The peace you are looking for is not somewhere else.
There is a particular quality to early October in Charnwood Forest. The light comes in low and gold across the lawns, the woodland starts to turn, and the whole place seems to slow down a little.
It is a good time to stop.
From Saturday 3 to Tuesday 6 October 2026, Nanpantan Hall opens its doors for Aspects of Light, a four-day open retreat given entirely to the practice of being present. You do not need to be a student of the School. You do not need experience of meditation or yoga. You need only the willingness to put things down for a few days.
What the retreat is
Aspects of Light is built around a simple proposition: the peace, wellbeing and love we spend so much energy looking for are already here. Not somewhere to get to. Already present, underneath the noise.
The days are structured to let that become obvious rather than to be argued for. We meditate. We practise yoga. We sing together. We prepare food, eat it, and clear up afterwards. We talk about what we are noticing. And, importantly, there is genuine space to do none of it and simply be still.
That last part matters more than it sounds. A retreat crammed with activity is just a busy life in nicer surroundings.
What a day looks like
Mornings begin early and quietly, with meditation before breakfast. The rest of the day moves between periods of shared practice and periods of open time.
Activities vary from day to day, and will include:
- Meditation, morning and evening
- Yoga suited to all levels of experience
- Singing together
- Preparing meals as a group
- Contributing to the care of the house, in a spirit of service
- Long stretches of unscheduled time
- Exercises to quieten the mind
- Workshops for mindful attention
Open time is not a filler. Nanpantan sits in over 30 acres of woodland estate with several walks, a hidden dell for quiet contemplation, a walled garden, and a terrace looking out across the Leicestershire countryside. There is also a grass labyrinth on the front lawn, which is worth walking slowly at least once.
Where you will be
Situated on the outskirts of Loughborough within Charnwood Forest, Nanpantan Hall is a country residence set in 30 acres of gardens and grounds. The surrounding environment inspired the young David Attenborough, and is of international geological importance as the site of the earliest discovered complex life fossils. Volcanic formations, dating back six hundred million years, emerge through the landscape, contributing to a unique sense of place that has fostered study, reflection, and spiritual retreats for over three decades.
Accommodation is in the main house, across three floors, with rooms ranging from singles to larger family rooms. There is a ground-floor room fitted for disabled guests, and step-free access from the house onto the terrace.
Meals are vegetarian, prepared together by those attending. Cooking as a group turns out to be one of the better parts of the retreat, not a chore attached to it.
Who it is for
People come to Aspects of Light from very different starting points.
Some have been meditating for decades. Some have never sat still on purpose in their lives. Some are members of the School; many are not. Some come with a friend or partner, though most come alone and leave knowing everyone.
What people tend to have in common is a sense that the pace has got away from them, and a suspicion that four days of quiet in good company might be worth more than another weekend of catching up.
If you are looking for a silent retreat, this is not quite that. There is conversation, singing and shared work here. If you are looking for something with a lot of instruction and note-taking, it is not that either. It sits in between: structured enough to hold you, open enough to leave you alone.
The practical details
- Dates: Saturday 3 October to Tuesday 6 October 2026
- Arrival: between 4.00pm and 5.00pm on the Saturday
- Departure: by 11.00am on the Tuesday
- Venue: Nanpantan Hall, Nanpantan Road, Loughborough, LE11 3YF
- Price: £300 per person standard, or £217.50 for existing students of the School
- Included: full board accommodation and all vegetarian meals
Bring your own duvet cover, pillowcase, sheet and towels. If that is awkward, bedding and towel hire is available at the Hall for a small charge.
Loughborough station is around 15 minutes away by car and is on the direct line from London St Pancras, Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield. There is parking on site.
Booking is subject to the School’s residential retreat terms and conditions.
Booking your place
Places at Nanpantan are limited by the number of rooms in the house, and October retreats tend to fill before the summer ones do.
Book your place on the Aspects of Light retreat, 3 to 6 October 2026 →
If you have questions before booking, whether about the retreat itself, dietary requirements, accessibility or getting here, call the Hall on 01509 239 230 or email mark@nanpantanhall.org.uk. We would rather have the conversation than have you wonder.
