OUR EVENTS
Welcome to our dedicated space for Mindfulness, Wellbeing, and other events in Cardiff, a cornerstone of Samye Foundation Wales. Here we offer a diverse array of mindfulness workshops, retreats, and classes designed to nurture mental well-being and personal growth.
Our events, set in the heart of Cardiff, provide unique opportunities for both beginners and experienced practitioners to explore mindfulness practices. Join us in this tranquil environment where each session is a step towards inner peace and self-discovery.
Discover the transformative power of mindfulness through our expert-led events and embrace a journey towards a more centered and balanced life.
What’s On This month at our centre
Download the printable calendar with upcoming events, weekly practices, and highlights:
Download the events calendar OCTOBER
Mindfulness workshops, courses, classes and retreats
Drop-In Lunch Hour Guided Mindfulness Meditation
at the Centre or Zoom Online
Wednesdays Free Event
Every week on Wednesday until December 16
You are welcome to drop in tor Wednesday lunch time 30 minute guided Mindfulness session with Lorraine. The session will follow traditional mindfulness exercises and hopefully help you to start your day off in a focussed, clear and calm way. Lorraine has been a mindfulness practitioner for over 30 years and is also a mindfulness trainer delivering traditional 8 week Mindfulness courses either on a one to one basis and in group sessions.
Please turn your camera on just to say hello then if you want to turn it off through the meditation that is fine.
As these 30 minute sessions are also delivered ONLINE it is always good to have a sense of being part of a group and practising with others. It is always good to see your faces so leaving your camera on helps us all to connect more
If you would like to come in online here is the link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81080194804?pwd=bY4UIQayT3XVEh8lAcviL73qQ6jVGz.1
Wednesday EVENING Guided MINDFULNEss MEDITATION
with Anthony
free event
Every week on Wednesday until December 16
Join us for a guided meditation session with Anthony who is an experienced mindfulness meditation practitioner.
This is a guided meditation and is suitable for beginners and experienced meditation practitioners.
The session will be preceded by a short talk.
There is a donation bowl in the room if you would like to make a donation towards the centre to help us keep going. It goes towards the centre's running costs.
If you are having difficulties in getting to the centre then Anthony can send you a zoom link on request. Please email admin@sfwales.org and address the email to Anthony.
one to one mindfulness
session
with Anthony
One to one mindfulness sessions with Anthony are delivered at our Cardiff Mindfulness Centre.
Mindfulness One to Ones can be helpful for many people because they offer customised teaching at a time and pace to suit the individual. One to Ones are also great for students who prefer to discuss their practice privately rather than in a class setting. Sessions can be held during the day or early evening, subject to tutor availability.
You can book single 2hr sessions as you go at £70, but we also offer a discounted package as a block booking in advance on an 8 week mindfulness course to £440 (if paid weekly 8 sessions at £70 would be £560).
How to book and pay
Contact admin@sfwales.org, addressed to Lorraine or Anthony, to arrange a session. They will provide BACS payment details. You can also pay online:
- Single session - Pay via PayPal or scan the QR code below
- 8-week course - Pay via PayPal
Accessibility
Our Cardiff Mindfulness Centre is wheelchair accessible, with an accessible toilet available. Please call us on 02920 228040 or email admin@sfwales.org in advance so we can prepare the access ramp for your arrival.
one to one mindfulness session
with Lorraine
One to one mindfulness sessions with Lorraine are delivered either at our Cardiff Mindfulness Centre
or via Zoom Online.
Mindfulness One to Ones can be helpful for many people because they offer customised teaching at a time and pace to suit the individual. One to Ones are also great for students who prefer to discuss their practice privately rather than in a class setting. Sessions can be held during the day or early evening, subject to tutor availability.
You can book single sessions as you go, but we also offer a discounted package of 4 sessions.
The cost per session 1hr 15 min session with Lorraine is £50 for individual bookings, or £160 for 4 sessions if paid as a block booking.
Our Mindfulness centre is wheelchair accessible and a wheelchair accessible toilet is available. Please call us on 02920 228040 or email: admin@sfwales.org so we can prepare the access ramp in advance of your visit.
Payments for One to One Mindfulness Sessions:
Please contact admin@sfwales.org and address either to Lorraine and Anthony to book a session. They will send you the BACS details to pay for your sessions.
8 MONTH MINDFULNESS COURSE (32 WEEK)
with Anthony
8 october
Thursday, Oct 8
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM BST
This 32 week (8 month) Mindfulness course was developed by Anthony Harris, a long term practitioner of Mindfulness, He has drawn from his experience to enhance the 8 week Mindfulness course by giving the course attendee a deep understanding of Mindfulness. This course will only be run once a year.
