https://www.tallowwoodsangha.org.au/events daily 0.75 2026-03-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61e0dfc9d709f221858710ea/f3abe5f4-d03e-42c6-9bb5-08bff17abb16/Pink+Blue+Peaceful+Relaxing+On+Beach+Photo+Quote+Facebook+Post+%2874%29.png Events https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61e0dfc9d709f221858710ea/6bdeb3af-1862-45d9-a9a7-f677d6895e7a/Pink+Blue+Peaceful+Relaxing+On+Beach+Photo+Quote+Facebook+Post+%2875%29.png Events https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61e0dfc9d709f221858710ea/91d7f799-cad5-47e1-b186-a9adfdaf7b65/Pink+Blue+Peaceful+Relaxing+On+Beach+Photo+Quote+Facebook+Post%2817%29.png Events https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61e0dfc9d709f221858710ea/1c805963-6685-4f58-a04c-0f9f5a0b5973/Pink+Blue+Peaceful+Relaxing+On+Beach+Photo+Quote+Facebook+Post%2819%29.png Events https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61e0dfc9d709f221858710ea/2f27a8ae-1aeb-4982-ab09-162ae1cf44cc/Pink+Blue+Peaceful+Relaxing+On+Beach+Photo+Quote+Facebook+Post+%2877%29.png Events https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61e0dfc9d709f221858710ea/1b7bfaa3-e2d6-4724-aa31-525f0c0381e6/Pink+Blue+Peaceful+Relaxing+On+Beach+Photo+Quote+Facebook+Post+%2878%29.png Events https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61e0dfc9d709f221858710ea/929cb77f-ac0a-4012-b7e3-42d99ef478c2/Day+of+Mindfulness%281%29.png Events https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61e0dfc9d709f221858710ea/c4a75b44-2ad6-4203-b404-850346b578e7/Green+Beige+Cream+Adventure+Hiking+Facebook+Post.png Events - Come spend the day with us, meditating and exploring the Dharma. All welcome - including beginners! Please bring your own sitting gear (cushions etc) and a plate to share for lunch. This event is free of charge and no registration necessary - just show up! There will be a Dana box available on the day for donations for our teacher. 2026 Dates: Sunday 26th April Sunday 28th June Sunday 27th September Sunday 29th November WHERE: Raleigh Hall (Walter Street, Raleigh, NSW - see here for more info TIME: 9:30am arrival for a 10am start, finishing at 4pm https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61e0dfc9d709f221858710ea/64d47d84-84cc-404a-be3c-15a98aea9fd5/Pink+Blue+Peaceful+Relaxing+On+Beach+Photo+Quote+Facebook+Post+%2854%29.png Events Teachers Radha Nicholson regularly teaches retreats in Australia and is a founding teacher of Bay Insight, Byron Bay, Australia. Radha teaches the liberation of the heart through inquiry and insight. She focuses on freeing the mind through the realisation of the non-dual nature of reality. Will James is the guiding teacher at the Tallowwood Sangha in Bellingen. He regularly leads retreats in Australia and Bali, has taught at the Dharma Gatherings in Australia and India, and is a Senior Mentor for the Insight Meditation Institute. Ali Barlow is an Insight Dharma Teacher after completing the inaugural Insight Meditation Institute’s 4 year Dharma Teacher programme in 2024. Ali has supported multiple retreats over many years. She also leads yatras and helps to facilitate a weekly sitting group in Bellingen. Schedule Insight meditation allows us to see clearly the reactions and distortions that arise in our daily life. It cultivates an awareness of the freedom and clarity that is available in each precious moment. The retreat program consists of sitting, standing, walking & guided meditation, meditation instruction, group and individual meetings with teachers, inquiry sessions, evening Dharma talks and daily mindfulness work periods. The retreat is conducted in silence apart from meetings with teachers and essential communication. Meetings with the teachers are an essential aspect of the retreat and will be in a small group format. Also there will be opportunity for individual interviews with teachers during the week. Dana Insight Meditation teachers give generously of their time and energy during retreats. They receive no payment for this and are supported by donations from those attending retreats. A Dana (donation) box will be placed inside the meditation hall for donations to support the teachers. More information available on the Humanitix ticketing site Our retreats are open to all, beginners and experienced practitioners alike. If you are experiencing financial challenges, please contact us about our subsidy policy. https://www.tallowwoodsangha.org.au/events/autumn-insight-meditation-retreat monthly 0.5 2022-03-26 https://www.tallowwoodsangha.org.au/events/event-one-nphxg-twe5m monthly 0.5 2022-02-04 https://www.tallowwoodsangha.org.au/events/event-one-nphxg-twe5m-h9meg monthly 0.5 2022-02-04 https://www.tallowwoodsangha.org.au/events/event-one-nphxg monthly 0.5 2022-02-04 https://www.tallowwoodsangha.org.au/home daily 1.0 2025-04-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61e0dfc9d709f221858710ea/5404fc10-3dcf-4b1e-a7cb-6108609cba6b/Pink+Blue+Peaceful+Relaxing+On+Beach+Photo+Quote+Facebook+Post+%2844%29.jpg Home Insight Tradition Insight meditation (Vipassana) engages in the practice of ethics, mindfulness, concentration, opening of the heart, and wisdom teachings. Our Sangha offers an environment of trust and care that enables us to explore and question all the views and beliefs that separate and isolate us from each other and from the world. All are welcome - regardless of race, religion, socio-economic status, gender, sexual orientation, or previous experience with the Dharma. