Smoothing our edges on a rounding retreat with The London Meditation Centre in England
Regular Vedic Meditator Lily Spicer attends a Rounding Retreat in rural Somerset and finds the deep rest and sense of community she needs
I have been a Vedic Meditator for some time now, and so I was able to book onto on a London Meditation Centre Weekend Rounding Retreat one July. It was to run from a Thursday evening to a Sunday lunchtime and after rushing out of my office to catch a train from Waterloo, I was frantically typing up emails on my laptop until the train pulled up in Dorset. There I met my best friend Alice, who learned to meditate with the London Meditation Centre about five years ago after witnessing the positive effect it had on me (she, too, has never looked back). She lives abroad, so the retreat was part post-pandemic reset, part excuse to spend time together.
A short taxi ride later, we arrived at 42 Acres in rural Somerset, and I immediately began to decompress. Down a long and bumpy drive and surrounded by undulating meadows, the property has a truly remote feel. We were the last party to arrive, just in time for dinner. It was a balmy July evening, and there was a palpable sense of anticipation among the assembling group - for all we would experience on the retreat, but also for the sheer joy of meeting new people and connecting with old friends after a year of relative isolation.
There was a wide range of generations, nationalities and backgrounds represented in our group, but everyone was tied together by the mutual thread of their meditation practice. It is the ultimate icebreaker - having such a fundamental thing in common engenders an instant sense of trust and intimacy. I learned to meditate with the London Meditation Centre, led by Jillian Lavender and Michael Miller, back in 2009. Since then, my meditation practice has become a cornerstone of my wellbeing, fitting seamlessly into my daily routine. I can’t remember or imagine life without it.
“The rounding process, much like regular Vedic meditation, does not equate to minute-by-minute bliss. Jillian and Michael have seen it all before and are close at hand to provide guidance and reassurance”
Vedic Meditation - which comes from the Veda, an ancient body of knowledge from India that is the wellspring of yoga, meditation and Ayurveda - is a simple meditation technique practised for twenty minutes, twice a day, and it allows the mind and body to settle to their least excited state. Once you have learned and regularly practise Vedic Meditation, Jillian and Michael’s Rounding Retreats, like the one I was on, are open to you.
‘Rounding’ is the practice of multiple rounds. A single ‘round’ takes about an hour and involves a series of gentle asanas (yoga poses), followed by Pranayama (a simple breathing technique), followed by meditation. Jillian and Michael regard rounding as ‘industrial-strength’ rest and stress-release, with one weekend of rounding said to deliver the equivalent benefits of between three and six months of regular twice-daily meditation. I was sceptical about this claim until I attended this retreat.
On Friday morning, those who haven’t rounded before or need a refresher received instruction from Michael, whilst seasoned rounders can begin right away. Everyone is assigned a tailored rounding ‘programme’, with twice-daily check-ins where the number of rounds can be adjusted as necessary. As I had already learned to round, my day began with a single round and a bath before breakfast.
The rounding process, much like regular Vedic meditation, does not equate to minute-by-minute bliss. Residual fatigue, stress, or sadness in one’s system tends to bubble up to the surface as it is released. We are advised at the outset of the retreat that any feelings of irritation or exhaustion are normal and will pass. And they do. Jillian and Michael have seen it all before and are close at hand to provide guidance and reassurance.
Alice and I had chosen to share a room and our space in the eaves of the house had exposed wooden beams and individual sleeping compartments – truly my childhood fantasy come true. It was spacious and decorated simply but charmingly. The beds were comfy, and our bathroom (equipped with Faith in Nature products) had a freestanding bath that looked out onto countryside.
The 42 Acres staff were extremely accommodating. Chefs beavered away discreetly behind the scenes to produce colourful, nourishing vegetarian meals three times a day, with many ingredients from the extraordinary vegetable garden and regenerative farm on the property. At breakfast we tucked into porridge with apple compote and fresh rye bread with spiced ‘squash butter’ (this was so delicious; I bought several jars to take home.) Lunch would be shakshuka or veggie lasagne with salad from the garden, while dinner was a curry or dahl. Portions were always generous, and seconds were available (you’d be surprised how much of an appetite you can work up whilst meditating.) Delicious puddings went some way to make up for the lack of caffeine which, sadly but understandably, was not available.
After each meal we had a group talk led by Michael and/or Jillian. This is a chance to learn, ask questions and, crucially, to digest (meditation on a full stomach is not advised!). The sessions have a loose agenda – for instance, the five stages of achieving progressive change - but will often meander to ancient Vedic philosophy, the practicalities of rounding and tips for optimising practice. We are invited - though never pressured - to share our reflections and feelings with the group. There were often tears, and lots of laughter too.
On Friday afternoon the sun shone. Rigorous exercise is off the cards during the retreat and instead we were led on short, gentle walks through the countryside. Michael sets a deliberately slow pace which I, as a committed walk-up-the-escalator type, initially found quite jarring. But I surrendered to the experience and made a mental note to slow the pace of my next commute through Green Park. Through the woods we came across a beautiful lake. I instantly regretted not packing a swimsuit and looked on wistfully while my fellow retreaters frolicked in the water.
By Saturday, we were fully immersed in our rounding programme and reached our peak number of consecutive rounds (this gave us time to ease out of the rounding programme before heading home). I rose with the sun and the birds at 5am to fit in four rounds before breakfast and later did another three before dinner. As the rounds induce such deep rest, everyone becomes a little quieter and more contemplative at this stage, turning inwards and spending more their time on their own. My penultimate round of the day culminated in one the most blissful meditations I’ve ever experienced. That evening I felt a profound sense of peace and joy - made even better a gorgeous sunset and a hearty dahl for supper.
On Sunday morning, we did fewer rounds and were then given our ‘going home programme’, with instructions on how to integrate the retreat teachings into our day-to-day lives. After brunch, we said heartfelt goodbyes. Rounding had heightened our senses and so the hustle and bustle of Waterloo station felt much louder than it did on Thursday.
That evening I did a final round in my bedroom. The effects of the retreat unravelled slowly and subtly over the following weeks. Areas of my life that needed attention were thrown into sharp relief and my sense of direction began to clarify. I am already looking forward to my next retreat.
You can attend rounding retreats with the London Meditation Centre once you have learnt Vedic Meditation with them.