In January, five Indian cooks prepare delicious meals for the 150 people including teachers and staff engaged in the retreats. The first two retreats have a capacity for 135 people. The third retreat has a capacity for 60 people with two teachers. The retreat is held in the Thai Monastery, Bodh Gaya, near Gaya, Bihar, India. The retreats are held in silence except for personal meetings with the teachers, small group meetings and inquiry sessions in the meditation hall.
People stay for the full duration of each retreat within the grounds of the monastery.
The talks and inquiry periods explore Liberation, daily life issues and contribute to understanding deeply the range of inner experience. There is normally an early morning exercise period of guided yoga instructions or the opportunity to follow one's own form of exercise. Two substantial meals are served - breakfast and lunch and a light tea consisting of tea and fruit. Smoking is not permitted on the retreat. The day finishes at 9.30 p.m. with a hot drink, and an optional meditation from 9.50 p.m. to 10.20 p.m.