The purpose of the 8 Week Mindfulness Training was to act as an introduction to Mindfulness, so that the student was familiar with the fundamental aspects of Mindfulness practice. Proceeding on from here is this 8 Month Mindfulness Training. It is designed to lead the participant deeper into their understanding and practice of Mindfulness, and how to integrate this into everyday life.
In this 8-month training, we will be exploring ways of continuing to mature our minds, of gaining more insight into the psychological and energetic blocks that we experience as human beings, which directly or indirectly, affect our practice.
Much of the work will be about us gaining a deepening appreciation and understanding of what we mean by “relationship” i.e. how we primarily relate to ourselves and as a consequence, how we relate to our environment and the other beings within it. It will be about gaining a clearer insight and application of what underpins this whole process. If we practice and reflect on our practice, we will begin to appreciate that the journey of Mindfulness is really about this: Heartfulness i.e. that it is Compassion that we really need, if we are to understand what we are doing as meditators.
The main practices will be our individual meditation. There will be formal mindfulness practices as well as informal mindfulness practices. These will in turn be supported by the use of enquiry, reflective practice and the use of journal keeping. These practices need to be done in conjunction to one another if we are to truly integrate with what we are doing, and benefit as a result.
This is essentially a journey of discovery. It is about honing our skill in relationship, both inner and outer, which is essentially about compassion and kindness.
To watch a video
The cost for the 8 Month course is £320 (£40 per month by standing order). Please contact our office at admin@sfwales.org for BACS details to setup 8 monthly payments of £40 each,
However if you would like to pay upfront the course is discounted to £240.
MINDFULNESS 4 WEEK COURSE (LEVEL 1)
with Lorraine
14 October
Wednesday, Oct 14
3:00 PM to 4:30 PM BST
Have you been experiencing stress, worry or anxiety. Or, do you always have too much to do, no time for yourself and are working long hours, or taking work home? Does some of this sound familiar? Now maybe it is time to find some time for yourself.
Mindfulness, when practised, can help you to feel less stressed and anxious and make some time for you to relax and value the present moment..
Start your journey with this 4 Week Mindfulness course delivered by Lorraine who is an experienced Mindfulness practitioners and trainer.
This course will run at the Mindfulness centre.
Each week you will be emailed notes and MP3s to support your practise.
The cost of this 4 Week course is £90. Discounts for students
MINDFULNESS RETREAT DAY
with Anthony
31 october
Join Anthony for a guided Mindfulness Retreat day in our hall on the ground floor of 150 Cowbridge Road East, Canton, Cardiff.
The retreat is suitable for people with mindfulness experience, or also for those that have completed an 8 week Mindfulness course either at our centre or elsewhere.
There will be a tea break in hte morning and another tea break in the afternoon with tea, coffee and refreshments. There will be an hour for lunch and vegetarian lunch can be bought from the cafe.
We have blankets, cushions and mats for you to use to make yourself comfortable, If you prefer to use chairs we have those as well. The day will be in silence - that means that during your breaks you try and maintain mindfulness if possible while eating and drinking, We have a library so you can also read a book in the breaks.
Each session will be an hour and will be guided by Anthony breaking up the session with some walking meditation either in the garden or inside the building.
The cost is £30 for the day. However no-one will be turned away for lack of funds. You can make a donation on the day. You can either buy refreshments including soup for £10 from our cafe or bring your own vegetarian lunch.
Compassion Training 4 Week Course (Level 1)
with Lorraine
3 november
Mindful Compassion : During the first few weeks we build self-compassion into the core mindfulness practice of settling, grounding, resting and support. We contextualise this practice within the evolutionary model of compassion, that is grounded in neuroscience and psychology.A key insight here is that we are caught in an ‘evolutionary set up’ that is not of our choosing and not our fault. We link this insight to the Mahayana Buddhist metaphor of the ‘lotus in the mud’: how true compassion grows out of the mud of our lives (the disowned, disliked and difficult parts of ourselves). We then begin to cultivate positive emotions as a way of building up an inner resource from which to approach the difficulties that are part and parcel of being alive. We explore building our inner compassionate resource through compassionate imagery and mindful self-compassion practice.
Four Limitless Qualities: Then we approach the self-critic: that persistent inner voice that is harsh and condemning, and always finding fault in what we do.First, we experience what it feels like to be on the receiving end of its repeated attacks, and then we look behind the critic to what is driving it; and in this way we begin to develop compassion for this part of ourselves. This raises the question – what would it be like to cultivate an inner voice that is kind and supportive, and to live your life from this place, rather than from a place of destructive self- criticism?
This is the point where we move from self-compassion towards compassion for others. Although, self-compassion always remains as the foundation of our practice because this is what makes our practice real and allows us to understand what others go through.
Compassion In Action: It is not enough to learn about compassion or do compassion practices – the crucial thing is how to embody compassion in the way we live, work and relate.
