In the Buddhist context Mindfulness is a wholesome mental factor which opens the door for loving kindness, clear knowing, spaciousness and tranquility.
From that place of peace and friendliness we gain insight and wisdom leading us towards a more balanced and fulfilling way of life.
In ‘letting-go’ of the cherishing of our likes and dislikes space is opened-up and we enter a world of vast potential.
Mindfulness, or Satipatthana, is a practice for the well-being of oneself and others.
“ When all striving ceases the mind’s essential peace will be revealed”.
Meditation Programme for 2012
“The master doesn’t seek fulfilment.
Not seeking, not expecting,
she is present and can welcome all things”
(from the Tao te Ching)
Mindfulness and the Four Brahma Vihara’s are natural companions. If one is present, the others will spontaneously join in.
So it feels natural that after the series on the The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in 2011, in 2012 we continue our exploration and meditation with a series of four retreats on the Four Brahma Vihara’s, i.e. Loving Kindness, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy and Equanimity.
In our sitting room we have a beautiful calligraphy from Thich Nhat Hanh: “Stand still and Know”.
I would like to use this so simple but profound quote as the theme for my teachings in 2012.
For the Summer Retreat I plan to use the teaching on Dependent Origination as our focus of reference with running through it the thread of “stand still and know”.
An invitation to silence: silence is a great gift so rarely experienced in this busy and noisy world. It is the gateway to ease and a necessary element for the deepening of our mindfulness. Observing periods of silence will therefore be part of our practising together.
how to apply the understanding of Anicca- impermanence, Dukkha - unsatisfactoriness and Anatta - no-owner, when faced with challenges in one's life.
T'ai-Ji Programme 2012
Embracing Tiger, Returning to Mountain
“When all striving ceases, the mind’s essential peace will be revealed”
T’ai-Ji is a practice of friendliness for the well-being of oneself and others. It is a gentle yet profound practice.
In “Touching Stillness” T’ai-Ji is presented in a non-intrusive manner, allowing for space and lightness. By not forcing ourselves into a preferred direction, we yield to the moment, stay grounded and approach any activity with ease, clarity and strength, making T’ai-Ji the healing force it is meant to be.
With the form of the Five Elements and the First Circle as our base, we share our learning with joyful mindfulness, embracing with loving kindness whatever comes our way. By letting go of the cherishing of our likes and dislikes and by surrendering to the moment, T’ai-Ji will spontaneously express itself. “it is in the non-doing that the mind’s essential peace is revealed”.
All T’ai-Ji retreats can be joined with or without any previous experience. Groups are on purpose of mixed levels of experience to enhance our learning through sharing with each other. Each retreat focuses on the practice of mindfulness through T’ai-Ji movement, relaxation and breathing exercises, sitting and walking meditation, emphasising the integration of this practice in daily life.
Ilkley, Yorkshire
Ad Brugman
His search for happiness led him to the practice of Mindfulness Meditation and T’ai-Ji starting in 1975. Dutch by birth, he came to the UK in 1979 to work more closely with his first meditation teacher John Garrie Roshi.
Until 1989 he worked for a period of 18 years in Africa. First for 6 years as a hydro-geologist in Tanzania and Kenya and then as a project consultant for rural development with local communities in both east and west Africa.
As Ad’s teaching commitments increased he stopped working in Africa to solely focus on developing his teaching skills and The Orchard as a meditation centre.
“Touching Stillness” expresses a unique blend of mindfulness meditation and T’ai-Ji as evolved over a period of more than 30 years of teaching both in the UK and abroad.
A profound deepening of his meditation practice occurred under the late Ven. Namgyal Rinpoche with whom he studied intensively during retreats ranging from two weeks to six months.
His deepest gratitude goes to his teachers for their generous sharing from their treasure of wisdom and compassion: John Garrie Roshi, Ven. Namgyal Rinpoche, Chungliang Al Huang and Suprapto Suryodarmo.
To enhance his teaching skills he completed a diploma course in counselling and a one-year training in sensorimotor psychotherapy for trauma recovery.
Ad is a member of the Living
Tao Foundation (USA) and Living
Tao UK
What others say about the leadership:
“ ...leads with care and humour..”
“ ...committed, powerful, patient and fun...”
“ ...relaxed, non-dogmatic, experiential approach..”
"..no gimmicks, nothing superficial, or"instant", just a generous
sharing of his belief.."
The Orchard...
... is the meditation and healing centre established by Sonia Moriceau and her partner Ad Brugman since 1985.
