Activities -- Teaching & Retreats
Retreat Days / Courses Led
Upcoming: 2025
Starting 24 March — 10-week Morning Instructions series, timings TBD. Please email to express interest: cnunamaker3 (at) gmail (dot) com
13-23 Jun Jhānas, Insight, and Dependent Origination Retreat, assisting Leigh Brasington and Matt Harvey (Gaia House, online) — register online
3-5 Oct Right Concentration — Exploring the Jhānas — weekend retreat (Noddfa, north Wales), open to all
Completed:
31 May -10 Jun Jhānas, Insight, and Dependent Origination Retreat, assisting Leigh Brasington (Gaia House, online)
Embodying Mindfulness: Working with Craving (part 1) (Mindfulness+, online, 15 July)
Embodying Mindfulness: Rational Inquiry into the Hindrances & Concentration (Mindfulness+, online, 25 Mar)
Embodying Mindfulness: Right Effort (Mindfulness+, online, 14 Jan)
2022 Embodying Mindfulness: Causes & Conditions (Mindfulness+, online, 1 Oct)
Embodying Mindfulness: Impermanence, Obstacles, & Awakening Factors (Mindfulness+, online, 9 Apr)
Embodying Mindfulness: The Hindrances and Mettā (Mindfulness+,online, 12 Feb)
2016 Kindful Communication (Mindfulness, Right Effort + Compassionate Communication) (Healthy Living Centre, Edinburgh, 13-14 Feb)
2015 Kindful Communication (Salisbury Centre, Edinburgh, 10-11 Dec)
Kindful Communication (A.C. Doyle Centre, Edinburgh, 21-22 Nov)
2011 Empathy and Mindfulness, with Ratnadevi (Dhanakosa, 11-18 Mar)
2010 Empathy and Mindfulness, with Ratnadevi (Holy Isle, 16-18 Apr)
2011-2014 Numerous 2-day trainings in Compassionate Communication for clients including the NHS Isle of Wight, Caledonian University Glasgow, The Secret Garden, and various private groups.
Short Sessions
Completed:
2024
Morning Instructions for Serious Meditators series (online, 9 weeks)
Zen at the Sharp End podcast with Mark Westmoquette
2023
Pāli for Practice (Sati Center for Buddhist Studies, online, 26 Aug)
Pāli for Practice, HIndrances (Sit-heads, online, 21 May)
Pāli for Practice: Alternatives to ‘shoulds’ (Dharmachanics, online, 7 May)
Pāli for Practice: Mindfulness of the Mind (Dharmachanics, online, Feb)
2022 Pāli for Practice: The Hindrances (Dharmachanics, online, Oct)
Pāli for Practice: Satipaṭṭhāna-sutta Key Words (Dharmachanics, online, Feb)
2020 Right Effort, Module 3 (Mindfulness+, online, 7 Sep)
2020 Right Effort, Module 2 (Mindfulness+, online, 4 Aug)
2020 Right Effort, Module 1 (Mindfulness+, online, 25 Ju)
Other public sessions facilitated or led
Friends of Early Buddhist Teachings — monthly Zoom rooms
Upcoming: Sutta Study: Fruits of the Spiritual Life, part 4 (DN2)
Completed:
Sutta Study: Fruits of the Spiritual Life, part 3 (DN2)
Sutta Study: Fruits of the Spiritual Life, part 2 (DN2)
Sutta Study: Fruits of the Spiritual Life, part 1 (DN2)
Sutta Study: Advice to Channa (MN144)
Sutta Study: With Gopaka Moggallana Sutta (MN108)
Sutta Study: Shorter Discourse with Māluṅkya (MN63), Part 2
Sutta Study: Shorter Discourse with Māluṅkya (MN63), Part 1
Sutta Study: The Buddha’s Advice to Rāhula (MN61)
Sutta Study: The Longer Simile of the Heartwood (MN29)
Sutta Study: The Noble Search (MN26), Part 3
Sutta Study: The Noble Search (MN26), Part 2
Sutta Study: The Noble Search (MN26), Part 1
Sutta Study: Relay Chariots (MN24)
Sutta Study: Jungle Thickets (MN17)
Sutta Study: The Simile of the Cloth (MN7)
The Hopefulness of Dependent Origination in Our Changing World
Right View and Climate Change
Dependent Origination and Climate Change
Right Livelihood and Climate Change
Right Effort and Climate Change
Sakyadhita UK — monthly Zoom rooms & special events
Paramita: generosity, Aug 2024 — open discussion, 2 of 2
Paramita: generosity, Jul 2024 — open discussion, 1 of 2
Right Concentration, 6 Mar 2024 – informal discussion (part 2 of 2)
Right Concentration, 7 Feb 2024 – informal discussion (part 1 of 2)
Right Action (Sammā kammanta), 1 Nov 2023 — open discussion, 2 of 2
