Padmadarshini 

I have long been interested in exploring and working with the body. Since being a teenager coming into my body through movement has been a way of connecting with and resourcing myself. I have taught yoga at Bodywise in Manchester for many years now. During this time both my personal practice and approach to teaching have ongoingly changed and evolved. It has been important to me to see the practice as a process of enquiry, exploration and creativity. This has drawn me to study with various teachers over the years and I am particularly grateful to Sarah Powers and Donna Farhi for the rich teachings I have received from them.

In more recent years  I have also been drawn to also exploring more somatic /embodied movement approaches - allowing movement to arise from listening to impulses within the bodymind and from outer stimuli. In particular I love the practice of Authentic Movement, a little known but very rich embodied relational movement practice. It’s a bit like doing the metta bhavana through movement! Whether through movement or meditation I am really interested in discovering how the body can be a 'doorway' into listening to ourselves and can help us find a deeper, more open, easeful relationship to ourselves, others and the world around us. 

Nayaka - Nayaka came to Dhanakosa in 1996 after learning to meditate with the Newcastle Buddhist Centre. Drawn by the mountains, he quickly felt at home here and became increasingly involved in the running of the centre. He became part of the management team in 1999, was ordained into the Western Buddhist Order in 2001 and became centre director in 2006. He has a background in earth and life sciences, has a long standing interest in natural history and a love of the wilderness.

Nayaka lives at Dhanakosa with Dharmavasini and their 2 children.

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.