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佛光山南華寺

Fo Guang Shan Nan Hua Temple

What is a Retreat?

Retreat practice provides the opportunity for you to restore your energies, have time to rest and to let go of the day to day mundane responsibilities and focus on your own inner development and spiritual growth. You can learn to nurture yourself, restore a sense of balance and well-being, and open up to nature. A weight may seem to be lifted from your shoulders and you may be able to experience a fresh perspective that will renew your appreciation for life and your commitment to appreciate and use every precious moment.

Throughout the year we offer a range of high quality retreats at Nan Hua Temple. In all retreats we practice techniques that are useful in the retreat situation and can also be applied to everyday life. Your basic needs will be completely supported and taken care of within a safe environment created by the facilitators and staff. You can then focus all of your energy and attention on finding the answers you seek and on rejuvenating your body, mind and spirit.

What is Meditation & Why Meditate?

Meditation is a way of learning to relax your body whilst still keeping your mind alert. This happens quite naturally when we gently focus on something, maybe a sound, a sensation in our body or something that we imagine. It gives us a moment of space and freedom from the thoughts that endlessly go through our minds and is a way of quite quickly and deliberately relaxing our bodies.

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Everyone has experienced a state of deep calm, open awareness or contentment. Worries disappear, your mind is clear and focused. This is meditation.
With meditation you can learn to deliberately return to that clear and open state. You can also learn to relax quickly and effectively, improve concentration, and cultivate a deep sense of well-being and happiness.

People also practice meditation to : 

  1. Learn to relax 

  2. Relieve stress and anxiety 

  3. Restore health and well-being 

  4. Develop focus and concentration 

  5. Develop self awareness and personal growth 

  6. Enhance creativity

Meditation on Stress & Depression

When you are fearful or sad, you can feel consumed by stress or depression. Meditation helps you to witness your mind, placing your fears and disappointments in perspective. Fears and disappointments, however vast, are temporary, like dark clouds in a vast sky. By observing the clouds, you begin to realize that the clouds are your own thoughts. The thoughts arose from your own mind. You can experience your own nature as peaceful, calm and quiet, like the sky on a still day. By paying less attention to your troubling thoughts you can experience power and peace.

Upcoming Retreats

For all retreat bookings, enquiries, or waiting list requests, please email info@nanhua.co.za, ensuring the retreat date is included in the subject line.

2025 Retreat Dates

Flower and Ch'an Spiritual Journey Retreat
FULLY BOOKED

Sep 13 - Sep 14

Beginner's Meditation Retreat Level 2
FULLY BOOKED

Oct 4 - Oct 5

Beginner's Meditation Retreat Level 1
FULLY BOOKED

Oct 11 - Oct 12

Beginner's Meditation Retreat Level 1
FULLY BOOKED

Oct 25 - Oct 26

Beginner's Meditation Retreat Level 1
FULLY BOOKED

Nov 22 - Nov 23

Beginner's Meditation Retreat Level 1
FULLY BOOKED

Nov 29 - Nov 30

Beginner's Meditation Retreat Level 1
FULLY BOOKED

Dec 6 - Dec 7

Beginner's Meditation Retreat Level 1

2026  Jan 24 - Jan 25  NEW 

  • All the retreat lasts from Saturday morning to Sunday lunchtime.

  • The retreat is a practice for Buddhism in the form of meditation. The teaching of Dharma is to enlighten and improve oneself, therefore; it is something we cannot put a price on. All charges are for accommodation and meals only.​

  • Please note: Our kitchen is unable to accommodate special dietary requirements.

Booking Policy

  1. All bookings are done on a ‘first come first serve’ basis subject to availability.

  2. Please provide the retreat dates that you would like to attend in the email subject (eg. 1-2 Mar Level 1 Retreat) , we will check if there are available spaces for the retreat before sending you an application form.

  3. Booking is only valid when we receive your application form & 50% deposit.
    Should there be no deposit received 2 weeks prior to the retreat date, your booking will automatically be CANCELED and allocated to others on the waiting list.

