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Healing Through Stillness & Self-Compassion: A Practical Exploration Through Lived Experience, with Ana Coalo - 6th-8th March 2026
Date: Friday 6th, Saturday 7th, & Sunday 8th March 2026
Time: Arrive Friday evening, closing Sunday after lunch
Format: Residential, Onsite
Overview
When mind and body meet, healing can begin.
This nourishing short retreat invites you into a gentle yet powerful space of restoration, where we work through the body to relieve both mental and physical pain. Rooted in Buddhist principles and modern holistic practice, the weekend will offer a blend of practical self-healing techniques — including guided deep relaxation, sound baths, and embodied meditation — to help you reset and reconnect.
Together, we’ll go on a shared journey of healing and insight. While the experience is collective, space will be held for personal reflection and transformation. You'll leave with simple, repeatable practices, including recorded meditations to continue your wellbeing journey at home.
This retreat is shaped by lived experience. As a young cancer survivor and long-term student of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, with 27 years of dedicated practice, I bring both the spiritual foundations and the embodied tools that helped sustain me through years of intensive cancer treatment. This is a weekend of deep compassion, authenticity, and practical wisdom for anyone seeking rest, healing, and reconnection.
Learning points include:
…
…
Schedule
Friday - Arrival
Arrive from 5pm
6:30pm-7:30pm - Supper
7:30pm-8:30pm - Welcome & Evening Introduction
🗓 Saturday – Deepening the Practice
8:00 – 9:00am — Morning Stillness - Gentle embodied practice and breathwork to awaken the body and settle the mind.
10:00 – 11:30am — Healing Through the Body - Somatic relaxation and self-healing techniques to relieve physical and emotional pain, including mindful touch and fascia release.
12:00 – 1:30pm — Sound & Silence - Immersive sound bath followed by silent reflection and journaling.
1:30 – 4:00pm — Long Lunch & Rest Break - Enjoy nutritious food, nature walks, personal reflection, or rest.
4:00 – 5:30pm — The Compassionate Body - Working with loving-kindness, self-compassion, and Tibetan visualisation practices.
7:00 – 8:30pm (Optional) — Restorative Evening Session - Relaxation, mantra sound bath, and guided deep rest.
🗓 Sunday – Integration & Closure
8:00 – 9:00am — Moving into Stillness - Movement followed by seated meditation and mindful breathing.
10:00 – 11:30am — Bringing It Home - Tools for integrating practice into daily life: repeatable meditations, journaling, and personal intention-setting.
12:00 – 1:30pm — Lunch & Pause
1:30 – 2:30pm — Gratitude Circle & Closing Reflections - Group sharing, gratitude practice, and a closing meditation to honour the journey.
About the Facilitator
Anna Colao is a deeply experienced facilitator, educator, and wellbeing practitioner who has spent over two decades creating spaces where transformation can take root. Her work bridges social justice, spiritual practice, and systems change — from leading youth-led initiatives in London to cross-cultural dialogues with the Global Tree Initiative, and shaping inclusive leadership networks at Common Purpose and the School for Social Entrepreneurs. Across all contexts, she centres voice, belonging, and the power of human connection.
Rooted in Tibetan Buddhist practice since the age of 15, Anna brings 27 years of personal study and over a decade of meditative facilitation to her wellbeing work. She has received over 100 hours of direct teachings from His Holiness the Dalai Lama and was a co-lead of the viral ‘Open Arms’ campaign that welcomed him to the UK. Her meditation practice is grounded in presence, trauma-informed care, and Buddhist psychology, and she regularly leads retreats, community meditations, and immersive workshops that reconnect people to the earth, to stillness, and to each other.
Anna’s approach is also deeply shaped by her own healing journey. Diagnosed with cancer in her early thirties while raising a young child, she underwent years of intensive treatment that left lasting physical impacts — but also deepened her insight, compassion, and commitment to self-healing. Her lived experience allows her to hold space with rare empathy and authenticity. Whether she’s guiding breathwork, cooking from the land, or helping others navigate pain, Anna invites people into a practice of coming home to themselves — gently, honestly, and with care
Who Should Join?
Anyone interested in meditation, religious life, and inner development, Buddhist practitioners of all levels.
Lunch & Refreshments
We are pleased to provide complimentary refreshments throughout the day and a two course vegetarian lunch included in your booking. Please advise of any dietary requirements on the booking form.
Why Not Stay Over?
Want a break or live far away, why not stay overnight at Lam Rim the day before? Stay over details here >
Tickets & Donation
Everyone is welcome to attend Buddhist teachings freely with no donation. However, the Centre does rely on donations to stay open, which are gratefully received. We offer two main rates to enable as many people as possible to attend our teachings. Please consider paying at the highest rate that you are able. Your generosity is vital in supporting the Centre.
Standard Rate - This includes a donation to help sustain Lam Rim Buddhist Centre, and to cover costs and teacher expenses.
Basic Rate - This covers the very basic costs of running this course.
Support Rate - Contact us via lamrimwalesmanagers@gmail.com if the above rates are too high for you where we can discuss further subsidised options.
Donate Onsite - If you prefer to donate cash or use card onsite, please select this ticket option and complete the booking form register.
Donate via BACS - If you prefer to donate via BACS, please select this ticket option and complete the booking form register. Then follow the instructions for BACS donation >
Important on Booking: Our online system uses PayPal to take donations. If you do not have a PayPal Account you can pay as a Guest. Please click the link ‘Try Another Way’ , then follow instructions for ‘Pay by Debit or Credit Card’.
