learning more with you in future.”
– Participant of ‘Letting the Suttas Sing’, December 2022
“The clarity, warmth, and energy these teachers bring and encourage on this course is so often a joy to experience- and it certainly helped to untangle my trepidations and continuing efforts on the path of living.”
– Participant of ‘Dependent Arising’, Autumn 2022
“This is the best course on Buddhism I have done. Excellent content but above all Christina and Jaya were inspirational. The way they explained ideas and related them to everyday life was wonderful.”
– Participant of ‘Seven Factors of Awakening’, Autumn 2021
“This wonderful course with Martine enabled me to go even deeper in what I already knew and practiced. What I realise even deeper is how all elements of our wonderful practice connect with each other, reinforce each other in a beneficial, alleviative way. My gratitude and motivation to go on with the path are even greater.”
– Participant of ‘Knowing How It Feels’, Spring 2021
“It was a very inspiring retreat that helped me to connect and reconnect certain points of my life, and wisdom that I forgot.”
“The online setting also gave me freedom to devise my own practice in between sessions, which was very helpful in really discerning what was needed and wholesome in any moment (informed by the teaching on the four Bhavanas). Being at home contributed to the integration of new insights in daily life.”
– Participant of ‘Meditation: Psychological Development and Spiritual Growth’, November 2020
“You have become a marvellous resource for substantive courses of the highest calibre, exploring ideas vital to heart and mind. I am deeply grateful for your online offerings, as I would never otherwise have been able to access such rich opportunities.”
– Participant of Philosophy as a Way of Life, May 2021
“Interacting with so many people around the globe, in different countries created a deep sense of universal connectedness and shared intentions. Interactions felt surprisingly real, warm and intimate, and I felt more focused during meditation sittings, more rested and my mind more collected. I enjoyed practising the natural transition between my sittings and my daily activities-which felt easy and rewarding. Meditation/listening and sharing felt like JOY.”
– Participant of ‘Meditation: Psychological Development and Spiritual Growth’, November 2020
“Very powerful event packed with info and filled with kindness and healing tenderness.”
– Participant from Pleasure, Liking and Craving, June 2020
“I am learning so much from these sessions. I’m very grateful. The topics are timely and relevant, and the speakers make the knowledge they share very accessible to those of us with much less knowledge and scholarship.”
– Participant from our Thinking Out Loud online seminar series – 2020
“I enjoyed the format and the variety of speakers. Topics were really interesting and supportive for my practice. I also enjoyed the break out room discussion and appreciated the reflective questions that were offered. I am based in Ireland where the numbers of people committed to a Dharma practice are relatively small so this course was a great opportunity for me to meet and share with other people who have a depth of Dharma practice.”
– Participant from our Thinking Out Loud online seminar series – 2020