Smritiratna first took up Buddhist practice in 1977 at the age of 21 while studying Developmental Psychology at Sussex University. At 27, he began training in earnest with the FWBO and entered the Western Buddhist Order in 1991.

In 1996, he came to Scotland, joined the Dhanakosa project and spent five years on-site, teaching and house-keeping. In 2001, he gave up house-keeping to concentrate on study, contemplation and teaching. He now lives in a forest hut near Dhanakosa. He still leads Dhanakosa retreats and continues to delight in introducing meditation to newcomers.

Sukhema was born in Illinois and has been living in Glasgow since 1981.  He has been leading retreats at Dhanakosa since the early nineties when it first opened. His day job is teaching tai-chi in healthcare settings including the Maggie Cancer Care Centre  where he also facilitates a therapeutic writing group.

His passions are poetry,dance, drama, gardening and wild swimming. He's the editor for Playspace Publications , a published poet and researcher for Art in Health.

Open to all, these retreats are suitable for both beginners and those with more experience, but no previous experience is assumed. All these retreats include introductory meditation teaching and periods of silence.