Dealing With Pain
Saturday 22nd November 2025, 10am-1.15pm
From time to time, we all experience either physical pain or the mental pain which arises from the problems and difficulties we have in our lives. For some, this may be living with a long-term health condition whilst for others it may be the temporary pain of an occasional headache. Others may have to live with the emotional pain of their difficult circumstances.
Whatever the extent, we all experience the pain of suffering in its many guises, but none of us want to. We try hard to avoid it and get rid of it when it does arise which can in turn cause us even more of an issue.
When we apply some wisdom and compassion towards our pain, we can learn to see our suffering in a different light, approaching it with patience, acceptance and understanding. We will then find our emotional response lightens, giving us the freedom in our mind to let go of our suffering and to hold a mindset which is peaceful, calm and contented. Pain may still arise but our experience will be transformed.
Schedule
Session 1: 10am – 11.15am Teaching with guided meditations
Session 2: 12pm – 1.15pm Teaching with guided meditations
Our Coffee Bar will be open during the break serving hot and cold drinks, delicious home-made cakes and a variety of snacks.
Fees
Drop in or you can book in advance: £15
This event is free to members – become a member HERE
Half Day Course Format
These events are suitable for everyone. No previous experience needed. Everyone is welcome.
Enjoy the benefits of more time than in our evening classes, the opportunity to meet and talk with others and the chance to take some time out in the peaceful atmosphere of KMC Plymouth.
- Guided relaxation meditation
- Practical teaching
- Second meditation with guidance based on the teaching
- A break for light refreshments in our World Peace Café
- Second teaching and meditation session
- Option to ask the Teacher questions at the end of the class and discuss with others
Purification Retreat
Sunday 7th December 2025
This retreat is a wonderful opportunity to learn to rely on Vajrasattva, the Buddha of purification, and practice a special meditation to free ourselves from all of our negative karma.
We spend all our time and energy trying to avoid problems by making changes to our external world. However, our unhappiness and difficulties are not caused by the external world but are the result of the negative karma we have created in the past through our own harmful actions.
By relying on Vajrasattva, all our experiences will be positive, we will have a peaceful, pure mind and will easily remove obstacles to our spiritual development.
Attend all, or as few or many of the sessions as you wish.
Schedule
Sunday 7th December
Session 1: 10am Wishfulfilling Jewel Prayers with offerings^
Session 2: 12noon with guided meditation*
Session 3: 2.30pm with guided meditation*
Fees
*Advanced Booking or Purchase On the Door: £3 per session
Day Ticket: £4 (all 3 sessions – includes free prayers session at 10am)
KMC Plymouth Members: Free (all 7 sessions). To become a member, CLICK HERE
^ Wishfulfilling Jewel Prayers: Attendance is free to all
Please note that should you book for a single session but decide to stay longer for more sessions, you’ll be very welcome to do so. Just see a member of the team in our Coffee Bar.
Please note that should you book for a single session but decide to stay longer for more sessions, you’ll be very welcome to do so. Just see a member of the team in our Coffee Bar.
Supreme Unchanging Friend
Saturday 13th December 2025, 10am-1.15pm
We all need good friends. We often rely on friends and family amongst others for help and support when we face challenges. But sometimes such people are not available to us; or they are simply not able to help us.
However, we can seek and receive the entirely reliable care, love and friendship of the enlightened beings we know as Buddhas whenever we reach out. By relying on the Buddhas, we can receive the unwavering friendship which comes from their unconditional love and pure good intentions for us. They are always there for us and want only for us to find the unrivalled happiness of fulfilling the true meaning of our precious human lives.
On this half day course, we will explore how to connect with the enlightened energy of the Buddhas, how they can help us and guide us to a deep inner peace and happiness in any circumstance. We will receive clear, practical instructions on how we can always have access to these supreme unchanging friends who will always be there to help us whenever we reach out.
No previous experience or knowledge is required to attend this event and everyone is welcome.
Schedule
Session 1: 10am – 11.15am Teaching with guided meditations
Session 2: 12pm – 1.15pm Teaching with guided meditations
Our Coffee Bar will be open during the break serving hot and cold drinks, delicious home-made cakes and a variety of snacks.
Fees
Drop in or you can book in advance: £15
This event is free to members – become a member HERE
Half Day Course Format
These events are suitable for everyone. No previous experience needed. Everyone is welcome.
Enjoy the benefits of more time than in our evening classes, the opportunity to meet and talk with others and the chance to take some time out in the peaceful atmosphere of KMC Plymouth.
- Guided relaxation meditation
- Practical teaching
- Second meditation with guidance based on the teaching
- A break for light refreshments in our World Peace Café
- Second teaching and meditation session
- Option to ask the Teacher questions at the end of the class and discuss with others
New Year Retreat
This is a FREE event.
Wednesday 31st December 2025 and Thursday 1st January 2026
Start the new year inspired! Everyone is welcome to join us for this 24-hour retreat receiving the blessings of Tara, which are especially powerful for helping those in difficulty. Each session is about an hour long and you can come at any time and to as many or few sessions as you choose.
No previous experience required, there will be plenty of people to help and advise you if this is a new event for you, and as always, everyone is welcome.
Schedule
Wednesday 31st December: 7pm (Introduction) & 11pm
Thursday 1st January: 3am, 7am, 11am & 3pm
Fees
This is a free event – everyone is welcome! No need to book, just come along.