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surrounding views
the orchard
zendo
zendo
students' space
walking meditation
kuti
water feature
spring
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The Orchard is situated on the borders of England and Wales near the Black Mountains and close to the Golden Valley. Its setting is rural and peaceful with a touch of wilderness without being remote.
The centre offers a spacious and beautiful zendo for practice and comfortable, simple accommodation for up to 15 people.
From 1997 to 2003 it was the chosen venue in the UK for the late Venerable NAMGYAL RINPOCHE to hold his retreats, a place of refuge where the practice of mindfulness is tangible.
Contact Details
Ad Brugman
The Orchard
Lower-Maescoed
Hereford HR2 0HP
Tel: 01873 860 207
If you would like to contact Ad please click here .
International
from Germany: 0044
- 1873 860 207
from Switzerland: 0044 - 1873 860 207
from France: 1944 - 1873 860 207
WHAT TO BRING
- a watch or clock for time keeping
- clothing:
- loose, easy fitting clothing for exercises, like track suit, martial art outfit, or the like
- waterproofs,wellies or walking boots for outdoor activities
- open sandals or flip-flops for pacing outside
- No shoes are allowed in the house, so you may want to bring slippers or thick socks. - your meditation stool or cushion if you have one
- pens and paper for making notes
- drawing materials
- torch
- bedding: blankets and duvets are available; you would need to bring your own single sheets and/or single duvet-cover or a sleeping bag, and pillow case
- usual toiletries, including towel
BURSARIES
Bursaries from The Orchard Sangha Bursary Funds can be obtained to cover part of the course fees for any retreat either with Sonia or Ad at The Orchard.
Enquiries, contact Gini at gini_wade@lineone.net
Server Meditator
We are looking for server meditators to cook during courses and retreats.
As a server meditator you will be responsible to cook lunch and dinner with the help for one hour a day of one or two students. In total this responsibility would take you up to 3 hours a day. In exchange for your work you will be given free food and lodging. You would still need to cover some of the course fee at a reduced rate of £15 per day and the offering of dana for the teaching still applies.
If you are interested, please contact The Orchard. as soon as possible.
Dana
For all the meditation courses and retreats I am introducing the parami of Dana. Dana is a Pali word meaning: “liberality, generosity, offering” and is the first of the “Six Paramis”, ”the virtues that helps us go further”.
Dana is the antidote to holding on and egoism or self-referencing. The Ven. Namgyal Rinpoche stressed this first virtue as most important to make genuine changes in one’s life. To turn one’s mind to the welfare of others through offering, giving, brings about a loosening of the self-referencing of “I, Me and Mine”. It is the opposite of the attitude of poverty, where one sees the world in terms of lacks rather than offerings and openings.
So, I invite you to join in this practice of spontaneous offering and opening, of trusting that as we freely give, in turn we are so nurtured.
Dana,
by Alison, The Orchard Oct. ‘05
“ My experience of dana as appreciation for the teachings has changed and
deepened and I am sure it will continue to do so.
Often, before a retreat, I try to work out how much money to bring. There is
often some fear involved about work being scarce, etc.
Then I come on the retreat and am bowled over by the richness and preciousness
of what I have received. It is always beyond what I could have imagined. The
fear falls away and I feel able to joyfully offer from an open heart what I truly
have to give.
The teaching that Sonia as shared with me has brought me more happiness, healing
and freedom than I could ever have imagined. There is no way I can “repay” what
I have received, but I can offer what I have.
Two pitfalls I have encountered are holding back through fear or coming from
the intention of seeking approval. The way I find the “right” amount
to give is to use the feeling in the body and mind. Creating some calm and then
feeling into how much to offer. The “right” amount always has a light,
happy feeling in the body and mind.
More recently an aspect of dana I have come to appreciate is the feeling of “joining”.
That the student and teacher form a partnership which is about growing. That
we do it together and also that this support goes out into the world. So all
the teaching and support I receive also reaches all the people and situations
I am in contact with in my life. By supporting the Teacher, it is helping her
to support the many other beings she is offering help to. We are part of a movement
towards wholeness.”
How to get to The Orchard
By
road:
From
either Abergavenny or Hereford take the A465.
At Pontrilas which is about halfway between the two towns, take the B4347,
sign posted Ewyas Harold, Abbey Dore, etc. 
Then take the first on your left
towards the centre of Ewyas Harold village, sign posted Longtown and Dulas. After about 3 miles turn right at signpost for Lower-Maescoed.
Proceed for
another half mile and turn right at the phone box.
The Orchard is on your right
after about 100 metres.
