The School is the name given to the Community’s foundational resources for learning to meditate. This suite of resources are developed internationally and designed to be adapted and delivered nationally and locally. The resources are threefold: Introductory Courses; Essential Teaching Workshops (ETW); and Silent Retreats. Introductory Courses and ETWs are available in both residential and online formats. School Silent Retreats have traditionally been full week events, but are also now being offered in shorter formats. Here in the UK, the work of the School is coordinated by a small team: Mark Ball; Liz Watson; Carole Dixon; and Ailsa Adamson. Alongside local and regional events organised locally, the following national events are all currently open for bookings.
Online Introductory Course
- Thursdays 6pm-7pm, 4th September to 2nd October 2025
- Zoom
- Led by Mark Ball and others
- Free (suggested donation £20)
This five-week revision of our classic six-week introductory course is specifically adapted for online engagement. It gives an overview of the foundations of our tradition, with an emphasis on the development of a deepening practice. Each session begins with twenty-five minutes of meditation followed by thirty minutes of input and interactive exploration of the week’s theme.
Essential Teaching Workshop
- Friday 10th to Sunday 12th October 2025
- Highgate House, Creaton, Northamptonshire
- Led by Mark Ball and Carole Dixon
- £175 (2 nights full board)
Have you been meditating in the tradition taught by John Main for more than a year? Would you like to deepen your understanding of your meditation practice and be more confident when talking about it? An Essential Teaching Weekend is a participative residential weekend. Presentations by teachers in the community, group discussion and practical exercises will help to build confidence to pass on the gift of meditation.
7-Day Retreat
- Sunday 26th October to Sunday 2nd November 2025
- The House of Prayer, East Molesey, Surrey
- Led by Mark Ball
- £799 (7 nights full board)
This Silent Retreat is suitable for those who are familiar with the John Main tradition of meditation, have begun to integrate it into daily life, and are looking to deepen their practice. Each full day will include a short talk, a short one-to-one with the retreat leader, contemplative walking, and seven thirty-minute periods of meditation, and space for personal reflection. The silence is immersive, and the retreat offers a profound and integrated experience of solitude within fellowship as together we enter deeply into the heart of our tradition.
4-Day Retreat
- Thursday 5th to Sunday 8th February 2026
- The Briery, Ilkley, West Yorkshire
- Led by Liz Watson
- £399 (3 nights full board)
This residential Silent Retreat has been designed as a ‘stepping stone’ experience for those who may be unsure of committing to a full week of silence. The format will be identical to the 7-Day Silent Retreat outlined above.
Further information and bookings can be made with Ailsa Adamson: ailsa.adamson@gmail.com
The work of the School here in the UK is supported and generously subsidised by the WCCM in the UK Trustees, which helps keep event costs down and also provides additional bursary funding. If you are in a position to be able to make a donation to help us deliver these foundational resources which make a real difference in people’s experience and understanding of meditation, please do contact the UK office: uk@wccm.org.
We very much look forward to supporting you in learning to meditate, in deepening your practice, and in sharing the gift with others!
WCCM in the UK School Team