The Invitation

In a world where attention is engineered for profit, and where democratic institutions struggle to keep pace with technological change, we invite you to take a pause.

A Four-Day Immersion in Contemplative Leadership for the AI Age

This four-day residential retreat offers senior public leaders and policy-makers a rare opportunity to step back from speed, noise, and constant decision pressure, and to reconnect with the deeper moral and human foundations of their work.

Drawing on contemplative traditions adapted for public life, the retreat creates a disciplined yet spacious environment in which participants can strengthen ethical judgment, cultivate sustained attention, and explore how human discernment can be protected within AI-mediated systems

  • Morning Reflection, Silence, Lectio Politica/Divina

  • Policy Discernment Workshops, Small Group Reflections

  • Silent Walking Meditation, Wellness Time, Rest

  • Centering Reflection, Community Dinner, Evening Examen

Retreat Details

Dates: April 6 - 10, 2026

Location: Broughton Sanctuary, Yorkshire Dales, UK

Cohort Size: 25-28 senior leaders and policy-makers

What to Expect

This retreat is structured around contemplative practice, policy discernment, and time in nature.

What Sets this Contemplative Policy Retreat Apart

This contemplative policy retreat follows a gentle but intentional daily rhythm inspired by the Benedictine balance of prayer and work. Each day weaves together periods of silence, contemplative practice, shared meals, reflective dialogue, and focused policy workshops. Practices such as Lectio Divina, meditation, and the daily examen are adapted as secularisable disciplines of attention, accessible to participants from diverse professional, religious, and cultural backgrounds.

01 / Historic Location

The retreat will be held at the 3,000-acre Broughton Sanctuary, just outside Skipton, at the foothills of the Yorkshire Dales. Established in 1097, Broughton Hall is a house of transformation, home to the Tempest family for over 900 years.

The Sanctuary is home to one of Britain's most exciting nature recovery projects, a heartfelt commitment based upon extensive tree-planting and rewilding. In 2025, beavers joined the Sanctuary alongside native cattle and Iron Age pigs.

Avalon, the Sanctuary’s state-of-the-art wellbeing retreat centre will serve participants’ inner voyage of mind, body, and spirit.

Named to National Geographic's "Cool List 2024" as one of the 30 most exciting destinations to visit in the world, Broughton Sanctuary provides the perfect setting for leaders seeking to reconnect with presence, purpose, and moral clarity.

02 / Expert Facilitation

The retreat will be led by a carefully curated team of facilitators with the unique skill to lead policy discussion while holding space for human-centred dialogue.

Dr. Jacob Udo-Udo Jacob, Founding Executive Director of the Global Centre for Rehumanising Democracy (GCRD), will anchor the retreat with decades of experience at the intersection of democracy, technology, and contemplative leadership formation. Jacob's work spans research on AI-Enhanced Reflexive Control, development of the Democracy Discourse Index, and transformational leadership across continents.

Jacob integrates Benedictine spiritual practices with contemporary policy challenges. He will be joined by guest faculty and facilitators whose diverse expertise—from contemplative traditions to frontline policy work—enriches the formation experience.

03 / Collaborative Energy

Connection is a core part of the retreats. You’ll learn just as much from the group as from the content itself.

The intimacy of 24–28 participants creates space for genuine encounter. You'll sit in clearness committees where peers hold your dilemmas with fierce tenderness, asking questions that help you see what you cannot see alone.

This contemplative energy transforms how you lead. Because you cannot guide others toward wholeness from a place of fragmentation.

By the fourth day, you will have built something rare and essential: a peer network that continues beyond the retreat, sustaining you when the work gets hard.

The grounds offer meditation labyrinths, wild swimming reservoirs, woodland walks, and contemplative spaces designed to support deep reflection.

