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Dear friends.

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I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to you to announce the opening of 'Brahma Vihara', our beautiful and magical new retreat centre in North Portugal.

It has been my aspiration for many years to one day be able to offer a dedicated "Seat of Dharma" that could become the centrepoint of the work we do at AoM to give people an authentic opportunity to immerse themselves in Dharma practice and study.

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Finally we have found somewhere that feels like home.

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Surrounded by olive and almond trees, Brahma Vihara is a hidden gem nestled in the gentle rolling hills of northern Portugal. The quiet surrounds lends itself perfectly for deep meditation and spiritual practice. It provides an intimate, secluded environment with capacity for a maximum of 18 people, offering all ensuite bedrooms, single or twin sharing. With easy access to Porto (2hrs by car) and the Spanish border.

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Here is a short video about some of the key intentions on how this space might be used.

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Below is a brief schedule of planned events / retreats at Brahma Vihara in the coming months. More details will be made available very soon, or get in touch if you are interested in coming to visit us.

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Friday 16th - Friday 23rd May - Art of Concentration In-person 7day retreat

This is an opportunity to sit with Burgs during a focused week where he will be teaching in detail the material covered in the upcoming session 2. This will be an excellent opportunity to receive these teachings live, in a more intimate retreat environment than on our larger UK retreats. Registration opening very very soon...

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Thursday 19th - Saturday 28th June - Neuro Reset Retreat

This will be the inaugural reset retreat which will include the new neurological aspects to this programme, in addition to the programme the Burgs has been running in Ibiza over the past few years. Limited places of no more than 6 people attending.

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July / August - Open House

Join us during the warm summer months where you are invited to come and reset and decompress in a relaxed healing space. We welcome suggestions on how you would like this space to be opened up for you, so drop us a line with any ideas. Children are welcome. Sauna and swimming pool will be available.

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Thursday 4th - Sunday 14th September - Thangka Painting Retreat

A wonderful opportunity to combine concentration and devotional practices together. Co-hosted by expert thangka painter Carmen Mensink and Burgs, this is a call-out to any painters in our sangha. More details to follow soon.

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October TBC - Reset Retreat

November 2025 - March 2026 - Open Retreat Space / Bespoke Reset Programme

January / February 2026 - Long Winter Retreat

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Whilst we are in the early stages of setting up this space, we are exploring different ways in which we can utilise the venue and how best it can serve our community. One of these ideas is to form a small meditation community along with a few key roles that can help with the running of the venue.

So as we gently breathe life into our new home, what we do need at the moment is help with giving the place a little facelift. There aren't any major works to be done, but if any of you are handy with a paintbrush / love cleaning, or are skilled workers with some time on your hands, we'd definitely give you a warm welcome!

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So that's all for now. If any of this is of interest to you then get in touch. It will be really helpful to get some feedback on what events and activities are of interest to you, especially if you might be interested in a self-managed retreat with support.

It is our aspiration to provide these facilities for those of you who are interested in doing retreat at more affordable prices.

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Sending you all much metta and have a beautiful Sunday afternoon

with love

Burgs

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