Les Gavatxes is an ideal place to make an individual retreat at any time of the year when accommodation is available. Whether you are an accomplished practitioner seeking to go deeper into your practice or someone seeking time out from a busy work/life schedule, we can help tailor a retreat to your specific needs.

You might want to practice with us in meditation, qi gong, yoga, gardening…. you might want time and space to go further into your own practice, if so the zendo and outdoor spaces are here for you to use. 

The stillness and silence of the forest will welcome you to immerse in nature. You might want to self-cater or join the small resident team for a daily meal.  Its important to us that we help you with what will work best for you. Stephen and Sara are here to talk with you about what you are seeking and to offer any support during your stay. We look forward to hearing from you.

As well as accommodation and use of the zendo, we can offer:

•  One-to-one sessions of yoga, qi gong, and meditation. 
•  Therapeutic and spiritual support from Stephen (specially for those who are coming to work through specific life issues).  
•  Dream analysis sessions according to the school of psychology of Carl Jung.

We can help to tailor the retreat that will be most helpful to you, just contact us to discuss and make arrangements.

About Stephen: 

Stephen Bushell was born in London in 1960. As a teenager he was drawn to religion and spirituality and has followed that thread all his adult life.  He studied Theology and Religious Studies and later trained in Analytical Psychology to become a psychoanalyst (Jungian). He attended his first 10 day vipassana retreat age 20 and for five years trained in Tai Chi and meditation with Tew Bunnag, founder of the European School of Tai Chi. He later completed his Vipassana teacher training with the Thai master, Dhiravamsa.  Never seeing any discrepancy between Buddhist practice and the deeper currents of the Christian mystical tradition, in his early 30s, Stephen ordained as a priest in the Anglican Church; in this capacity he offered spiritual and pastoral care in inpatient and community psychiatric care. From here he went on to work privately in psychoanalysis. Living and teaching at Les Gavatxes, Stephen is bringing together many threads of his spiritual journey, particularly to offer psychological insight within the practice of meditation. With the immersion in nature that life here offers, Stephen is currently exploring the deep interconnectedness of all life and sees this as a necessary aspect of contemporary spiritual practice.