The River Underground

To attend this retreat you will need to have been regularly meditating for at least two years and regularly attend retreats, a centre or a group within the context of the Triratna Buddhist Community. You must also be comfortable with extended periods of sitting meditation, Buddhist devotional practice and spending most of the retreat in silence.

"We are ruled by powers that we pretend to understand." - Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth

On this retreat we will focus on meditation practice as a means to gain access to the unseen underlying currents and forces that shape our lives. Many of us can have an experience of somehow being ‘out of touch’ with our experience in all its fullness. To counter this, through deep internal listening and the activation of the imagination, we will try to engage with that which truly moves and sustains us. By learning to abide in the heart we begin to feel the ever-changing river that runs through it and mysteriously nourishes us.

Paramananda has been teaching meditation and leading retreats around the world for over 30 years and is also a poet and author of four books on meditation: Change Your Mind, A Deeper Beauty, The Body and The Myth of Meditation.

Mandarava is an artist, storyteller, puppet maker and 'Somatic Experiencing' practitioner. She has led retreats for many years and has  a gift for creating inspiring rituals that connect participants to their own depths and inspiration. 

Covid-secure requirements

We are no longer asking each retreatant to take a lateral flow test before travelling to Rivendell, but we are asking that they bring a test with them in case they fall ill whilst here.

We want those that come to Rivendell to be confident that we are making their stay here as safe as possible.

Concession information

Rivendell has a concessionary rate available for most of its retreats. If you are in need of further financial assistance to help enable you to come on retreat here, please do consider writing to our office team via bookings@rivendellretreatcentre.com explaining your circumstances.

Cancellation policy

All deposit amounts are non-refundable and non-transferable in all circumstances. 

If you wish to cancel your place on a retreat, we require a minimum notice of 4 calendar weeks before a retreat is due to take place.

If you cancel more than 6 calendar weeks before a retreat is due to take place you will receive a refund of all but the deposit amount, if you have paid in full.

If you cancel between 6 and 4 calendar weeks before the retreat is due to take place and we can't replace you, you will be required to pay half the total cost of the retreat.

If you cancel less than 4 calendar weeks before the retreat is due to take place then any refund will be at Rivendell’s discretion, depending on the circumstances.

Please let us know as soon as possible if you need to cancel, as there may be other people waiting for a place on the retreat to become available. The refund amount will still depend on whether we can fill your space.

Retreat Leaders: 
Paramananda and Mandarava
Single Room Availability: 
Sorry, but the single room is not available on this retreat now
Date: Friday, November 28, 2025 to Friday, December 5, 2025

Prices for this event are: £399 - £379 (Conc)

Selected Price: 
£399.00

Please note: there are no spaces for women available on this retreat.