Led by: Lokabandhu, Suryamani, Dayaloka and Kshantika
Location: Starting point will be Chepstow train station at 12 noon on Saturday 3rd May - further details of the route below.
Deposit amount: £80
Age group: Adults
Total suggested cost (excluding deposit): standard: £300, supported:£200, donation tier (helping others to come on retreat):£580
---
The Buddha's followers were 'Yatrikas' or wanderers; we will be evoking the way of life of the very earliest Buddhists. We'll be aligning ourselves with the most ancient traditions of Buddhism as well as following the ancient trackways of Britain, at a very beautiful time of year.
The 2025 Buddhafield Yatra will be exploring a new route: from Chepstow in Wales, south across the Severn to the mythic Isle of Avalon, where we will be invited to participate in a multi-faith "Welcome, Pilgrims!" event hosted by Glastonbury's Mayor, Buddhafield's very own Lokabandhu. The route will be a Pilgrim's Progress through many different landscapes and environments: the watery Severn, the industrial Avon, and the rolling Mendip hills before approaching Glastonbury across the Somerset Levels... As with all Buddhafield yatras, a van will carry our luggage, leaving us free to walk in silent mindfulness.
Participants should expect to walk up to 10 miles a day across mixed terrain in the weather of the day. Night stops will be a mixture of campsites and farmer's fields, with morning meditation and evening pujas and other ceremonies; we'll do a special ceremony as we prepare to cross the Severn into England. The Yatra is open to all, whether Buddhist or merely curious.
In a change to the usual timings, the Yatra will be one day longer and will conclude on the morning of Saturday 10th May with an interfaith 'Pilgrims Welcome Ceremony' led by Lokabandhu in his capacity as Mayor of Glastonbury.
Teaching team
Lokabandhu
Ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order since 1990, co-founder of the Buddhafield Festival, President of Buddhafield, and current Mayor of Glastonbury, Lokabandhu has been deeply involved with Buddhafield since 1992. Growing up as a Buddhist around the London Buddhist Centre, he now resides in Glastonbury with his partner, continuing his lifelong commitment to spiritual practice, community, and interfaith connection.
Suryamani
Suryamani is a bodywork practitioner by trade, encouraging a loving awareness, ease and intuition in the body. She also loves to share nature inspired meditations and rituals and regularly leads yatra's (walking meditation retreats) within the local landscape. These activities help soften the imagined boundaries between our senses and all this here and now opening us up to our indigenous wisdom and the wisdom of the Buddha.
Kshantika
Kshantika has been practicing the dharma and yoga within Triratna since the mid 90's in Newcastle, Croydon and then her home town of Nottingham where she facilitates a study group and teaches yoga and meditation. She found a turning point through a quieter yoga practice, bringing a deeper connection with body and breath, allowing a softening and opening of the heart. She loves breath-centric asana practice, restorative practices, and the use of simple sound to find space and ease in the body to gently release the body's armour. More recently she has trained in Biodynamic massage to deepen her understanding of how our conditioning manifests in the psycho-physiological aspects of our experience.
Dayaloka
Dayaloka has been involved with the Buddhafield Village retreat for over ten years. There he experienced practising outside as both a revelation and something that made perfect sense. He believes that connecting with nature can be healing and liberating. In 2024 he led the first Sheffield Buddhist Centre yatra.