'Kim is one of those very special people who makes you feel that you do matter and gives you the direction to believe in yourself. Kim's down to earth, passionate and very informative teaching is just brilliant' - Angela
Weekend Retreats in North Wales and the Peak District
| Date | Weekend Retreats | Price | Places |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30th Dec - 2nd Jan | New Year: Self Compassion and Some Silence | £349 | 2 |
| 4th-6th March | Deep Listening: Solo Ensuite | £319 | 1 |
| 4th-6th March | Deep Listening: Solo Shared Bathroom | £289 | 0 |
| 29th July - 1st Aug | Deep Listening | £359 | 11 |
Day Retreats are all currently held online
| Date | Day Retreats | Price | Places |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6th Feb | Day Retreat: 10am - 5.30pm | £30 | 15 |
Please get in touch if you'd like to join us but cost is standing in your way - we can discuss alternate forms of payment (barter!) and can occasionally offer a reduced price place.
Weekends: 10am - 5.30pm, £30
Facilitated by Kim
Join Kim for a day of online meditation practice with like-minded souls.
We'll start at 10am and come together to meditate on the hour, every hour for 25 mins finishing with the 5pm meditation.
We'll aim to make the non meditation time abundant with creativity, rest, walking or whatever else might feel useful to you. It's also recommended that we spend the day in silence without the distraction of phones, music, tv or talking. But ultimately you can do as you choose!
Suitable for beginners or for those who have meditated before.
If this is feeling like something you'd like to do you can use this booking form. Feel free to drop us a line if you have any questions
'I feel a strong connection to Kim as she is so open and honest in her thoughts and provides the most engaging, authentic meditation experience.
She shares her wisdom as well as her vulnerability which speaks volumes - so glad I met you all those years ago when I really started out n my own healing journey and I’m so grateful to have had you by my side in meditation over the lockdown period and beyond.
Thank you so much' - Miriam
£319 solo ensuite, £289 solo shared bathroom
£359 solo room with shared bathroom
Facilitated by Kim
After the year we've had, this is an invitation to deeply listen to what it is that we need and want for ourselves. A time to take stock, recalibrate and uncover the direction that our inner satnav is taking us.
We'll create an environment of stillness to facilitate that, as well as making time for some self compassion and honing our skills of deep listening to others. Let's discover what it means to truly listen to ourselves without demands, or threats, or the push me, pull me habitual ways of thinking that guide so many of our decisions. Let's feel into the privilege of truly listening to another without needing to fix them or make them happy or give them solutions and in that way we also expand the ability to do the same for ourselves.
In North Wales there is some lovely walking and the beach on the doorstep. Plenty of grounds to enjoy and nature to soothe the soul. Hope to see you there! All rooms are for solo occupancy with shared bathrooms (max two to a bathroom).
In the Peak District we're in a quiet spot in Great Hucklow that also has lovely walking, and there is a choice of ensuite or shared bathrooms.
As with all Serenity Retreat breaks, how much you choose to participate is entirely up to you. Deep listening to what it is that truly works for YOU in the moment.
The price includes:
If this is feeling like something you'd like to do you can use this booking form. Or drop us a line if you have any questions . A deposit of £50 will save your place.
Facilitated by Kim
There will be a timetable that includes periods of sitting, mindful walking, mindfulness movement and periods of Doing Nothing. There will be a self-compassion based talk each evening. If you want to bring a book, or some drawing, or some writing - please do. Our focus is on opening up to the silence. We'll stress that there is no obligation AT ALL to follow the timetable. Instead, we'll encourage you to tune in to what your body needs: feeling tired? Rest. Feeling hungry? Snack. Need to move? Go walking. Don't feel that you have to follow our timetable. It's there if you feel that you want to do it, but it's not compulsory by any means. The most important thing is that you commit to the silence on New Year's Day! Other than that, you are very welcome to do as you choose.
Someone asked me (Kim) this a few weeks ago. I answered as best I could at the time but thought that it was a great question. Why would we voluntarily become silent? What is the point? Many of us live alone and are silent a lot anyway, why would we choose to expose ourselves to more, when we could have the opportunity to be making new friends and socialising?
I’m pretty sure you all have your own reasons for turning up and entering the silence, so what I’m about to say speaks only for me. Maybe it’ll resonate, maybe not ;)
My friend, Janine, announced she was doing a silent retreat some years ago. I remember being horrified - you can’t speak?! Or read?! Or write?! But I was also at a point when I was questioning a lot of what my mind was telling me. So I turned it around - what was so terrible about not being able to speak or read or write? And it’s then I realised that I was terrified of what might turn up if I was left alone with my own head. I thought that Pandora’s box might be opened, a huge can of worms that I would be unable to put the lid back on. But that wasn't my experience and in ten years of running silent retreats it hasn't been anyone else's either. In fact I realised that my fear of looking within was keeping me trapped in all sorts of subtle ways.