Towards the end of the course we look at how to work skilfully with the blocks to compassion and we explore how to integrate compassion into all that we do. This course was developed by the Mindfulness Association and Lorraine is trained to deliver it. Otherwise known as the 8 Week Compassion Based Living Course (CBLC).
The criteria for attending this course is that you have to have completed an 8 week Mindfulness course and that mindfulness is brought into your daily life. Email lorraine@sfwales.org if you have any questions about this.
Public Talks
Soundbathing Sessions
SOUNDBATHING WITH SIMON
16 October
BOOK: Friday, Oct 16 · 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM BST
BOOK: Friday, Oct 16 · 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM BST
Enjoy a relaxing sound bathing session with traditional Tibetan sound bowls. Experience the soothing vibrations that promotes peace and tranquillity.
Please register when you arrive in our Tibetan cafe where you will be greeted by Simon. We recommend you arrive 30 minutes before the session and refreshments are available for you to purchase.
Some contraindications for Sound Bathing:
- Pregnancy
- Metal implants
- Tinnitus
- Hearing Aids
SOUNDBATHING WITH SIMON
20 November
BOOK: Friday, Nov 20 · 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM BST
BOOK: Friday, Nov 20 · 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM BST
Enjoy a relaxing sound bathing session with traditional Tibetan sound bowls. Experience the soothing vibrations that promotes peace and tranquillity.
Please register when you arrive in our Tibetan cafe where you will be greeted by Simon. We recommend you arrive 30 minutes before the session and refreshments are available for you to purchase.
Some contraindications for Sound Bathing:
- Pregnancy
- Metal implants
- Tinnitus
- Hearing Aids
SOUND AND MEDITATION
21 November
Saturday, Nov 21
10:00 AM to 4:00 PM GMT
Open to all. A day tuning in to sound and making space for meditation. Enhanced by Tibetan singing bowls and gongs. There will be opportunities to get a bit closer to the singing bowls and to take part in guided meditation.
Mats, Blankets and cushions are provided . You are also welcome to bring your own if you wish.
Tea and coffee will be provided during the day.
Please bring your own vegetarian lunch.
Bookings are necessary and places fill up very quickly,
Cost for the day is £40.
Yoga classes
Hatha yoga
with Lorraine Phillips
On thursdays
Every week on Thursday at 9
£6 per class
Hatha Yoga lesson with Lorraine Phillips. Every Thursday 9.30 to 10.30am
A gentle lesson which combines breathing exercises and a variety of postures. Suitable for all ages and abilities. Please bring your own mat, water, and a warm blanket for relaxation.
Please contact Lorraine Phillips before first class by phone 07817 872444
MINDFUL SOMATIC YOGA CLASSES
with Sheena
On Tuesdays starting October
New weekly Mindful Somatic Yoga classes with Sheena Carlisle at Samye Foundation Centre
Somatic yoga helps to develop mind-body awareness and greater connection to yourself and how you move in the world around you, allowing time to explore asanas, breath, movement and expand strength and stability. Sheena uses adaptations to help individuals access Yoga postures for all ages and abilities. All are very welcome to join whatever your experience of Yoga.
Please bring your own mat, water and warm blanket for relaxation.
Sheena is a professionally qualified Yoga Teacher [375 hours] certified by Meni Farkash at the Agniyaana Yoga School, Carmarthenshire [A training centre registered with Yoga Alliance Professionals].
Contact Sheena to register:
Mobile 07504229058 or
Email: sheenacarlisle@hotmail.com
Cost: £55 for the six-week block
6.15pm - 7.30pm
Dates:
Other workshops and courses
SHIATSU FOUNDATION COURSE
with Sarah Hall
10am–5pm each day
The course is affiliated with the Bristol School of Shiatsu, and if you feel called to continue, it leads directly into Year 1 of their professional training. It also stands fully on its own for anyone drawn to bodywork, self-development, or simply a deeper connection with themselves and others.
If you'd like to find out more, ask about the two available bursaries, or sign up, feel free to get in touch with Sarah Hall. Here are the contact details:
Sehshiatsu@gmail.com
0793 0241409
Dates of the course:
12 and 13 September
24 and 25 October
14 and 15 November
Alexander Technique classes and workshops
with Anna Brazier
Do you take for granted how you do things? Would you like to find more Freedom and Ease in your Movement?
I am delighted to be offering Alexander Technique classes and workshops at the SAMYE Centre.
The Alexander Technique is a great way to explore thinking about how you move and discovering new possibilities.
I started learning the technique about twenty years ago. I found it intriguing and exciting, so much so that while still working in the NHS, I joined Don Weed's training course and became a teacher in 2012. I now combine an arts practice with freelance Alexander teaching and am looking forward to establishing some regular sessions at the SAMYE Centre.
