You’ve meditated for years.
But do you really
know who you are?
A four-day self-inquiry retreat into the nature of your true self.
8–12 April 2027 · Cheshire, England
Apply for the April retreat →
Four days · Four nights · £850 per person
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An invitation to go deeper
You've read the books. You've explored meditation. Perhaps you've spent days in silence on Vipassana retreats, studied non-duality or listened to the teachings of the great spiritual masters.
But have you discovered what they're pointing towards?
Not intellectually. Not as an idea you understand or a belief you've adopted. But through your own direct experience?
This April, join Jimmy and Magdalena for four days dedicated to investigating one of the most profound questions a human being can ask.
Who am I?
We'll be gathering at our home, a beautiful 17th-century mill nestled in the Cheshire countryside, close to the Welsh border. Surrounded by mature trees, birdsong and abundant wildlife, it's a peaceful, welcoming place to step away from everyday life and turn your attention inwards.
Through a focused practice of self-inquiry, we'll create the perfect space for you to investigate the nature of your own consciousness and open to the possibility of awakening to your true nature.
This isn't another retreat about simply relaxing, managing stress or learning to meditate.
It's an opportunity to investigate who you really are at the deepest level possible.
“Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought.”
— Matsuo Bashō
Beyond intellectual understanding
Don’t just study the great spiritual masters.
Discover what they discovered.
Throughout history, yogis, mystics and sages have described a profound discovery that lies beyond our ordinary understanding of ourselves.
Ramana Maharshi
Taught self-inquiry as a direct path towards realising one's true nature.
Nisargadatta Maharaj
Encouraged his students to investigate the sense of being itself.
Zen masters
Pointed towards a direct realisation that goes beyond intellectual understanding.
Despite their different approaches, these traditions share a powerful invitation.
Don't simply believe what you've been told about who you are. Find out for yourself.
What are you, beneath your thoughts, memories, personality and sense of personal identity?
These aren't questions we can settle by reading another book or watching another video. At some point, we have to look for ourselves.
That's what this retreat is about.
The practice
One simple question.
Who am I?
The heart of the retreat is a structured practice of self-inquiry centred on one surprisingly simple question.
This isn't about sitting around thinking about yourself or trying to construct a clever philosophical answer.
We'll teach you a proven technique for working with the question, helping you turn your attention inwards to investigate your experience directly.
What happens when you try to find the person you assume yourself to be?
Can you locate the self you've always taken for granted?
What do you discover when you look beyond your thoughts, emotions, memories and familiar sense of identity?
Direct experience
And no, the answer isn’t
“I am awareness.”
Rather than thinking your way towards an answer, you'll learn how to investigate the question through direct experience.
The aim is to create the conditions for a genuine discovery: a moment in which something ineffable becomes clear, not because somebody has explained it to you, but because you've seen it for yourself.
In the contemplative traditions, this kind of direct recognition is associated with awakening to one's true nature.
That's the territory we'll be exploring together.
Space for the question
Why dedicate four days
to a single question?
You can ask yourself “Who am I?” at any time. But there's a world of difference between occasionally wondering about it and dedicating yourself to a sustained investigation.
Most of us spend our lives caught up in thoughts, responsibilities, relationships and the endless demands of everyday existence. Even meditation can become another activity focused on calming the mind or improving ourselves.
Self-inquiry asks us to turn towards something more fundamental.
Instead of focusing only on the things we experience, we investigate the nature of the one who appears to be experiencing them.
A dedicated retreat gives you something that's difficult to create in everyday life: time, continuity, guidance and a supportive environment in which to explore the question properly.
You'll learn the technique, have time to practise, and receive support from us as you become intimate with the mystery of your own inner being.
For four days, the inquiry can become the centre of your attention.
The self you're investigating isn't somewhere far away. It's intimately connected to your experience right now, closer than your next breath. Yet our familiar assumptions about ourselves can make it surprisingly difficult to see what's here.
We can't promise what you'll discover. But we can offer the time, technique, guidance and dedicated setting to give the inquiry your full attention.
Time
Continuity
Guidance
Support
A quiet place to step back from the world, and an opportunity to look more closely at the one experiencing it.
Our home and grounds · Cheshire
A place to turn inwards
A beautiful old mill.
A quieter way of being.
Our home is a 17th-century mill surrounded by the peaceful countryside of Cheshire, close to the Welsh border.