  4. For more information regarding our Booking Policy and Cancellations, please refer to our Application form.

Retreat Cost

Level 1 and Level 2: Accommodation Option (see below)

Flower & Ch’an, and Fooditation: Accommodation Option + R400 material fee

Accommodation Options:

  1. R600 per person (SHARED) – Chalet shared by 4 people of the same gender: 2 rooms, 4 beds & 2 bathrooms

  2. R800 per person (TWIN) – Chalet shared by 2 people of the same gender:
    2 separate rooms, Room 1 with en-suite bedroom or Room 2 with adjoining shower

  3. R1000 per person (PRIVATE) – A single chalet for 1 person

Nan Hua Temple's meditation retreat requires male and female participants to stay in separate chalets, even as a couple, to support personal growth and self-development. 

Meditation Retreats at Nan Hua Temple

Meditation retreats at Nan Hua Temple offer a unique opportunity to step away from the demands of daily life, allowing you to rest, recharge, and focus on your inner development and spiritual growth. These retreats provide a space to cultivate your spiritual well-being, restore balance, and reconnect with nature. As you immerse yourself in this peaceful environment, you may find that a weight is lifted from your shoulders, enabling you to gain a fresh perspective that renews your appreciation for life and deepens your commitment to living each moment with intention. Meditation is also an excellent way to nurture your creativity and inner peace.

During the Beginner’s Retreat, we teach you relaxation and meditation techniques designed to calm the mind and focus your energy. These practices can be integrated into your daily routine, helping you manage the stresses of modern life and restore your sense of tranquility. We also introduce other Eastern Buddhist practices, many of which are not yet widely known in the West, to further help you navigate life's pressures.

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Should you be interested in doing a Self-Retreat (unguided), kindly email info@nanhua.co.za.

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  • The Level I Beginner’s Meditation Retreat is designed for people who wish to learn meditation. Meditation can be practiced by anyone with a healthy mind and body, regardless of age or belief.

    Basic Ch’an (Zen) meditation will be taught as well as TaiChi and yoga or stretches to help aid in sitting meditation. This retreat helps to calm one’s mind and benefits a person emotionally and spiritually. 

    We do various forms of meditation: tea-drinking meditation, music meditation as well as lying down meditation. Sitting meditation sessions last between 15 to 20 minutes. We sit with unsupported backs, so one needs to have a healthy back.

  • Requirements: 
    In order to participate effectively and gain the most benefits from our Level 2 Meditation Retreats, we require participants to meet the following requirements:

    1. Have attended at least three of our Level 1 Meditation Retreats;

    2. Be able to sit completely still with unsupported back, no change to seating positions for at least 30 minutes per session;

    3. Are familiar with and regularly practice all meditation techniques taught in our Level 1 Retreats; and 

    4. Able to meditate for at least 30 minutes in complete stillness (no movement at all) to not cause disturbance to other participants. 

    Please let us know if you are able to achieve the above before we send you the Level 2 Meditation Retreat application form.

    The Level II retreat is for people who want to further their meditation practice. We will introduce participants to mindfulness meditation and a silent retreat experience. This retreat assists in finding tranquility and compassion in oneself, as well as enabling participants to see the ways we create difficulties in our lives and to discover freedom of mind in the midst of all things.
    The retreat includes some activities from the Level 1 retreat, combination of TaiChi and yoga or stretches to aid in sitting meditation; outdoor meditation will be introduced to enhance the mindful experience. A Dharma talk provides some insight into everyday Buddhist practice.

  • Flower and Ch’an Retreat is designed to teach everyone to practice mediation whilst attending daily activities. It aims to provide everyone with the opportunity to cultivate inner peace, awareness, and creativity through a meditative interaction with floral arrangement using your senses and ability to achieve a balance through movement. 


    The retreat includes meditative floral arrangements, basic meditation practice, TaiChi, and teachings of life and Ch’an. It is an all-encompassing retreat to allow everyone to find their inner being through another meditation method which is more creative than the traditional sitting mediation.  

  • Fooditation retreat is the retreat where we bring food and meditation together to create a heathy body and mind. Food is not only needed as a sustenance for us to continue to live but it can also be used to find one-self during the preparation process.  

     

    We will teach participants how to prepare healthy wholesome vegetarian dishes using different ingredients and cooking methods. Which will allow us to open our senses to new things and ultimately find mindfulness in food preparation and consumption. 


    Participants will also take part in meditation and TaiChi to achieve a balance between physical and mental health. There will also be a talk on vegetarianism and life and how mindful cooking and eating may lead to wiser choices about sustainability to protect the earth.

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