From Hay-on-Wye take the B4348 to Peterchurch.
A few miles after Peterchurch take the B4347 to Abbey Dore and Pontrilas which takes you to Ewyas Harold from where you follow direction Longtown and Dulas as described above.
By Public transport:
The
nearest railway stations are Hereford & Abergavenny.
Coming from the north, aim for Hereford; coming from London or the south,
aim for Abergavenny.
There are local bus services (except on Sundays) from either town to Pontrilas
from where you can be picked up by us.
Buses from Hereford to Pontrilas: depart
every two hours from 08.30 to 14.30 and then at 16.10, 17.20 and last bus at 18.05 (Bus X3/4, destination
Cardiff).
Buses from Abergavenny to Pontrilas: depart every two hours from
07.20, then from 09.30, to the last one at 17.20 (Bus X3/4, destination
Hereford).
In both cases the bus journey takes about 30 minutes.
National Express Coaches from London Victoria to Hereford, or to Newport/Gwent and from there by train to Abergavenny.
If you don't have a car we strongly recommend that you get in touch with someone else on the course who travels by car and is able to give you a lift.
You can also get a taxi from Hereford or Abergavenny. There are taxis at the stations but it may save you time and money to prearrange a taxi:
phone
Abbey Cars on 01981 570 301;
from Abergavenny you can also try Premier Taxis on 07958 908 743.
All above companies know the Orchard.
Travel Arrangements for Travellers from Abroad
The nearest airports are Bristol, Birmingham and Cardiff; you could also fly to London but that means a longer and more expensive journey by train once in England:
from
London-Heathrow:
take
the coach (Rail-Air Link) to Reading and from there the train
to Newport (direction Swansea/Cardiff), change at Newport for
Abergavenny,or
take
the National Express coach from Heathrow to Newport, and then
the train to Abergavenny
Travelling
time around 3 hours.
National
Express Coaches London HR to Hereford (service number NX413),
but not always direct (direct takes ca.4 hours, via Gloucester takes
5 and via London Victoria takes 6 hours). In comparison by train
from London HR to Abergavenny takes about 3 hours.
from
other London Airports:
take
a train to London, then by underground to London-Paddington station
take
the Intercity train from London-Paddington to Newport/Gwent (destination
Swansea/Cardiff). Change at Newport for Abergavenny.
or,
take National Express coach from London-Victoria to Newport, and
then the train to Abergavenny.
Travelling
time 3 to 4 hours.
By EuroStar
: arrival in London-Waterloo
take the metro/tube to London-Paddington
from London-Paddington, take the train to Newport (Gwent)/Destination
Swansea/Cardiff. Or the National Express coach (see above)
change in Newport for the train to Abergavenny
from
Birmingham:
take
the train from Birmingham airport/International to Birmingham - New Street,
from there take the train to Hereford.
Travelling
time 2 to 2 hours 30 mins.
National
Express Coaches now also has a limited coach service from
Birmingham direct to Pontrilas: Coach service number: NX321
from Bristol:
take the bus (or taxi) to Bristol Temple Mead station
from Bristol Temple Mead, take the train to Newport. Change at Newport
for Abergavenny
Travelling
time about 2 hours
from Cardiff:
take the bus (or taxi) to Cardiff station
take the train from Cardiff to Abergavenny
Travelling
time about 2 hours
Try
to arrange your train
tickets, etc. before travelling as that will be cheaper.
Always
take a return ticket as they are valid for one month.
In
general taking the National Express Coaches will be cheaper than
the train.
websites
to arrange your tickets:
by train: www.nationalrail.co.uk
by coach: www.nationalexpress.com
Let
us know your time of arrival in Hereford or in Abergavenny and we will
then try to pick you up. Otherwise take the bus to Pontrilas where
we can pick you up.
In case we are not available, you might need to take a taxi to The Orchard,
see taxi details above.
Thank you for contacting Ad Brugman.
We will reply to your query as soon as we can.
Photo Gallery
this is the description
Four Practice Retreats on the Four Brahma Viharas
with Sonia & Ad
Students can attend any retreat on its own.
Cost: £130 per retreat or £500 for all four
Namgyal Rinpoche used to tell us that we were only allowed four emotions!
Loving kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity are the four; also known as the Four Brahma Viharas, or the Four Immeasurables.
The teaching of the Buddha Sakyamuni is always concerned with the training of the Mind, abandoning unwholesome patterns and cultivating more conducive qualities for the benefit of self and others.