During our time together we WILL have the possibility of reading, writing, drawing etc. We welcome this simply because we don’t need to create extra stress for ourselves when we first meet silence. You’re welcome to read and write and draw - but we can be very interested in the moment BEFORE we pick up the book, the journal, the drawing etc. Why do we feel the need to distract ourselves? Is something going on that feels uncomfortable? Can we possibly sit with that feeling and turn our minds towards it? Even for 2 seconds? After we’ve turned towards the feeling that’s going on for us, we may find that we’re quite curious about what’s going on and want to investigate further. Or we may decide that we absolutely DO want to distract ourselves and that’s perfectly fine. The thing is to have some curiosity about the whole thing. We call this ‘friendly curiosity’.
If we decide to investigate the bodily experience, then our intention isn’t to work anything out or get to the bottom of anything or analyse it, although we may have some insights in that direction, our intention is simply to give our bodies the gift of our 100% complete attention in this moment of discomfort or whatever it is that we have going on for us. In the West we have become very used to moving away from discomfort as we’re told over and over again (by the media and society) that we shouldn’t have to experience any unpleasantness and that if we do (and this message can be quite subtle) then we are in some way ‘failing’. This is not true. We are simply living.
But I can tell you that until I’m blue in the face. The only way to see if this is true is to come and find out for yourself....
This is a great way to introduce yourself to the practice of silence. Especially suitable for those who have never experienced a silent retreat before. It's not as intense as a full on Buddhist retreat but still retains the magic that silence can bring. It's such a great way to start the year!
The price includes:
Facilitated by Kim
The price includes:
If this is feeling like something you'd like to do you can use this booking form. Or drop us a line if you have any questions. A deposit of £50 will save your place.
Kim founded Serenity Retreat back in 2010. She is a trained Zenways Meditation and Mindfulness Teacher with over twelve years experience and has also trained in Self Compassion with Kristen Neff and Chris Germer. Most recently, Kim became a Kiloby Inquiries Facilitator in January 2022.
Her passion is to discover what really lies beneath, both for herself and others, and to encourage open-heartedness and fearlessness to the adventure of life. She's straightforward, no nonsense, and has an earthy sense of humour.
Testimonials:
'Kim is an exceptional teacher; courageous , authentic, wise and compassionate
She brings real humility and appropriate humour to her sessions and has an impressive ability to relate to everyone within diverse groups; there’s no sense of needing to be “one of us”.
I have experienced Kim’s meditations, group discussion and exploration sessions and also one-to-one work and I am stuck by her ability to express and share the depth of her knowledge and insight in such an enjoyable, informative and impactful way.
Oh and she’s a really lovely soul as well!' - Sarah
Our average review score is 5 and we're happy!
We've been reviewed in the Guardian AGAIN!
January 2019: 10 of the Best Meditation Retreats in the UK and Europe January 2014: 10 Wellbeing Retreats for 2014
National Geographic Traveller. We're featured in the Top 5: Meditation retreats in Europe.
We're very proud to be in Psychologies Magazine - July 2018. You can see the article here.
"Take a breath and refocus yourself on these wonderfully afordable beach-front meditation-based holidays for solo travellers on the laid-back island of Lefkada. Led by Zen Buddhist teacher Kim Bennett, they offer meditation sessions with the option to join other wellbeing sessions and enjoy treatments and trips. Rejuvenate with sea and mountain views, just a 30-minute drive from the airport"
We had our first mention in the Sunday Telegraph Travel Section in April:
"For a beach holiday that is also a retreat, head for the island of Lefkada in Greece where Serenity Retreat offers just that: guided walks, qigong and meditation. It's geared towards solo travellers and you can do as little or as much as you want- and I'd say the place is tranquil rather than silent. Should you want to try complete silence, the company offer weekend silent retreats in Yorkshire as well".
Our latest review in the Daily Mail, January 2018
Confessions of a Retreat Junkie
As well as The Times as a 'Top 50 Spa Holiday':
"It’s great for solo travellers interested in spirituality and personal growth or just pure relaxation, and tends to attract people who have started to question their lives and who want to live more meaningfully".
Queen of Retreats reviewed us too! Check out our page on their site.
Metro had this to say:
Set up by Zen meditation teacher Kim Bennett, Serenity Retreats are aimed at solo travellers looking for self development. The week long retreat has an easy-breezy approach and while there are mindfulness walks, guided meditations and excursions on offer, nothing is compulsory. "Our emphasis is on giving our guests space", Bennett says. "Our accommodation is on the beach and we encourage guests do nothing other than watch the sea and the mountain for a restorative effect".
Need more information or have some feedback? Contact us on 01422 752545, or send a message below...