January Retreats
Everyone is Welcome
January is a traditional time to engage in meditation retreats; a rare opportunity in our modern busy lives to take time out to let go of our normal physical, verbal and mental activities, in order to focus on spiritual practice and find true inner peace and happiness.
Short retreats provide the ideal opportunity to contemplate the teachings we have received and deepen our understanding and familiarity with them. Aa an oasis of calm in the city, KMC Plymouth provides an ideal location to engage in retreat. Between sessions you can enjoy a drink and something to nibble in our World Peace Café, discuss the teachings with fellow attendees or enjoy our meditation space for quiet reflection and contemplation.
Guided Retreats
These include short teachings and guided meditations – simply follow the instructions given by the teacher.
Self-Guided Retreats
These retreats do not have teachings or meditations led by a teacher but offer the time and space for you to engage in your own meditations and practice. If you are unfamiliar with any particular meditation practices, there will be plenty of helpful people on hand who will be only too pleased to assist and advise you.
Highest Yoga Tantra (HYT) Retreats
Whilst everyone is welcome, please be aware that you must hold a HYT empowerment to attend this retreat. Please contact the centre if you are unsure if this event is appropriate for you. There will be no teachings or guided meditations during the sessions.
Please see our Retreats page for full details
Empowerment of 1000 Armed Avalokiteshvara
Saturday 7th February 2026, 10:30am – 4:30pm
Everyone is welcome at this very special event.
During this very special day, Gen Kelsang Dragden, Resident Teacher at KMC Plymouth, will grant the blessing empowerment of One Thousand Armed Avalokiteshvara. This is a series of special guided meditations to gain a deep connection with this enlightened being.
Please see our Empowerments page for full details
Long Life Retreat
Free Day Retreat
Saturday 14th February 2026, 9:00am – 5:15pm
To enjoy a meaningful human life, we need a long life and wisdom. Buddha Amitayus, the Buddha of long life, wisdom, and merit, has the power to bestow upon us immeasurably long life, profound wisdom and great good fortune. During this one-day retreat, we will engage in beautiful chanted prayers, meditations, and mantra recitation requesting blessings for ourselves and others to enjoy a long, happy and meaningful life.
It is traditional for Kadampa centres across the world to engage in short retreat on this beautiful practice early in the year and everyone is welcome to any or all of the sessions. No previous experience required.
For those with no previous experience, there will be plenty of experienced practitioners present who will be happy to advise and help you.
Schedule
Saturday 14th February
Retreat Session 1: 9am
Retreat Session 2: 11am
Retreat Session 3: 2pm
Prayers Session: 4pm – Wishfulfilling Jewel Prayers (without offerings)
All retreat sessions are unguided and will include prayers and a meditation, each lasting approximately 75minutes. The Wishfulfulling Jewel Prayers at 4pm will also last approximately 75minutes.
Our Coffee Bar will be open during the break serving hot and cold drinks, delicious home-made cakes and a variety of snacks.
Fees
This event is FREE to attend for everyone, and everyone is welcome! There is no need to book for this event, simply turn up on the day for any or all of the sessions.
Overcoming Exhaustion
Saturday 14th March 2026, 10am-1.15pm
Tired? Busy? Stressed? Or just completely exhausted? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to find a fresh, continuous source of joyful energy…
Within meditation techniques and Buddhist teachings there are many ways we can start to achieve this. We can learn simple methods first to relax and let go of the stress and tension that is so tiring. Then we can look deeper into the real causes of our tiredness and discover practical methods we can use to help us to get more energy and vitality.
No previous experience needed.
Schedule
Session 1: 10am – 11.15am Teaching with guided meditations
Session 2: 12pm – 1.15pm Teaching with guided meditations
Our Coffee Bar will be open during the break serving hot and cold drinks, delicious home-made cakes and a variety of snacks.
Fees
Drop in or you can book in advance: £15
This event is free to members – become a member HERE
Half Day Format
These events are suitable for everyone, no previous experience needed. Everyone is welcome.
Enjoy the benefits of more time than in our evening classes, the opportunity to meet and talk with fellow attendees and the chance to take some time out in the peaceful atmosphere of KMC Plymouth.
- Guided breathing meditation
- Practical teaching
- Second meditation with guidance based on the teaching
- A break for light refreshments in our World Peace Café
- Second teaching and meditation session
- Option to ask the Teacher questions at the end of the class and discuss with fellow attendees
Who Am I?
Saturday 28th March 2026, 10am-1.15pm
Who we are very much depends on who we think we are. Through learning Buddha’s practical insights into who we really are and who we can be, we can stop struggling with ourselves and uncover our potential for growth, change and inner peace. When we understand ourselves a little better the door opens to endless, positive possibilities and this is what we shall explore and meditate on this very practical half-day course.
Schedule
Session 1: 10am – 11.15am Teaching with guided meditations
Session 2: 12pm – 1.15pm Teaching with guided meditations
Our Coffee Bar will be open during the break serving hot and cold drinks, delicious home-made cakes and a variety of snacks.
Fees
Drop in or you can book in advance: £15
This event is free to members – become a member HERE
Half Day Format
These events are suitable for everyone, no previous experience needed. Everyone is welcome.
Enjoy the benefits of more time than in our evening classes, the opportunity to meet and talk with fellow attendees and the chance to take some time out in the peaceful atmosphere of KMC Plymouth.
- Guided breathing meditation
- Practical teaching
- Second meditation with guidance based on the teaching
- A break for light refreshments in our World Peace Café
- Second teaching and meditation session
- Option to ask the Teacher questions at the end of the class and discuss with fellow attendees