We scheduled quite appropriately four long weekends for the study and practice of the Four Immeasurables, starting with the Loving Kindness, Metta.
Metta, we can relate to it as a moment of tenderness in one’s heart towards challenging events or people in our life including ourselves.
And that one moment of turning one’s mind and heart towards others can be truly transformative for both ourselves and others.
The second long weekend will cover compassion, Karuna
When with Metta we begin to turn our attention and interest towards others then anyone can see we all need help.
Compassion, Karuna is present when we work at relieving the suffering of others without considering if they are worth it or not.
Mudita, sympathetic joy, is present when we genuinely feel joy at others’ good qualities or good fortune. Their joy is also our joy and vice versa, wishing them to experience the state of mind that is free of suffering, called the Sacred Happiness.
Equanimity, Upekkha is present when we have let go of preferences and cultivate a state of mind that is unifying, "up to oneness", in union .
All those four emotions have their counter-parts, they are also the antidotes for some of our destructive emotions.
It comes down to having a kind heart at all times regardless of the situation we find ourselves in.
1) Metta - Loving Kindness
23rd (eve) – 26th Feb.
If one shows kindness with a clear mind - Even once! - for living creatures, by that one becomes wholesome. Having mercy in his or her heart for all creatures, a noble person brings forth abundant goodness.
Loving Kindness is supremely relational: it works only if it is offered, given away, or shared. We cannot bank love; it grows as we give it away. The more we give it away, the greater our capacity for love. This is how loving kindness becomes limitless.
2) Karuna - Compassionate Involvement
19th (eve)– 22nd April
When The Buddha was asked by one of his followers if compassion was a part of their practice. “No,” the Buddha answered. “The cultivation of compassion is all of our practice.”
As part of our practice we will meditate on the deity of compassion, Chenrezig. Chenrezig means “continuously all seeing”. Kuan Yin, the Chinese deity of compassion, means “she who hears all the cries of the world”. Compassion is the openness of the heart towards all beings without exception.
3) Mudita - Sympathetic Joy
2nd (eve)– 5th August
“May all beings never be separated from the sacred happiness that is sorrow-less”
Regarding conditional joy, it is usually easier for us to experience joy for ourselves than it is to experience it for others. One of the hardest things for many of us to do is to feel happy when something good happens to another person. Judgment and envy, the tendency to compare and demean, and greed and prejudice narrow our world and make sympathetic joy nearly impossible to experience.
Learning to feel joy for others will help transform our own suffering and self-centeredness into joy.
4) Upekkha - Equanimity
11th (eve) – 14th October
Equanimity allows us that radiant calm, peace, and trust that receive the world and at the same time make it possible for us to let go of the world.
It is said that the boundless qualities of loving kindness, compassion, and sympathetic joy stem from equanimity. Equanimity is grounded in the experience of letting go.
Booking: by sending a non-refundable deposit of £50 (cheques to be made payable to Ad Brugman)
Costs includes accommodation and course fee. Participants need to bring food to share and dana for the teacher
Dana reflects
the value you place on the teaching,
the joy of giving and what is realistic for you.
Each participant arrives at the amount voluntarily.
Dana is a Pali word meaning: “liberality,
generosity, offering” and is the first of the “Six Paramis” , ”the
virtues that helps us go further”. Dana is the antidote to holding
on and egoism or self-referencing. The Ven. Namgyal Rinpoche stressed this
first virtue as most important if one wants to make genuine changes in one’s
life. To turn one’s mind to the welfare of others through offering,
giving, brings about a loosening of self-referencing, of “I, Me and
Mine”. It is the opposite of the attitude of poverty, where one sees
the world in terms of lacks rather than offerings.
So, I invite you to join in this practice of spontaneous offering and opening,
of trusting that as we freely give, so in turn we are nurtured.
BURSARIES
Bursaries from The Orchard Sangha Bursary Funds can be obtained to cover part of the course fees for any retreat either with Sonia or Ad at The Orchard.
Enquiries, contact Gini at gini_wade@lineone.net
Summer Retreat - "Stand still and know"
16th (eve) - 21st August cost: £205
To break the cycle of endlessly going around the same behavioural patterns, we need to stop, stand still. Only from that place of stillness can we truly see and change.
By studying the Sutta on Dependent Origination we get a deeper insight and support in our practice of “standing still”. Investigating our mind state as the fore runner of all our speech and actions we become more mindful of “where to stop” loosen the grip behavioural patterns have on us.
“Standing still and know” is our path to freedom and happiness.
This is the practice of mindfulness and its applications in our daily life.
