Retreat Centre – Frequently Asked Questions

Coming on retreat

Can I stay at the Retreat Centre before a retreat begins or after it has finished?

If you have a confirmed place on a retreat and wish to offer support to the Retreat Centre, we welcome a small number of people staying a day late to help clean up.If you are interested in doing this, please contact the Retreat Centre to see if there is availability.

What do I need to bring?

  • Sheets, pillowcase, and duvet cover or sleeping bag  (pillow, duvet and blanket are provided)
  • Towels and toiletries (Non fragrant)

You are advised to bring:

  • Waterproof outdoor clothing and footwear
  • Slip-on shoes or sandals
  • Thick socks or slippers (outdoor shoes are not worn in the Retreat Centre)
  • Warm clothes – several layers of clothing are recommended
  • Comfortable, loose-fitting clothing
  • Small torch, hot water bottle

Will I be able to use the internet, email, or make phone calls whilst on retreat?

Retreatants are asked not to use electronic equipment during retreats. If you believe you will be unable to meet this request, we would ask you to consider whether this is the right time for you to come on a silent meditation retreat.

We provide safe facilities where mobile phones and other valuables may be left for the duration of the retreat.

If you think someone may need to contact you in an emergency whilst you are on retreat, please give them our contact details (provided in your Confirmation email). We will take a message and pass it on to you. We are happy to support you during your retreat in this way.

Should I continue to take my medication whilst on retreat?

It is essential that you continue to take any prescribed medication whilst you are staying at the Retreat Centre. You should not stop your medication or reduce the dosage. If you need to take food with this medication, please let us know and this can be arranged.

What should I wear?

Retreatants are asked to dress modestly, out of respect for the monastics leading the retreat and to not distract other retreatants. This includes:

  • not wearing sleeveless tee-shirts, tops or dresses
  • not wearing short or tight-fitting clothing or leggings
  • not wearing low or plunging necklines or transparent clothing
  • not wearing shorts, skirts, or dresses which end above the knees

It is advisable to wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing for sitting meditation, and suitable outdoor clothing for walking meditation, according to the time of year.

Can I wash clothes at the Retreat Centre?

Washing machines are not available. But it is possible to hand-wash small items of clothing and a spin dryer and a drying room are available for retreatants to use.

Will I be able to meet with the Ajahn (teacher)?

At the end of each retreat the teacher is available to meet informally with retreatants.

During retreats the teacher does not offer individual private interviews, although if needed these can be arranged, especially on longer retreats.

Will I be able to ask the Ajahn (teacher) questions?

On all retreats there is usually an opportunity to ask the teacher questions about meditation practice and Buddhism. The teacher will say whether questions should be written or may be asked verbally. Questions about practice may also be written and posted on a board during retreats, to be given to the teacher each morning.

During ten-day retreats, retreatants have the opportunity to meet with the teacher in small discussion groups.

On weekend and five-day retreats, the teacher will give instruction in both sitting and walking meditation. Longer retreats are for those who already have some experience of meditation, so basic instruction is not generally given, although often there are guided meditations.

Staying at the Retreat Centre

Can I stay at the Retreat Centre outside of retreat times?

It is usually only possible to stay at the Retreat Centre during a retreat. However, a few retreatants are welcome to support us by  staying on to help clear up after the retreat is over. If you are interested in applying to do this please contact the Retreat Centre. Please note that it is only possible to stay on after a retreat has finished if the Household & Maintenance manager has confirmed that your help is needed.

Alternatively, if you wish to come early or stay on after the retreat, it may be possible to stay as a guest at the monastery. To do this contact the Guest Nun or the Guest Monk.

What accommodation is available?

Dormitories

Most of our accommodation is in single-sex dormitories which sleep up to eighteen people. Each bed has its own small wardrobe and chest of drawer unit.

Single rooms
We have a few single rooms available for those with medical needs or disabilities, or due to age (75 years or older).

If you request a single room, you will be asked when booking to give your reason for this request. A Confirmation email will be sent once you have completed the online booking process. However your place cannot be guaranteed until your reason for requesting a single room has been considered. If you are on the waiting list for a place on a retreat and have selected a single room, you will only be contacted if a single room becomes available.

What facilities are available for people with disabilities?

We have one room which has easy access for wheelchair users. This room is adjacent to a toilet and shower room which are equipped for special needs. If you need these facilities, please indicate this on your online booking form and if possible we will allocate this room to you.

Can I camp while on retreat?

It is not possible to camp at the Retreat Centre while on retreat.

About retreats

How much does it cost to come on retreat?

There is no charge for attending monastic-led retreats at Amaravati. The teachings are given freely, as are the accommodation, food, and all the other facilities available during your retreat. This is in keeping with the Thai Forest monastic tradition as practised here at Amaravati.

We are able to continue offering retreats due to the generosity of past retreatants, and all future retreats remain dependent on that generosity.

