The course is run by The Samatha Trust, a charity established in 1974 to teach a form of Buddhist meditation, samatha. The Trust bought Greenstreete farm with 85 acres in 1987 and has developed it as a meditation centre. In addition to the farmhouse and meditation hall, there are cabins for meditators in the woodland around the centre.

Samatha is a ‘breathing-mindfulness’ meditation, which is based on the breath. It comes from the Theravadin tradition of Buddhism in Thailand. The practice does not use words or images and does not require any knowledge of Buddhism. Its aim is to calm and settle the mind as the foundation for insight into the true nature of things and as the basis for wholesome living.

Samatha meditation is taught at weekly classes around the UK – a directory of current classes can be found at www.samatha.org. The website also contains images of Greenstreete and more material about the samatha tradition.

The course will include daily circular walks starting from and returning to the centre, the longest of about 15 miles. Most will be on public footpaths, including sections of Glendower’s Way. Along the way, we will stop to picnic and to meditate, and there will be group meditations in the evenings.

As regular walkers will know, walking is often meditative; restless discursive thoughts fade away and are replaced by a greater awareness of the body and of our surroundings. Samatha meditation can help to bring these qualities into everyday urban life.

Instruction in the meditation practice will be provided, with opportunities to discuss your experience and progress. If you live close to an existing samatha group, you can pursue the practice there; if not, there are regular weekends at Greenstreete for people who are following the practice on their own. You will also be able to contact a meditation teacher by phone.

For the past decade, The Samatha Trust has operated solely on donations. We do not set charges for courses but ask for donations (on which we can secure Gift Aid). As a guide, our costs at the Greenstreete centre work out at about £15 per person per day.

If you would like to attend, or have any queries, please email

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it with the subject line: Walking and Meditation, and we will send you a booking form.