Join us for a weekend of meditation, contemplation, creativity, and immersion in the natural beauty of the Grootwinterhoek Mountains.
The retreat will include guided meditation instruction and facilitated exploration of awareness, love and compassion, and wisdom. Together we will engage in awareness-based practices that help us connect more deeply with our innate capacity for presence, kindness, and insight.
Our practice will include both formal sitting meditation and mindful walking in nature. The retreat venue is situated in an exceptionally beautiful mountain environment, offering opportunities for gentle walks as well as more challenging hikes. Weather permitting, we may visit the renowned Totem Pools, an extraordinary natural rock pool setting that invites stillness, reflection, and connection with the landscape.
Alongside meditation practice, we will explore simple creative activities such as drawing, observation, mark-making, and possibly some clay work. These sessions are offered as mindfulness practices rather than artistic training, focusing on attention, perception, and direct experience rather than producing results. No artistic skill or previous experience is required.
The house itself is spacious, with a variety of indoor and outdoor areas where participants may continue their own practice. While participation in the group programme is encouraged, there will also be opportunities for personal contemplation and individual practice.
Participants are encouraged to bring a journal and pen, as well as drawing paper, watercolours, or other simple art materials if they wish. Basic materials will be available, and there is no obligation to bring your own.
During meals and at designated times there will be opportunities for gentle conversation and community. At other times, including many of our walks and practice periods, participants will be encouraged to maintain quiet. Silence can be a powerful support for meditation, helping the mind settle and allowing our inner experience to unfold more fully.
The retreat begins on Friday evening and concludes on Sunday afternoon. Participants are welcome to depart on Sunday or, if they have the flexibility, stay over until Monday morning for a more spacious conclusion to the weekend.
If you are considering joining the retreat and would like to discuss whether it is suitable for you, please feel free to contact Janni with any questions, concerns, or practical enquiries.
About the facilitator
Janni Younge joined the KSDCT in 2002, bringing a background in psychology and theatre. Her journey into mindfulness was sparked by Rob Nairn’s approach to the psychology of Buddhism, leading her to deepen her practice through extensive courses and retreats with Rob Nairn, Berryl Schutten, and Donal Credon. Recognizing her capacity, Rob invited Janni to begin facilitating introductory meditation classes, as well as sessions on practice-based topics that emphasize personal insight through meditation.
Building on this experience, Janni went on to facilitate mindfulness introduction courses and played a key role in designing the teacher training program for mindfulness facilitators at Mindfulness Africa. Janni is currently a student of Tergar’s year long Meditation Teacher Program which culminates this July. Her approach to meditation creates a warm, lightly interactive space where individuals can connect with their innate wisdom. She believes that each person is their own best teacher and that allowing the mind space and stillness to unfold leads to well-being and joy.