About this Retreat
Gelong Thubten is one of the UK’s most influential meditation teachers and a bestselling author. Educated at Oxford University, he began his career as an actor in London and New York before severe burnout at age 21 led him to join a monastery. He was ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monk in 1993 and has since completed six years of intensive meditation retreats, including one lasting four years.
For over three decades, Thubten has taught meditation in hospitals, schools, prisons, rehabilitation centres, and major global companies. He has worked with organizations such as Google, Accenture, and Deloitte, lectured at Oxford University, and delivered keynote talks at international institutions including the United Nations. He also served as the meditation consultant on Marvel’s Doctor Strange, training Benedict Cumberbatch and Tilda Swinton.
As an author, Thubten has made meditation practices accessible to a wide audience. His first book, A Monk’s Guide to Happiness, was a Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller and has been published in more than 17 countries. His second book, Handbook for Hard Times, is also a bestseller, and he is currently working on his third. Thubten is a director of several meditation centres as well as the humanitarian organization ROKPA International.
His approach is known for its clarity, warmth, and down-to-earth practicality, helping people cultivate resilience, compassion, and inner stability in the midst of modern life.
Details of this retreat
“Unshakeable – Meditation for Fearless Living” is a week-long immersive retreat with internationally acclaimed Buddhist monk and bestselling author Gelong Thubten. Designed for those navigating stress, uncertainty, or emotional difficulty, the retreat explores how meditation and mindfulness can help us transform life’s challenges into opportunities for inner strength, resilience, and peace.
Across seven days, participants engage in guided meditation sessions, reflective practices, and practical exercises that support clarity, compassion, and fearless presence. Thubten’s teachings draw from more than 30 years of monastic training, including long-term retreats, and offer a grounded, accessible approach to working with the mind.
Set at Infinity, along Calabria’s Coast of the Gods, the retreat combines contemplative practice with the natural and cultural beauty of Southern Italy. Mindful walks, readings, picnics, and visits to nearby historical sites create space for reflection and integration. Seasonal meals prepared with local ingredients support the retreat’s emphasis on slowing down, reconnecting, and cultivating inner steadiness.
This retreat is suitable for complete beginners as well as experienced practitioners seeking depth, renewal, and a compassionate, structured container for personal transformation.