If you are curious about the technique, please visit my website at movementinmind.org for more information, costs, and availability. You can also email me from the website.
If you would like to get involved and be part of the classes, please get in touch, and I can plan schedules to suit you. My next workshop is planned for the
1st November 2025
I look forward to hearing from you!
Anna Brazier
Buddhist courses and retreats
Monday Buddhist Meditation
With Our Buddhist Sangha Group
free event
Every week on Monday until December 21, 2026
Join us for Buddhist prayers and sitting practise.
You are welcome to chant the Buddhist prayers with us at the beginning and end of the session. The prayers are first chanted in Tibetan which is easy to follow using phonetics and then spoken in English. Then the singing bowl will be rung periodically for you to start 10 minute silent meditation sessions. After each session you are welcome to stretch or continue to meditate.
The session lasts for 45 minutes and there will be an opportunity at the end of the sessions for any questions you may have.
Please try and arrive 5 mins early as the meditation will start on time and the front door will be closed.
There is a donation bowl in the room if you would like to make an offering for the session. Any donation that is made is gratefully received and goes towards the running of the centre.
GURU RINPOCHE (KONCHO CHIDU) PUJA
Tuesday & Thursday
Free event
On Tuesdays and Thursdays
12:00 PM to 12:45 PM BST
This practise is known for removing obstacles in our lives.
CHENREZIG PUJA
Tuesday & Thursday
Free event
All welcome.
Saturday morning Green Tara Puja
Saturdays
Free event
Every week on Saturday until December 5, 2026
You are welcome to come and join us for the Green Tara Puja chanted in Tibetan. (Female aspect of compassion working with are fears).Texts are available to follow (in phonetics). Led by a member of Kagyu Samye Dzong Cardiff.
All welcome to attend.
The Green Tara puja takes places in the Tara Room on the ground floor of 248 Cowbridge Road East, Cardiff CF24 2LP. The door will be open at 8am and you can wait in our Tibetan cafe. So please arrive in time for the puja as the door will then be closed at 8.15am. It is also on our Samye you tube channel
This puja is then followed by a 10 minute Medicine Buddha chant from 9.15 to 9.30am
MEDICINE BUDDHA (SANGYE MENLA) MANTRA
Saturdays
Free event
Every week on Saturday until December 19, 2026
Join our sangha to just chant and meditate on the healing mantra of Medicine Buddha.
tayata on bekandze bekandze maha bekandze ratza samugate soha
All welcome
MORNING OF MINDFULNESS IN THE TRADITION OF ZEN MASTER THICH NHAT HANH
11 OCTOBER
danielleonline23@gmail.com
Donation based
A WEEKEND COURSE WITH LAMA ZANGMO
28 & 29 November 2026
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF BUDDHISM
RETREAT DAY
08 November
AKONG RINPOCHE: A REMARKABLE LIFE
Film9 October
Friday, Oct 9 · 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM BST
Akong Rinpoche's Film:
A feature-length documentary film about the founder of Europe's first Tibetan Buddhist centre in Dumfriesshire has staged its world premiere. The story of Akong Tulku Rinpoche was screened at the Samye Ling site he founded in Eskdalemuir. A Remarkable Life covers everything from his birth in Tibet in 1939 to his murder in China in 2013
In order that the film can fulfil the aspiration to share with the world Rinpoche's example of Compassion in Action plus raise funds for the Akong Memorial Foundation, there will be a donation box and/or card machine if you would like to make a donation towards the showing.
GREEN TARA 24 HOUR RETREAT DAY (TARATHON)
24 October
from Saturday, Oct 24, 8:15 AM BST
to Sunday, Oct 25, 8:15 AM BST
Join us for a Tarathon. Green Tara Puja throughout the day - clearing away our obstacles and bringing blessings to yourselves, the centre and sending out compassion to all sentient beings.
The retreat day is free as well as teas and coffees
You will be able to purchase soup for lunch
Cafe, shop & other activites
Visit Our shop
monday - friday
open 10:30am - 2:30PM
The shop is situated in our café at the Samye Foundation. We have beautiful hand made cards, pots, jewellery and indoor and outdoor plants for sale.
ARTWORK SALE
monday - friday
open 10:30am - 2:30PM
At the Samye Foundation we have beautiful artwork by Anna Polya for sale. Come and have a browse in our shop that is situated in the café. We also have a library so why not come in and relax. You will be able to purchase refreshments while you are reading. If you are a supporter of the centre you will be able to take books home to read as well.
PLANTS for SALE
monday - friday
open 10:30am - 2:30PM
Looking to add life to your home or garden? Check out our plant sale featuring a variety of lush indoor and outdoor plants, from beautiful leafy greens to vibrant flowering pots. Prices start at £1 for small plants and £3 for larger plants.
Come visit us and grab your fresh greenery!