The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
Silence is golden (and so is a giggle)
A quiet retreat calms the heartbeat, but raises a smile, finds Caroline Sylger-Jones
It’s late September, and I’ve sneaked in a retreat between lockdowns just a 30-minute drive from my home. I’m at Sharpham House, a splendid Palladian mansion set on a bend of the river Dart near the Devon village of Ashprington, writing at a table on the terrace and eating plums straight from the orchard. Fellow guests – sitting two metres apart – sip tea, read or chop veg (part of the mindful deal). Everyone is enjoying the stupendous view and the autumn sunshine, and none of us are speaking, for, quite gloriously, we’re on a silent retreat.
Find Your Peace is a five-night meditation retreat held in silence aimed at anyone with some experience of meditation looking for a deeply restful break – something we’re all here for mid-pandemic. Beginners’ retreats for those new to meditation run regularly, too. We’re a mixed group of 24 from all walks of life, and are here for guided walking and sitting meditation, optional morning movement sessions, and afternoon walks in the 550-acre estate. There’s lots of down time, too.
Everything takes place inside a deeply restful silence, though there is a chance to connect each morning should you need it in a group of six. Not talking among strangers can feel a little odd at first, but silent retreats have become my
go-to, for I find that without daily chitchat, my mind and heart become freer to rest, find clarity and think creatively. Curiously, being in silence also makes me feel more, rather than less, connected to the group I am in.
Though grounded in Buddhism, the teachings here are secular, so there is an open-mindedness and approachability to them that many will find refreshing. You won’t see Buddhist talismans at every turn – instead, there’s some splendid art, most notably vibrant oil paintings gracing the mansion’s blush-pink walls by Polish painter Zdzislaw Ruszkowski, who was befriended by Ruth and Maurice Ash, the founders of Sharpham Trust, and who used to stay on the estate to create.
That the sun continues to shine for most of our stay here is just as well, for mid-pandemic, the house windows are left open much of the day. We sit in shawls and coats to meditate two metres apart, and wear face masks to and from the meditation rooms and while queuing for meals. Very soon though, rather than noticing the concessions to Covid19, my attention turns to prettier things. Where else can you practise walking meditation among roses and lilies in a formal garden, or meditate in a bluepainted music room where the marble fireplace is a sculptured work of art?
Our expert teachers are Australian-born Patti Summerville and Spanish-born Ramiro Ortega, whose group I am in. His guided sessions on practising kindness and being present in our bodies are the ideal antidote to an extraordinary year. “Imagine the world as a hospital, with all the unkind people [...] the ones who are ill,” he urges. “We need to treat them with compassion.”
There’s no stress, or the feeling that you have to “do” anything. We’re urged to put away all devices, and are woken or summoned to suppers by a bell. One afternoon, I fall asleep on the lawn and miss the group walk, but I felt so at ease that I didn’t give myself a hard time for it, and instead walked alone later, pausing to sketch the riverside Bathing House. Everything and everybody slows down, including my heartbeat and mind.
It helps that the home-cooked, vegetarian meals are generous and delicious, feature insanely good cheeses and apple juices from the estate, and
Curiously, being in silence makes me feel more, not less, connected to the group I am in
include dishes such as quinoa pilaf with sautéed courgette, tahini sauce and garden greens followed by walnut and raspberry tart. There’s coffee and tea, although no alcohol, to keep your mind clear. After most meals, I walk up the spiralling marble staircase at the centre of the house to read or chill in Walnut, my enormous bedroom at the top of the house with oil paintings, an en suite bathroom and splendid views.
On my last evening, I find myself in Walnut with a Hoover in hand, balancing on the bed, sucking up minuscule flies from the ceiling that have been attracted by the heat at the top of the house. Sweating and straining, I nevertheless start to giggle, enjoying this reminder that every paradise has a little trouble. I leave rested, clear of mind and ready to face reality again.
A five-night Find Your Peace retreat costs from £485 to £655; a three-night beginners’ retreat costs from £355 to £425, all inclusive. 2021 retreats are due to start in March (sharphamtrust.org) .
Travel within the UK is currently subject to restrictions. See Page 3.