Unlock the sacred wisdom of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life at our transformative Men’s retreat, weaving together mystical teachings, meditation, and yoga. Journey through the tree’s divine pathways, discovering profound insights into purpose, presence, and spiritual awakening. Guided by ancient Kabbalistic texts and embodied practices, you’ll experience deep inner alignment, expanded consciousness, and renewed vitality. Join a supportive fellowship of Men to cultivate clarity, balance, and authentic connection, as you integrate timeless Jewish mysticism with nourishing mindfulness and yogic flow. Awaken your soul’s potential, harmonise mind, body, and spirit, and return inspired, rejuvenated, and empowered.

The Kabbalistic Tree of Life is a mystical map representing divine creation and spiritual reality. Composed of ten interconnected spheres, called sefirot, it illustrates how infinite divine energy flows into the world, shaping existence and consciousness. Each of the sefirot symbolises a unique spiritual quality, such as wisdom, compassion, or strength. Together, they form pathways guiding personal growth, transformation, and unity with the Divine. By exploring this ancient symbolic structure, individuals gain insight into the relationship between humanity, the universe, and Divinity. The Tree of Life offers profound teachings for navigating life’s complexities, deepening awareness, and cultivating harmony within oneself and creation.

The Retreat will Include Invitations to Participate in:

•       Deep Kabbalistic teachings with Q&A Sessions
•       Periods of sitting meditation, walking meditation and mindful eating
•       Yoga sessions
•       Periods of Social Silence
•       Cold water immersion and sauna
•       Walks in nature
•       Cool swims in our natural bio pool
•       Fellowship with like-minded men
•       The Rituals of the Jewish Sabbath
•       Taking in the breathtaking views in our tree top meditation net, 50 feet off the ground up a 500-year-old oak tree

Our venue is the beautiful and peaceful  Buckettsland Farm Retreat Centre, Buckettsland Lane, Borehamwood WD6 5PN

The retreat will begin at 7pm Thursday 22nd May and end at 10:30pm Saturday 24th May

Our venue is the beautiful and peaceful Buckettsland Farm Retreat Centre, Buckettsland Lane, Borehamwood WD6 5PN

At our retreat centre you will escape the hustle of city life and immerse yourself in peaceful tranquillity. It offers a sanctuary nestled in the natural beauty of woodlands and meadows.

The Retreat Centre includes a range of facilities designed to immerse and inspire:·        

• Authentic Yurt: For meditation and yoga
• Natural Cold Water Swimming Pond: Perfect for invigorating dips
• Ice Bath: To experience the powerful practice of cold-water exposure
• Sauna: For relaxation and restoration
• Extensive Outdoor Spaces: Including forested areas and running tracks, ideal for meditation, nature walks, and outdoor activities

Onsite sleeping accommodation is basic and spartan. You will sleep in either a small self-contained sleep pod or in the communal yurt. In the yurt each sleeping space is delineated with curtains on either side. You will need to bring sleeping bags, pillows and, for those in the yurt, a blow-up mattress or something similar.

Each sleep pod is bespoke and comes with its own lights, heating, power supply and insulated blackout blinds should you wish to have complete privacy. 

Indoor toilet facilities are located right next to the pods and the yurt and are lit and accessible all through the night. We also have indoor and outdoor heated showers for your use throughout your stay as well.

Alternatively, you could stay in a local hotel or Air bnb in Borehamwood e.g. The Travelodge or the Premier Inn, which are only a 5 minute drive from the Retreat Centre.

Foodies will be very well looked after here as each of your meals has been carefully selected to satisfy and nourish your body, mind, and soul. Ingredients are vegan, locally sourced, seasonal, plant-based, whole food, hormone balancing and absolutely delicious, and you will leave craving them for days after. All of your meals are cooked and served from scratch on site.

Retreat Rates:

The rates for this retreat are at three levels: Standard, Scholarship and Supporter.

Standard Rate: the Standard Rate is £450 

Scholarship Rate: the Scholarship Rate is £325 and is available to those who cannot afford the Standard rate.

Supporter Rate: the Supporter Rate is £575. If you are in a position to do so, we invite you to pay a higher registration fee. This helps us to offer places on retreat to those with more limited finances. Our deep aspiration is that the gifts of retreat should be equally available to everyone who seeks them, regardless of financial or any other circumstances.

Cancellations

Cancellations before Thursday 15th May 2025 are fully refundable, less a £15 administration fee. Cancellations from Thursday 15th May onwards are not refundable.

IMPORTANT: Please make your own arrangements with the hotel if you choose to stay offsite, and let us know where you will be staying.

The Benefits of Jewish Mindfulness Meditation

We are dedicated to introducing this practice into the Jewish world for several reasons:

• to enliven and enhance Jewish prayer, celebration, ritual and community;
• to be part of working for the betterment of our fragile and vulnerable planet; and
• to recognize the true and deep sources of happiness in a world filled with seductive, competing and ultimately unsatisfying short-term fixes.

How can Mindfulness Meditation Help?

Mindfulness meditation is training the mind. Just as we go to the gym to make our bodies stronger and more flexible, so mind training helps make our minds more spacious, perceptive and most of all free.

We train our capacity to pay attention by turning our attention, like a flashlight, on our own minds. This helps us see more clearly the nature of our own minds. We become aware of the patterns and habits that run our lives but have not been previously visible.

We begin to realize that these patterns and habits may serve our goals, desires, and purposes – but often they do not. We start to realize that there actually is a “pause button” built into our system. This pause button can be activated when we become triggered by an event outside ourselves and are tempted to act in reactive, patterned and unskilful ways.

The “pause button” wakes us up, creates a space in our mind where we can ask the question: ”What is the skilful, wholesome, wise, goal oriented action I need to take in this moment?” “What are my choices here?” The development of this capacity for inner freedom is why we train in mindfulness. This can be profoundly useful in our lives, especially in our relationships, and in any task we undertake to realize our dreams or express our creativity.

By cultivating attention, we are also able to feel more satisfied with each moment of our experience.

We learn to rest in this moment as it unfolds.

We learn to bring our awareness to the flow of energy in the body which is the very miracle of our aliveness. We learn to be more receptive to the fullness of each moment, rather than resisting what has already occurred or projecting what is not yet here. We learn to notice the arising and passing of all experience, recognizing how short and precious this life is.

We learn to treasure each day for the miracle it is. This is itself a source of happiness. According to modern neuroscience, the mind is a dynamic flow of experiences rather than a fixed state. When we experience this for ourselves, we feel less isolated, less caught in judgment and adversity, and more open to the mystery and majesty of this life.

(adapted from the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, with thanks)

Being in Peace & Quiet / Social Silence

You are invited to experience periods of the retreat in peace & quiet/social silence. 

Spending time in silence can be a powerful way to support the deepening of meditative calm and insight. Being together in this way is an opportunity for us to explore a degree of solitude, while having the support of the group.

Being in silence can foster a sense of safety and refuge. Through letting go of the familiar world of words we can give ourselves the opportunity to find space from the complexity of personal interaction, and to see our mind and its activity more clearly.

Experiencing life directly, rather than through language and concepts, allows us to develop insight into the way things are. This direct seeing is the foundation for inner peace, wisdom and compassion.

At the start of the retreat we will explain how the silence will work, what to do if you need to speak to someone, and answer any questions you may have. You are very welcome to contact us beforehand and ask anything too.