Apply Now

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Places are limited

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Apply Now 〰️ Places are limited 〰️

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  • RETREAT TUITION:

    Civil Society & Academia: £450

    Government & Public Sector: £600

    Corporate & Private Sector: £750

    Tuition Includes:

    ✓ Four-day retreat programme • All teaching sessions and workshops

    ✓ Clearness Committees, Policy Design Labs

    ✓ All retreat materials, handbook, and reading packet

    ✓ Post-retreat peer accountability circles

    ACCOMMODATION

    Bedroom Cost Range:

    £150 - £275 + VAT per person per night

    ✓ 4 nights (arrival 6 April, departure 10 April)
    ✓ Use of group rooms and facilities
    ✓ Access to Broughton Hall or Retreat Houses across the estate

    ✓ Forest Bathing, The Odyssey journey, Access to Avalon Wellbeing Centre, woodland sauna, cold immersion, wild swimming

    Example Room Rates:

    • Standard rooms (with shared facilities): From £150 + VAT per night

    • Superior rooms (ensuite): From £200 + VAT per night

    • Deluxe rooms (premium ensuite): From £275 + VAT per night

    MEALS

    Meals are served at Utopia, Broughton's acclaimed walled garden bistro designed by Sir Michael Hopkins with gardens by Dan Pearson. All meals are thoughtfully prepared to nourish body and mind.

    Plant-Based Retreat Menu

    £85 + VAT per person per day

    Includes: Breakfast, lunch, tea, and dinner

    Meat, chicken, and fish proteins are available for an additional charge

    Upgraded Fine Dining Menu

    £165 + VAT per person per day

    Bespoke fine dining experience with premium ingredients

    • Premium lodging at Broughton Sanctuary with high-quality amenities

    • All daily meals (vegetarian option available)

    • Guided wellness treatments & meditations

    • Supplies for all activities

    • Ample time for rest & reflection

    • Wellbeing Activities including Floatation Tank, Sweat Lodge, Forest Bathing, Woodland Saunas, Hot Tubs, Cold Immersion, and Wild Swimming

  • Served in Utopia, our plant-based retreat menu is available from £85 + VAT per person per day, covering breakfast, lunch, tea, and dinner. Meat, chicken and fish protein may be included too for an additional charge. For a more bespoke or fine dining experience, there is an upgraded menu from £165 + VAT per person per day. We also provide a drinks and snack station between meals.

  • Arrival: Easter Monday, April 6, 2026

    Opening Circle at 4.30pm: We will begin the retreat with a ceremonial walk from Avalon through the ‘Door of Transformation,’ setting intentions, walking the Labyrinth to ground you and connect you to the land, followed by gathering around the fire at the Fire Temple or in the 42ft Yurt

    Each day is thoughtfully structured with:

    • Morning rituals (yoga, prayer, silent breakfast)

    • Workshop sessions (Lectio Divina, Policy Discussion Workshops, Clearness Committees)

    • Embodied practices (forest bathing, sound healing, wild swimming)

    • Evening integration (examen, communal meals, reflection)

    Daily Themes:

    • Day 1: Listening Deeply

    • Day 2: Courage & Discernment in policymaking

    • Day 3: Community & Witness

    • Day 4: Integration & Commissioning

    Friday, April 11, 2026

    Closing Circle, 11 am: We close the retreat with a reflective ceremony in Avalon, passing back through the Door of Transformation to seal your experience.

    Full schedule available after registration or on enquiry.

  • Apply using the expression of interest form below to reserve your spot. We review applications daily and will respond within 48 hours with a link to booking details if accepted to this cohort.

    Review the Welcome Packet
    After booking, we'll send you a Welcome Packet with everything you need to know—detailed schedules, reading list, packing recommendations, add-ons to consider, etc.

    Book Your Travel
    We'd recommend booking your transportation to and from the venue as soon as possible to ensure you can arrive without any complications or delays. We offer pick-up at Leeds-Bradford airport.

    Get Packed & Join Us
    Now all that's left to do is pack your bags and get excited for your new adventure.

Download the concept note

Expression of Interest

Submit a brief expression of interest below. We review applications daily and will respond within 48 hours with a link to booking details if accepted to this cohort.