Jointly hosted by myself and Nisi Crerar (the most wonderful botanical artist and yoga teacher!), Beauty in Decay promises to be a very special retreat spent deeply reconnecting to and celebrating the transient beauty and fragility of life. We'll be using the changing season as the fulcrum for our learning. Here in the West, with a culture that values youth, beauty and constant movement, we find ourselves shying away from the reality of impermanence, seeing only deficit and decay in getting older, and being elderly as little more than a period of mourning for shoulda-woulda-couldas.
This is why Nisi and I came up with this retreat. We are ALL going to die! By learning how to accept and embrace this fact, we can live a richer, more joyful life that benefits everyone in the here and now. Across this weekend, we'll be taking inspiration from White Tara and Green Tara, two manifestations of the same Buddhist deity. White Tara represents longevity, compassion, healing and peace, while Green Tara helps with overcoming obstacles and taking compassionate, positive action.
What to Expect:
I'll be supporting you through asana sequences as an opportunity for you to find your physical limits. Once there, we'll use that experience as a fertile ground for compassion-focused meditations (karuna and metta). This will no doubt lend itself to valuable discussions on our culture's squeamish dismay around the subject of ageing and death. Why do we value youth over experience? Is it possible to overcome our conditioning? Why do we fear death? What would life look like if we didn't punish ourselves for our sagging bodies and graying hair? What does it even mean, to age well?
Autumn is the perfect time of year for us to ask these questions, questions that move us further inwards to something more thoughtful and still than we typically find in the warmer months. To take advantage of what this season of fire and fog can teach us, Nisi will take our practice outside where you'll be encouraged to make contact with the wilderness via your senses ~ sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. Here you'll be able to explore how you can cultivate an emotional bond with the natural world through slow movement, grounding meditation and visualisation.
Samye Ling is a very special place with a powerful energy all of its own, and it would be our absolute pleasure and privilege to share it with you, including the breathtaking shrine room, stupa, grounds and, of course, the delicious vegetarian food! You'll also have the precious opportunity to attend puja and meditation with the monks and nuns.
This retreat takes place in autumn, in Eskdalemuir. Dampness is pretty much guaranteed so you'll definitely need to bring waterproofs and wellies! We'll be going outside whatever the weather decides to throw at us.
It's important to both Nisi and myself to keep the cost as low as we can. We're very aware of how expensive some yoga and meditation retreats can be and we'd like this to be as inclusive as possible. With that in mind, we're offering this retreat at £155 per person. This is for the teaching part of the retreat only. You'll have to book your accommodation directly through bookings@samyeling.org. We've reserved accommodation for 15 participants at £59 per night. This includes a comfy, private room with a sink (shared shower rooms) and all meals (from soup on Friday evening to lunch on Sunday).
Your total investment then for the whole weekend will be £273. To reserve your spot, you'll need to book here and pay a £75 non-refundable deposit. The remaining amount becomes payable at the end of August. Accommodation is payble on arrival at Samye Ling.
A full timetable of practice and study will be sent to participants nearer the time.
Last updated July 7, 2025, 3:19 p.m. UTC
I've practised Hatha yoga for 25 years and hold a 500-hr, CYQ Level 3 Diploma in Teaching Yoga. I currently run Hatha and Vinyasa Yoga classes in Berwick-upon-Tweed and Etal in North Northumberland, and Coldstream in the Scottish Borders.
Classes are suitable for all abilities and include movement, breathwork and meditation. I provide modifications and progressions to ensure that you get the practice that is right for you.
Most of all, I believe in making yoga accessible and enjoyable for everyone! We laugh a lot, wobble and fall over, bit always leave feeling calmer and more peaceful.