Mature trees tower overhead. The gardens are full of plant life. Birds sing in the surrounding trees, dragonflies move above the water, and if you're lucky, you might catch a glimpse of a kingfisher.
There's a wonderful sense of stillness here, with the sounds and rhythms of nature providing a backdrop to the retreat.
This isn't a commercial retreat centre. It's our home, and we want you to feel welcome here. The house is cosy and comfortable, with ample space for everyone to settle in, practise and enjoy the surroundings.
You might find yourself taking a quiet walk, sitting among the trees or simply listening to the birds.
By stepping away from familiar routines and distractions, you create more room to turn your attention towards yourself.
The peace of the countryside and the depth of the inquiry complement each other beautifully.
Our home in Cheshire
Space to sit and reflect
The stream and footbridge
Meet Luna, our Samoyed
Your hosts
Meet Jimmy
& Magdalena.
We're Jimmy and Magdalena, and we're looking forward to welcoming you into our home.
Jimmy is a UK meditation teacher. His own journey has taken him through different meditation traditions, intensive retreats and the exploration of awakening and non-duality.
He's particularly interested in helping people move beyond understanding spiritual teachings intellectually and towards investigating their own experience directly.
Together, we're creating a small, intimate experience where you can explore these questions seriously while receiving personal attention and support.
The retreat will feel focused and meaningful, but also warm and relaxed.
You don't need to arrive with all the answers. Just bring curiosity, the intention to know the truth, and a willingness to receive an answer.
We'll be here to help you along the way.
Arrive. Settle in. Practise.
The space to give yourself
fully to the retreat.
Give yourself fully to the retreat without worrying about the practical details.
Your stay includes:
Four days and four nights at our home in Cheshire.
Shared residential accommodation.
All meals and snacks provided throughout the retreat.
Instruction in the self-inquiry technique.
Dedicated time for your practice.
Guidance and support from Jimmy and Magdalena.
The opportunity to enjoy the peaceful surroundings and local countryside.
A note about accommodation: This is an intimate residential retreat in our own home, rather than a purpose-built retreat centre. Accommodation is shared, with rooms allocated by gender so you'll share a room with someone of the same gender. The house is cosy and comfortable, with ample space for everyone.
We'll take care of the meals and accommodation so you can focus on what you've come here to do.
Arrive, settle in and give yourself permission to step away from everyday life for a little while.
For the sincere spiritual seeker
Is this the exploration
you’re looking for?
This retreat is for the sincere spiritual seeker who wants to investigate the nature of their own existence.
It doesn’t matter if you’re an atheist, a pious believer, or anything in-between. On this retreat your focus is on looking for the deepest truth you can find.
Years of practice
Perhaps you've been meditating for years and feel ready to explore something deeper.
Beyond understanding
Perhaps you've attended Vipassana retreats, read books on non-duality and listened to teachers describe awakening, but you're still not entirely sure you've discovered what they're pointing towards.
A glimpse of something deeper
Perhaps you've had glimpses of something beyond your ordinary sense of self and want to investigate further.
This isn't primarily a retreat for relaxation, stress management or collecting more meditation techniques. Our focus is self-inquiry and the possibility of awakening.
You'll need to be willing to give the practice your attention, engage sincerely with the question and remain open to what you discover.
If that sounds like the kind of exploration you've been looking for, we'd love to welcome you.
The practical details
Four days.
Four nights.
One honest question.
£850
Per person · 8–12 April 2027
Apply for the April retreat →8–12 April 2027 · Cheshire, England
Four days of self-inquiry, shared accommodation, all meals provided, and a peaceful countryside setting in which to investigate the nature of your true self.
If you've spent years exploring spirituality and feel ready to turn your attention towards the question at its very heart, we'd love to welcome you into our home.
Places are strictly limited to keep the retreat intimate and allow us to offer personal support to everyone attending.
Duration
Four days and four nights
Accommodation
Shared residential accommodation
Meals
All meals and snacks provided
8–12 April 2027 · Cheshire
Take the next step.
Begin with a question.
Interested in joining us? Apply for the April self-inquiry retreat using the form.
Jimmy and Magdalena would love to welcome you into their home.
You don't need to arrive with all the answers. Just bring curiosity, the intention to know the truth, and a willingness to receive an answer.
Self-Inquiry Retreat
8–12 April 2027 · Cheshire
Four days and four nights · £850 per person
delve deep
Space to go deeper.
Who Am I? · Self-inquiry retreat
8–12 April 2027 · Cheshire, England