Carve out time for a personal 2-day retreat with Alistair - or keep it shorter...

Whether you want to set aside two days and make a retreat in your own home using these teachings or dip into them over a couple of weeks,  you're very welcome!

Shinay and shamata are time-tested techniques for stilling the turbulence of the human body-mind. This course is a great introduction and immersion in these life-enhancing skills. 

This recording of the weekend course combines  simple body stretches, breathwork, energy work and clear, concise explanations of four practices: 

  1. shamata with the breath
  2. shamata with mantra
  3. shinay
  4. the practice of fives

A glimpse of what stillness brings

An excerpt from the retreat

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Here's what other participants said:

“All the practices were presented in a very clear way, with Alistair gently guiding us through them, so would be quite accessible for complete beginners. ”

“Your clarification of the two practices, running side by side has given me new tools to help still my often skittish mind and enjoy the pesky ' intruders' in a gentle way. I am eager to practice and bring mantras in my meditation now as I found it so helpful. AMAZING ❤️❤️♥️🏆🏆🏆🙏”

“The gifts of this retreat were deep relaxation, (re)connection to my body, a soothed soul, inspiration for the (thinking) mind, and a more open heart. I came away with a new bunch of delicious possibilities and, perhaps most importantly, encouragement to put them into practice and see what blessings I might receive or discover within myself ..”

“I liked the pace and content of the course. I found the teachings really interesting and Alistairs explanations are always clear. It was good to concentrate on a couple of practices and appreciate the depth in them. He has a lovely teaching style and is just very human.”

“Shamata and Shinay practices have given me an accessible way to cultivate stillness and with the Practice of Fives, an easy structure to be able to bring them in to a regular meditation practice. Thank you Alistair for excellent teaching and a much needed retreat ”

“The course has helped me to gain insight into my personal meditative practice.”

Click the + sign to unpack the course details

  • 1

    Welcome to the Online Retreat

  • 2

    Intro to Shamata

    • PRACTICE: Shaking the Tree

    • Introducing Shamata

    • PRACTICE: Shamata with Breath in the Belly

    • Q&As about Shamata

    • Audio Versions of the Guided Practices
  • 3

    Shamata with the Breath

    • PRACTICE: Using the Ocean Breath

    • PRACTICE : Shamata with Breath Sitting Up

    • Images of Shamata

    • Audio Versions of the Guided Practices
  • 4

    Shamata with the Mantra

    • PRACTICE: Shamata with Mantra

    • Mantra and the Mind

    • Some two-syllable Mantras

    • PRACTICE: Heart Exercise and Mantra Shamata

    • Audio Versions of the Guided Practices
  • 5

    Introduction to Shinay

    • PRACTICE: Start of Day Two Energy Workout

    • What is Shinay?

    • PRACTICE: Shinay Lying Down

    • Audio Versions of the Guided Practices
  • 6

    Shinay Practice

    • Q&As around Shinay

    • PRACTICE: Stretch and Shinay Practice

    • Audio version of the practice
  • 7

    Practice of Fives

    • PRACTICE: The Practice of Fives

    • Finetuning the Practice of Fives

    • PRACTICE: Stretch and Practice of Fives

    • Audio Versions of the Guided Practices
  • 8

    Obstacles and Benefits

    • Obstacles and Benefits

    • Stillness in the World

About the teacher

Alistair Appleton

Alistair is a broadcaster, psychotherapist and meditation teacher. He's worked for the BBC for more than 20 years, works as a UKCP accredited therapist in Brighton, UK runs Mindsprings, his therapeutic meditation organisation which teaches body-based and Buddhist solutions to many of our everyday problems. Since 2004 he's been running popular meditation-based courses on many subjects: helping people with anxiety, dissociation, stress. working with mental health in the LGBTQ community. exploring the growing field of embodiment and somatic practices. teaching Buddhist practices for mental health and well-being He teaches in England, Wales, Scotland, Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, Iceland and the Netherlands.