Booking: by sending a non-refundable deposit of £50 (cheques to be made payable to Ad Brugman)
Costs includes accommodation and course fee. Participants need to bring food to share and dana for the teacher
Dana reflects
the value you place on the teaching,
the joy of giving and what is realistic for you.
Each participant arrives at the amount voluntarily.
Dana is a Pali word meaning: “liberality,
generosity, offering” and is the first of the “Six Paramis” , ”the
virtues that helps us go further”. Dana is the antidote to holding
on and egoism or self-referencing. The Ven. Namgyal Rinpoche stressed this
first virtue as most important if one wants to make genuine changes in one’s
life. To turn one’s mind to the welfare of others through offering,
giving, brings about a loosening of self-referencing, of “I, Me and
Mine”. It is the opposite of the attitude of poverty, where one sees
the world in terms of lacks rather than offerings.
So, I invite you to join in this practice of spontaneous offering and opening,
of trusting that as we freely give, so in turn we are nurtured.
BURSARIES
Bursaries from The Orchard Sangha Bursary Funds can be obtained to cover part of the course fees for any retreat either with Sonia or Ad at The Orchard.
Enquiries, contact Gini at gini_wade@lineone.net
T’ai–Ji retreat: “Stillness in Movement”
2nd (eve) - 4th November Cost: £ 130
A weekend of T’ai-Ji practice for all levels
Booking: by sending a non-refundable deposit of £50 (cheques to be made payable to Ad Brugman)
Costs includes accommodation and course fee. Participants need to bring food to share and dana for the teacher
Dana reflects
the value you place on the teaching,
the joy of giving and what is realistic for you.
Each participant arrives at the amount voluntarily.
Dana is a Pali word meaning: “liberality,
generosity, offering” and is the first of the “Six Paramis” , ”the
virtues that helps us go further”. Dana is the antidote to holding
on and egoism or self-referencing. The Ven. Namgyal Rinpoche stressed this
first virtue as most important if one wants to make genuine changes in one’s
life. To turn one’s mind to the welfare of others through offering,
giving, brings about a loosening of self-referencing, of “I, Me and
Mine”. It is the opposite of the attitude of poverty, where one sees
the world in terms of lacks rather than offerings.
So, I invite you to join in this practice of spontaneous offering and opening,
of trusting that as we freely give, so in turn we are nurtured.
BURSARIES
Bursaries from The Orchard Sangha Bursary Funds can be obtained to cover part of the course fees for any retreat either with Sonia or Ad at The Orchard.
Enquiries, contact Gini at gini_wade@lineone.net
"returning to the source"
T'ai-Ji seminar on Holy Island
7th - 9th/11th September Beginners welcome
“The master acts without doing anything
Things arise and she lets them come; things disappear and she lets them go.
She has but doesn’t possess, acts but does not expect” (Tao te Ching)
“returning to the source”
"Happiness cannot be found through effort and great willpower but is already there in relaxation and letting go" (Gendun Rinpoche)
Our time on Holy island is that of celebrating being human and alive; a time of being nurtured by nature, its light, sounds, space and by the joy of the T’ai-Ji dance of life.
I look forward being there with you.
Cost:
2 days (Friday - Sunday): £235 (dorm); twin room £16 suppl.; single room £38 suppl.
4 days (Friday - Tuesday): £395 (dorm); twin room £23 suppl.; single room £76 suppl.
early bookings, i.e. before 1st July, will get a 10% discount off the £235/£395
To book: use the Booking Form
Please read these important documents
Workshop details and travel information
Both of the documents are .pdf files. If you click on them they will open
in a new browser window, or "right click" on them and then save
them to your computer. If you have any difficulty viewing these documents
please contact Ad and ask for them to be sent to you.
All Workshops are suitable for beginners & cost include:-
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"returning to the source " with Ad Brugman
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Ferry travels from Ardrossan to Holy Isle and back
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Accommodation in modern wood carved bunks (single & twin rooms available – supp.)
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Full Vegetarian Cuisine – special diets catered for
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A beautiful and tranquil environment
For further information on Holy Island, visit www.holyisland.org
Glasgow: Stillness in Movement
16th - 17th June Cost : £ 105
With both the form of the Five Elements and the First Circle as our starting and end point, we playfully open the doors for the 2nd and 3rd circles.
This is a follow up event. Beginners welcome. No previous experience necessary. |
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For furher information and bookings, contact Liz Young on: Tel: 0129 228 9258 or e-mail: elizabeth.young6@virgin.net
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site updated 26/4/2012