This day of mindfulness will be offered with the intent of nothing to do, nowhere to go – in the spirit of the Plum Village idea of embracing laziness. Come and create a time of being together on one of the quietest days of the year.

Open to everyone, of all faiths and none. Please bring some plant-based food to share for lunch.

Arrive from 09:45 for a 10am start. Finish about 4pm.

St Mark’s Unitarian Church, 7 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2DP

We will be taking our usual break over the winter holidays. There will be no meetings on Thursday 25th December or Thursday 1st of January. We will be back to normal from Thursday 9th January 2026.

There will be a mindfulness day on Saturday 3rd of January 2026. Details to follow.

May all beings be happy and free from suffering and pain through this festive season.

At this special time of year we will take time together – in the heart of the city – to come back to the present moment. We will develop our capacity to listen to ourselves and to those around us with true presence in order to cultivate peace, happiness and the capacity of boundless compassion that is embodied by the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.

Open to everyone, of all faiths and none. Please bring some plant-based food to share for lunch.

St Mark’s Unitarian Church, 7 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2DP.

10am to 4pm (please arrive a little early so we can start promptly)

For further details or to contact us using the form.

In an increasingly divided and fractious society, we will give ourselves time to come together in order to nurture our capacity to see beyond dualistic and discriminative thinking. We will cultivate true connection, inclusiveness and peace for the benefit of ourselves, our families and for the world.

We will sit, walk, rest and eat together in stillness and friendship,
generating peaceful, healing energy.

Saturday 1st November 10am-4pm (Please arrive from around 9:45 for a 10am start)

St Mark’s Unitarian Church, 7 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2DP

Open to everyone, of all faiths and none.

Please bring some plant-based food to share for lunch.

The latest Scottish Sangha Newsletter is out. Click to download. This issue includes details of upcoming retreats at Wiston Lodge in October and Burgie House in February. Book now to avoid disappointment! Details of how you can get the newsletter by email are also included.

We’ll explore together how to use language in authentic and encouraging ways that help to foster connection and community. The day will include guided meditation, walking meditation, readings, reflections in small groups, deep relaxation and a potluck lunch.

Please bring some plant-based food to share for lunch.

Saturday 4 October 2025 10am – 4pm (Please arrive from around 09:45 for a 10am start)

St. Mark’s Unitarian Church, 7 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2DP

Any questions please use the contact form.

Please join us for our Mindful Peace Walk at the Saughton Park on Sunday 7th September. We will meet at the bandstand at 11am. There will be a brief introduction to mindful walking followed by a gentle walk. We plan to conclude within the hour.

This event is jointly organized by the Edinburgh International Centre for Spirituality and Peace, EICSP and the Edinburgh Sangha of the Community of Interbeing – The Wild Geese. See the details on the EICSP website.

This event aims to provide a collective experience of ‘being peaceful’ together. It is not a protest or campaigning event, so please don’t bring any banners/placards etc, however we will share the energy with those who might benefit from it at the end. Children are welcome when accompanied by adults.

Soughton park is serviced by bus route 1, 3, 22, 25, 30, 33, 36, 38 or you can walk along with Water of Leith.

Please join us for a day of practice at St Marks.

Together, we will practise stopping and calming our body and mind in order to look deeply and to develop our capacity for understanding for the benefit of ourselves, our families and the world.

Open to everyone, of all faiths and none.

Saturday 6th September 10am to 4pm (Please arrive from around 9:45am for a 10am start)

Please bring some plant-based food to share for lunch.

St Mark’s Unitarian Church, 7 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2DP

As usual we will not be meeting at St Marks during the month of August. This is in the tradition of the monastics taking “lazy days” away from formal commitments once in a while – except we take a whole lazy month! It is also because St Marks becomes Edinburgh Festival Fringe Venue 125 in August. This means you can still come to St Marks and enjoy a variety of cultural events whilst we are not sitting formally. See the programme below.

In 2023 a plum tree was planted in the Community Garden on the Meadows to commemorate Thich Nhat Hanh’s visit to Edinburgh in 2003. It is marked by a plaque inscribed with the words ‘Peace is Every Step‘.

As a way to remember and continue this mindful energy, we will be holding a silent walking meditation on the Meadows on Sunday 20th July at 11:00 am starting from the tree. Before the walk there will be a short introduction to mindful walking. The walk will be complete within an hour.

If you are on Middle Meadow Walk facing South towards Marchmont, then the Community Garden is about 100m to your left just before you get to the tennis courts. Locate with What3Words: ///values.speak.intervals or Google Maps.

This event aims to provide a collective experience of ‘being peaceful’ together. It is not a protest or campaigning event, so please don’t bring any banners/placards etc, however we will share the energy with those who might benefit from it at the end.