Dwelling in Being-Time
A Retreat led by Christopher Ash
6th -11th October 2025
“It is in this fathom-long body, with its perception and mind, this I declare to be the world, the origin of the world, the cessation of the world, and the path leading to the cessation of the world.” – The Buddha, Rohitassa Sutta.
Experience the deep connection between time, space, and awareness on this five-day silent retreat. The creativity of time, space and knowing occurs as the activity of our own body’s immediate presence. Through sitting and walking meditation, and other awareness exercises, we will experience body, speech and mind through the lens of time. The exercises will cover the traditional Buddhist categories of Body, Speech, and Mind. We will directly experience time as arising in our bodies and discover evanescence as the very heart of our own presence.
Event Details
Location: The venue is Hartzer Park, near Bowral, New South Wales. It is a peaceful retreat centre just 90 minutes from Sydney. The centre, owned and managed by the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, is on 16 acres of tranquil countryside and carries a rich heritage of hospitality, reflection, and service. You can find more information at https://www.hartzerpark.org.au/.
Dates: The retreat is from Monday, October 6th, 2025, to Saturday, October 11th, 2025. Please arrive at 4pm on Monday and leave at 4pm on Saturday.
Accommodation: Single rooms that feature a personal basin, desk, and electric blanket are provided, with access to communal bathroom facilities. Bed linen and towels are provided, but please bring your own toiletries.
Meals: All meals will be vegetarian. Specific dietary requirements (nut allergies, lactose intolerance, and celiac etc) can be catered for. Daily provision includes a light breakfast (cereal, toast, tea and coffee), morning tea, lunch with dessert, and an evening meal. An evening meal will be provided on the day of arrival at 6:00pm. Tea and coffee are available anytime in the Breakfast Room. Hartzer Park’s catering disclaimer notes: “While we maintain high standards in food preparation and take all dietary requirements seriously, please note that we cannot guarantee a completely allergen-free environment”.
Cost: The cost for five nights’ accommodation and all meals is $883. Additionally, Dana (an act of generosity) is invited. In keeping with a 2,500-year-old tradition the teachings are being offered free of charge. At the end of the retreat, you will be invited to give a donation to support the teacher and in doing so support the continuation of their work.
Contact & Registration: If you require any further information, contact Darron Webber. You can email her at darronwebber@gmail.com or call 0412303820.
To come, you need to register online at:
https://wholebodymindfulness.com/2025-spring-retreat/
Note from the Teacher
No previous retreat experience is required. However, you can mention any concerns about any vulnerabilities regarding this kind of concentrated experience in the registration form. If you are concerned about your vulnerabilities, before registering please consult with your mental/emotional health support and gauge whether this kind of activity is suitable. It’s usually not a suitable practice for major personality disorders, including DPDR or Chronic Depression.
About the Teacher
Christopher Ash has practiced Buddhism since 1969. In 2002, he was appointed a teacher in the lineage of Buddhadasa by Subhana Barzaghi and Christopher Titmuss. He has also trained in the Diamond Sangha lineage of Zen Buddhism, as well as with various Tibetan teachers.
Christopher focuses on the process-oriented nature of the Buddha’s original teachings. He emphasizes the Buddha’s instructions on mindfulness of the body, augmented certain concepts from Western phenomenology. He is a trainer of Eugene Gendlin’s “Focusing.” Christopher guides students in the discovery of the microprocesses involved in our everyday embodied awareness. He has recently become the principal teacher of Cloud Refuge, an online sangha. He is also the guiding teacher at Kalyanamitta Online group, where Buddhism meets Gendlin.
