A New Way of Seeing
From Knowledge to Insight
with Teacher and Author Dominique Side
Hundreds of thousands of people in the West now practise meditation — but is our practice really helping us when life gets difficult and we need it the most?
This weekend retreat explores the real-world challenges we face when trying to live a spiritual life, especially through the lens of Buddhism — a tradition that often contrasts sharply with our own cultural habits and assumptions.
Misunderstandings, unconscious biases and cultural conditioning can all get in the way of genuine insight and growth and prevent us from going deeper.
For meditational practices to bring real benefit it’s vital for each of us to make personal sense of ideas like wisdom, karma, rebirth, freedom and emotional transformation.
With Dominique’s fresh approach to the topic, you can expect a weekend that will be dynamic and interactive, with opportunities for personal reflection, group dialogue and questions & answers. By questioning what the Buddha taught — and our own ways of thinking — the aspiration is to uncover fresh clarity and confidence in our spiritual path. The main point is to ensure that whatever Buddhist practice we do is a real support in these uncertain times.
As a teacher, Dominique is known for her extraordinary kindness and non-judgmental approach to her students. She has the rare ability to seamlessly combine rigorous scholarship with genuine heart-to-hearts with whoever is in the room.
What people say about A New Way of Seeing
“This has been the best few days. I’ve learned so much about Buddhism. Dominique has a beautiful voice and is a delight to listen to. Her knowledge and ability to answer questions is extraordinary. I will highly recommend this to others.” – Josephine
Location
The retreat will be held in the Dzogchen Beara Temple. With expansive views across the bay, the temple is a modern example of a traditional Tibetan monastery, a form of architecture designed to be an inspiring symbol of the Buddha’s teachings for our times.
Meals
Vegetarian lunches and light evening meals are provided. The cost is included in your fee.
Accommodation
Limited accommodation is available on-site and can be viewed and booked as you register. Early booking advised!
You can also choose to stay in local accommodation. There is whole range of options available.
Dominique Side
Dominique encountered Buddhism in the mid-1970s in London, sparking a lifelong journey of study and practice primarily within the Tibetan tradition. She has studied under masters of many different traditions, with particular guidance from Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche and Sogyal Rinpoche. Dominique holds a Diploma in Religious Studies from Cambridge University, an M.A. in Indian Religions from the School of Oriental and African Studies,London, and a Ph.D. in Madhyamaka philosophy from Bristol University.
For many years, Dominique taught Buddhism and Critical Thinking in London schools. As an educator and practitioner who has truly taken the dharma to heart, she is the author of several books, including Discovering Buddhism—an accessible overview of the tradition’s history and core ideas—and her latest release, A New Way of Seeing, which explores the contemporary relevance of Buddhist thought for modern practitioners.
A dedicated leader in her field, she established the Milinda study programme for training Buddhist teachers under the auspices of the Khyentse Foundation. She served as Vice-President of the European Buddhist Union (2013–2018). Driven by a passion to make Buddhist philosophy accessible to all, Dominique writes the Substack blog The Softer Gaze and co-creates Windows into Buddhism, an educational resource site for teachers and parents.