Schedule

Fri 15 May: 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Sat 16 May: 7:00 AM – 6:30 PM with frequent breaks
Sun 17 May: 7:00 AM – 6:30 PM with frequent breaks

By bringing joy and happiness to one person, we bring joy and happiness to every one of us. That is why I think that community-building, sangha-building, is the most important, most noble work that we can do.

— Thich Nhat Nanh

Rooted in the Plum Village Tradition, we will explore facilitation as a continuation of our own practice, learning together how to create inclusive, safe, and sustainable online Sangha spaces

Together, we will reflect on how we hold and serve Sanghas online with care, inclusivity, and ethical awareness, while also attending to our own sustainability and well-being.

Through shared practice, dialogue, and peer reflection, participants are invited to deepen confidence, clarity, and connection in their facilitation, and to discover how online Sangha can continue to be a place of refuge and true togetherness.

Retreat Leaders

Rehena Harilall / True Deep Source (she/we)

Rehena Harilall is an Order of Interbeing member and Dharma Teacher in the Plum Village Tradition. Rooted in African and Asian heritages, her practice has been shaped by growing up in apartheid South Africa and by a long-standing inquiry into healing, belonging, and collective care.

She has practised in the Plum Village tradition since 1998, and practices and facilitates with Sanghas in the UK, the USA, and Botswana. Rehena brings a mindfulness-based, trauma-aware approach to Sangha life and facilitation, informed by her training in psychology, somatic abolition and trauma work, and her professional work in organisational and business contexts.

She sits on the EDI Advisory Group of the British Association of Mindfulness-Based Approaches, contributing to making mindfulness more inclusive, recognising non-MBSR-based pathways, and supporting the development of trauma-aware practice in mindfulness settings. She has written about practice in Lion’s Roar and The Mindfulness Bell, and brings her practice outward through multi-faith relationship-building and the creation of collective spaces of care for engaged action.

Sita Brand / True Lotus Wisdom

Sita is a story archaeologist, storyteller and UK Dharma Teacher.

She has spent 40 years as a professional storyteller, bringing using story to educate and empower communities through her organisation Settle Stories. She also serves as a Buddhist prison chaplain, where she has witnessed the need and desire for stories.

Sita has over 30 years of mindfulness meditation practice and is trained in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).

Her background as a storyteller of dual heritage (Indian father, English mother) informs how she approaches questions of belonging, identity, and the ancestral wisdom we carry or reject.

She is also a visual artist influenced by Indian folk art traditions, weaving together themes of cultural meeting, traditional wisdom, and everyday sacred moments.

Practical Information

Training

This retreat is structured around the Buddhist principles known as the Six Togethernesses (Six Harmonies), which offer a living framework for how a Sangha practises and serves together.

The sessions explore togetherness in body, speech, mind, ethical conduct, shared understanding, and mutual support, offering a clear and wholesome way to cultivate, nourish, and care for Sangha.

Through guided practice, Dharma insights and sharing, dialogue, and real-life scenario examples, participants will explore how to embody togetherness in online facilitation, with particular attention to staying present and grounded when difficult or sensitive situations arise, and meeting them with mindfulness, compassion, and wholesome skill in ways that care for both individuals and the Sangha.

Pricing

We are offering tiered pricing to allow accessibility. Please pay as much as you are able to to support this retreat.

£140 – Generosity rate
£100 – Standard rate
£60 – Supported rate

If the lowest rate is still unaffordable for you, please contact us. We would like no one to be turned away due to lack of funds.

Dana and Money

The booking rates are inclusive of dana for organisational ease. A proportion of income will go towards Plum Village UK’s costs plus a payment to Rehena and Sita, and a donation to the Order of Interbeing UK Bursary fund.

Refunds

We can offer a full refund minus the Ticket Tailor fee for cancellations made up to two weeks before the retreat. After that no refund is available other than in exceptional circumstances – please contact the organisers if you feel this applies to you.

Further Details

Further details of the weekend will be emailed to all participants closer to the time.

Should you have any questions before then, please feel free to contact us.

Contact Us

Email admin@plumvillage.uk