Date: Friday 6th, Saturday 7th, & Sunday 8th March 2026
Time: Arrive Friday evening, closing Sunday after lunch
Format: Residential, Onsite
Overview
When mind and body meet, healing can begin.
This nourishing short retreat invites you into a gentle yet powerful space of restoration, where we work through the body to relieve both mental and physical pain. Rooted in Buddhist principles and modern holistic practice, the weekend will offer a blend of practical self-healing techniques — including guided deep relaxation, sound baths, and embodied meditation — to help you reset and reconnect.
Together, we’ll go on a shared journey of healing and insight. While the experience is collective, space will be held for personal reflection and transformation. You'll leave with simple, repeatable practices, including recorded meditations to continue your wellbeing journey at home.
This retreat is shaped by lived experience. As a young cancer survivor and long-term student of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, with 27 years of dedicated practice, I bring both the spiritual foundations and the embodied tools that helped sustain me through years of intensive cancer treatment. This is a weekend of deep compassion, authenticity, and practical wisdom for anyone seeking rest, healing, and reconnection.
Learning points include:
…
…
Schedule
Friday - Arrival
Arrive from 5pm
6:30pm-7:30pm - Supper
7:30pm-8:30pm - Welcome & Evening Introduction
🗓 Saturday – Deepening the Practice
8:00 – 9:00am — Morning Stillness - Gentle embodied practice and breathwork to awaken the body and settle the mind.
10:00 – 11:30am — Healing Through the Body - Somatic relaxation and self-healing techniques to relieve physical and emotional pain, including mindful touch and fascia release.
12:00 – 1:30pm — Sound & Silence - Immersive sound bath followed by silent reflection and journaling.
1:30 – 4:00pm — Long Lunch & Rest Break - Enjoy nutritious food, nature walks, personal reflection, or rest.
4:00 – 5:30pm — The Compassionate Body - Working with loving-kindness, self-compassion, and Tibetan visualisation practices.
7:00 – 8:30pm (Optional) — Restorative Evening Session - Relaxation, mantra sound bath, and guided deep rest.
🗓 Sunday – Integration & Closure
8:00 – 9:00am — Moving into Stillness - Movement followed by seated meditation and mindful breathing.
10:00 – 11:30am — Bringing It Home - Tools for integrating practice into daily life: repeatable meditations, journaling, and personal intention-setting.
12:00 – 1:30pm — Lunch & Pause
1:30 – 2:30pm — Gratitude Circle & Closing Reflections - Group sharing, gratitude practice, and a closing meditation to honour the journey.
About the Facilitator
Anna Colao is a deeply experienced facilitator, educator, and wellbeing practitioner who has spent over two decades creating spaces where transformation can take root. Her work bridges social justice, spiritual practice, and systems change — from leading youth-led initiatives in London to cross-cultural dialogues with the Global Tree Initiative, and shaping inclusive leadership networks at Common Purpose and the School for Social Entrepreneurs. Across all contexts, she centres voice, belonging, and the power of human connection.
Rooted in Tibetan Buddhist practice since the age of 15, Anna brings 27 years of personal study and over a decade of meditative facilitation to her wellbeing work. She has received over 100 hours of direct teachings from His Holiness the Dalai Lama and was a co-lead of the viral ‘Open Arms’ campaign that welcomed him to the UK. Her meditation practice is grounded in presence, trauma-informed care, and Buddhist psychology, and she regularly leads retreats, community meditations, and immersive workshops that reconnect people to the earth, to stillness, and to each other.
Anna’s approach is also deeply shaped by her own healing journey. Diagnosed with cancer in her early thirties while raising a young child, she underwent years of intensive treatment that left lasting physical impacts — but also deepened her insight, compassion, and commitment to self-healing. Her lived experience allows her to hold space with rare empathy and authenticity. Whether she’s guiding breathwork, cooking from the land, or helping others navigate pain, Anna invites people into a practice of coming home to themselves — gently, honestly, and with care
Who Should Join?
Anyone interested in meditation, religious life, and inner development, Buddhist practitioners of all levels.
Lunch & Refreshments
We are pleased to provide complimentary refreshments throughout the day and a two course vegetarian lunch included in your booking. Please advise of any dietary requirements on the booking form.
Why Not Stay Over?
Want a break or live far away, why not stay overnight at Lam Rim the day before? Stay over details here >
Tickets & Donation
Everyone is welcome to attend Buddhist teachings freely with no donation. However, the Centre does rely on donations to stay open, which are gratefully received. We offer two main rates to enable as many people as possible to attend our teachings. Please consider paying at the highest rate that you are able. Your generosity is vital in supporting the Centre.
Standard Rate - This includes a donation to help sustain Lam Rim Buddhist Centre, and to cover costs and teacher expenses.
Basic Rate - This covers the very basic costs of running this course.
Support Rate - Contact us via lamrimwalesmanagers@gmail.com if the above rates are too high for you where we can discuss further subsidised options.
Donate Onsite - If you prefer to donate cash or use card onsite, please select this ticket option and complete the booking form register.
Donate via BACS - If you prefer to donate via BACS, please select this ticket option and complete the booking form register. Then follow the instructions for BACS donation >
Important on Booking: Our online system uses PayPal to take donations. If you do not have a PayPal Account you can pay as a Guest. Please click the link ‘Try Another Way’ , then follow instructions for ‘Pay by Debit or Credit Card’.