Right Action (Sammā kammanta), 4 Oct 2023 — open discussion, 1 of 2
Right Mindfulness (Sammā sati), 5 Jul 2023 — open discussion, 2 of 2
Right Mindfulness (Sammā sati), 7 Jun 2023 — open discussion, 1 of 2
Women in the Buddha’s Life: Ordained Women as Teachers, 9 Apr — discussion following on BCBS event
Right Effort (Sammā vāyāma), 5 Apr 2023 — open discussion, 2 of 2
Women in the Buddha’s Life: Lay Women as Teachers, 26 Mar — discussion following on BCBS event
Right View (Sammā diṭṭhi), 1 Mar 2023 — open discussion, 2 of 2
Right View (Sammā diṭṭhi), 1 Feb 2023 — open discussion, 1 of 2
Sammā sankappa (Right Intention), 2 Nov 2022 — open discussion
Sammā sankappa (Right Intention), 5 Oct 2022 — with Kalyanavaca (London Buddhist Centre, Triratna)
Right Speech, 7 Sep 2022 — open discussion
Right Speech, 3 Aug 2022 — with Ajahn Candasiri (Milntuim Hermitage, Theravada Forest Sangha)
Impermanence / Death & Dying, 6 Apr 2022 — open discussion
Karma (Kamma), 2 Feb 2022 — open discussion
Karma, 5 Jan 2022 — with Venerable Tsuiltrim Tenzin Choesang
Right Livelihood, 1 Dec 2021 — open discussion
Right Livelihood, 3 Nov, 2021 — with Emma Slade / Pema Deki
Right Speech, 20 Oct 2021 — open discussion
Equanimity (upekkhā), 1 Sep 2021 — open discussion
Joy (muditā), 11 Aug 2021 — open discussion
Compassion (karuṇā), 7 Jul 2021 — open discussion
Advice t
Teacher Trainings Attended
2019 Mindfulness & Meditation Teacher Training weekend, Jack Kornfield & Tara Brach (15-17 Feb)
2016 Mindfulness Teacher Development Programme, Bodhi College, Akincano & Christina Feldman, Beatenberg (4-9 Feb)
2014 Women’s Facilitator Group, Module 3: Dana and Sila, Amma Thanasanti
Women’s Facilitator Group, Module 2: Eightfold Path, Amma Thanasanti
2013 Women’s Facilitator Group Retreat, Amma Thanasanti (Colorado, 16-18 Aug)
Women’s Facilitator Group, Module 1: Brahma Vihāras, Amma Thanasanti
Retreats & Courses Attended
Self-retreat, Madanapalle and The Sacred Grove, India (19-25 Dec)
Kriya Yoga, Sri M, Nagpur, India (16-19 Dec)
Self-retreat, The Sacred Grove, India (3-16 Dec)
Kriya Yoga, Sri M, London (23-25 Jun)
Dharmachanics retreat, Leigh Brasington, online (20-30 Jan)
2020 Jhanas, Metta, and Dependent Origination, Leigh Brasington & Mary Aubrey, online (12-22 Oct)
Brahmavihāra and Emptiness Retreat, Bhikkhu Anālayo, online (5-11 Oct)
2019 Brahmavihāra and Emptiness Retreat, Bhikkhu Anālayo, BCBS (3-10 Oct)
Jhāna & Vipassana Retreat, Leigh Brasington & Mary Aubrey, Portland (USA) (22 Feb – 22 Mar)
2017 Jhāna & Vipassana Retreat, Leigh Brasington & Lloyd Burton, Portland (USA) (17 Feb – 17 Mar)
2016 (Unnamed Retreat), Ajahn Candasiri, Amaravati (29 July – 1 Aug)
Mindfulness in the Satipatthānas, Bhikkhu Anālayo, Sharpham House (13-20 Mar)
Entering the Path, Barre Center for Buddhist Studies (1 Jun – 27 Aug)
2015 Right Concentration, Leigh Brasington, Upaya Center (4-12 Dec)
Right Concentration, Leigh Brasington, Gaia House (20-29 Aug)
2010 Community of Interbeing Retreat, Thich Nhat Hanh, Nottingham (13-18 Aug)
Edinburgh Theravāda Buddhist Group Weekend Retreat (3 days, Apr)
2009 Edinburgh Inter-Sangha retreat, Wiston Lodge (24-26 Apr)
2008 Community of Interbeing Retreat, Thich Nhat Hanh, Nottingham (24-29 Aug)
Weekend retreat, Ajahn Jayanto, Harnham (4-6 Jul)
Edinburgh Inter-Sangha retreat, Wiston Lodge (25-27 Apr)
New Year’s Retreat, Ken Holmes, Samye Ling (Dec-Jan)
2007 10-day silent retreat, Ajahn Candasiri, Amaravati (7-16 Oct)
Edinburgh Inter-Sangha retreat, Wiston Lodge (27-29 Apr)
2006 Beginning Anew Retreat, Ajahn Sundara, Sunyata Retreat Centre (28 Dec – 2 Jan)
Edinburgh Inter-Sangha retreat, Wiston Lodge (22-24 Apr)
2005 Christian-Buddhist Retreat, Ajahn Candasiri, Amaravati (26-30 Sep)
2002 Dharma Realm Buddhist Youth (DRBY) weekend retreat, Heng Sure, Sacramento CA
2001 Dharma Realm Buddhist Youth (DRBY) 1-week retreat, City of 10,000 Buddhas, Heng Chi, Talmage CA