At the beginning and end of each retreat there is the opportunity to offer dāna (generosity) if you wish to do so. This may be financial, or take the form of volunteering your time or special skills, or offering supplies and equipment needed to help with the running of the Retreat Centre. Whatever you feel inspired to give is gratefully received.

Please do not feel under any pressure to give a donation which meets these costs. Conversely, if you are able to give more, this will help fund those who cannot afford to give so much. No one should feel unable to attend a retreat because they cannot afford to make a donation. Whatever you can offer is helpful and of value.

If you wish to make a contribution towards the running of the Retreat Centre, the ways to do this will be explained fully at the end of each retreat. Currently these are as follows:

  • A cash or cheque donation at the end of the retreat (a donation bowl in the Retreat Centre)
  • A card donation at the end of the retreat (a machine is available in the Temple)
  • An online transfer once you get home (via the Amaravati website)

What time do retreats start and finish?

First Day:

  • 16.00- 17.00:  Arrival and Registration at the Retreat Centre (usually Fridays)

Last Day:

  • Sunday 17.00 on weekends 
  • 12.30pm on longer retreats

Can I attend part of a retreat?

It is not possible to attend only part of a retreat, or to leave a retreat and then return later. Once you have a confirmed place, you are asked to participate in the whole retreat.

How long are the meditation sessions?

Both sitting and walking meditation sessions usually last for about 45 minutes. On longer retreats the sessions may last up to one hour. There are opportunities to sit in meditation for longer during free periods, should you wish to do so.

For the sitting meditation sessions, there is a choice of mats and cushions, chairs or kneeling stools.

All retreatants are asked to choose a place to sit in the Shrine Room at the start of each retreat. If you initially choose a mat and cushion but later on need to move to a chair, that is possible. However, due to limited space in the Shrine Room, it is not possible to reserve both a mat and cushion as well as a chair.

How do I get to the Retreat Centre?

Please see the Getting Here section on the main monastery website.

About booking

Why does a retreat show ‘closed’ when booking opened at 19:00 hours?

The most common reason for this happening, is that the booking page has been opened before 19:00 hours and has not been ‘refreshed’ at 19:00 hours.If you do not refresh the page, most browsers will not automatically update it, so you will still see the retreat as ‘closed’, even though it has opened for booking

What happens if I book more than 3 retreats in one year?

If you apply for more than 2 retreats in any one retreat year (April-December), you will automatically be placed at the end of the waiting list for any additional retreats. You may still be offered a place, if those on the waiting list before you are not able to accept the offer, or if you cancel or do not get offered a place on one of the first three retreats. In the event of this happening, your next retreat booking will be placed on the waiting list in the position determined by the booking date.

Please be aware that we generally receive a high number of cancellations for each retreat, so you may well be offered a place.

What chance do I have of being offered a place from the waiting list?

Once a retreat is fully booked, a place can only be offered when someone cancels their confirmed booking.

We do, however, generally receive a high number of cancellations, so people on the waiting list frequently get offered a place, especially in the dormitory.

If you are available to attend a retreat at the last minute you have a very good chance of being offered a place, as these late cancellations are often difficult to fill.

Why do I have to Reconfirm my place?

Even though you have already been sent a Confirmation email, to help us continue to reduce the high number of late cancellations we receive, everyone who has a confirmed place on a retreat has to Reconfirm their availability and commitment to attend.

This is done via an email which is sent 3 weeks before the start of your retreat. If we do not have a response to this email within a week of it being sent, your place is automatically cancelled and offered to the first person on the waiting list.

What can I do if I have forgotten my password?

If you have forgotten your password, go to the Amaravati website, click on ‘Retreat Centre’, then select ‘Manage your bookings’. You will be asked to enter the email address that was registered when making your original booking; you then select the option ‘Forgotten password’. An email will be sent, generally within a few minutes, giving you your password.

If you wish to change your password, you can do this by going to ‘Manage your details’ on the Retreat Centre homepage. For further information on how to do this, see ‘How can I change my personal details?’, below.

How can I change my personal details?

If you need to change any of the personal details that you gave when you first registered on the booking system, you need to go to the Retreat Centre homepage on the Amaravati website, then you select ‘Manage your details’. This will take you to the booking system. You will be asked to enter the original email you registered and your password. You can then change your details, such email address, telephone number etc.

Please note that we do not require you to enter your address, so you are unable to put your address information into the booking system.

Why are there no retreats in January, February and March?

In January, February and March the monastery is on its annual Winter Retreat. During this time it is not possible to stay at the Retreat Centre or the monastery.

How is coming on a retreat different to staying as a guest at the monastery?

Coming on retreat is a different experience to staying at the monastery.

The Retreat Centre has its own facilities, and operates completely independently of the monastery. While on retreat you keep Noble Silence, spend your time practising sitting and walking meditation, and listen to Dhamma talks every evening.

Guests staying at the monastery follow the daily schedule of the monastic routine; working, sharing meals, and meditating with the monastic community.

How old do you have to be to attend a retreat at the Retreat Centre?

Monastic-led retreats are open to those eighteen years of age or older.