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61e0dfc9d709f221858710ea/d32af0fa-75d5-406a-92a1-519fb8019e61/unsplash-image-xce530fBHrk.jpg Home Zen Tradition The Bellingen Zen Group was created to support participants in practicing the path of awakening by providing an environment where people can learn and practice Zen meditation with an emphasis on learning how to use practice in our everyday life. Although our practice orientation is Buddhist, we welcome people from any background who wish to take up our approach to Zen training. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61e0dfc9d709f221858710ea/ce31d5b2-f434-4da2-bd17-54eeadf202ef/chris-ensey-16QrjudiZnE-unsplash.jpg Home Our Organisation Tallowwood Sangha is a not-for-profit association. It is our mission to support our community in practicing the path of awakening through the direct experience of life as it is, in order to manifest wisdom and compassion for the benefit of all beings. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61e0dfc9d709f221858710ea/a90456f0-2fb9-4990-8c91-f2b5193d713b/tallowwood-side2.jpg Home Events We offer events that include weekly meditation sittings, morning meditations, days of mindfulness, meditation retreats, dharma study, on-line dharma inquiries, and yatras. https://www.tallowwoodsangha.org.au/make-a-donation daily 0.75 2022-01-14 https://www.tallowwoodsangha.org.au/about daily 0.75 2025-05-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1618497259178-6XJGK9GR6YAVBQL5L519/20140301_Trade-151_012-2.jpg About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1607694583486-2PQT0LQ193RL7MCB6DX4/20140228_Trade+151_0046.jpg About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1607694644871-IC85FNH781UNZSZEGHDR/Aro+Ha_0428.jpg About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61e0dfc9d709f221858710ea/57729204-d0a6-43d0-bf06-3d7021cfab8a/Untitled+design+%2822%29.png About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61e0dfc9d709f221858710ea/0a9c7bd5-0e4b-43da-a86c-d67416b41245/unnamed+%282%29.jpg About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61e0dfc9d709f221858710ea/5a2855b6-5e5d-406c-a74e-bb0c97b0e5a6/IMG_6551+copy.jpg About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61e0dfc9d709f221858710ea/6cc51104-e99a-4f0d-9735-cf8340ff9274/Christopher_robes.jpg About - Make it stand out Christopher Titmuss receiving his monk robes https://www.tallowwoodsangha.org.au/contact daily 0.75 2022-03-26 https://www.tallowwoodsangha.org.au/teachers daily 0.75 2026-02-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61e0dfc9d709f221858710ea/78b8c9a0-d3d7-413e-be0a-b8248e9b7001/Lisa%2BBrown.jpg Our Teachers https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61e0dfc9d709f221858710ea/e2f8b84a-5274-4119-9e19-33508becf9c9/Ali%2BBarlow.jpg Our Teachers https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61e0dfc9d709f221858710ea/c264ed84-4e92-44e3-a0a4-f07938bb2269/Lisa+Siegel.jpg Our Teachers https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61e0dfc9d709f221858710ea/1608340e-69e7-4fa7-ae12-83c4ccba9984/Rowan-Holden.jpeg Our Teachers https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61e0dfc9d709f221858710ea/e7853f2d-7e69-437f-b845-5324d6f2f5d8/Will.png Our Teachers - Will James Resident Teacher Will James is Tallowwood Sangha’s resident teacher. He attended his first Insight Meditation Retreat in the late 1970s with Christopher Titmuss, a pioneer meditation teacher in the west. This meeting kindled a deep interest in meditation and a great love for the Dharma teachings and practices. Will continued to study with Christopher through the 1980s and also studied with Subhana Barzaghi in the Zen and Insight traditions. In 2005 Will was invited by Christopher and Subhana to take up the responsibility of teaching in the Insight tradition. Will’s teaching lays great emphasis on seeing into the ‘dependent arising’ and empty nature of all phenomena. This seeing makes possible a deep understanding that frees the mind and opens the heart. As well as teaching at the Tallowwood Sangha, Will leads retreats in Bellingen, in Byron Bay and in Bali. Will has taught at the Dharma Gatherings in Australia and India, and has been a lead teacher in the Australian Dharma Facilitators Programme. He facilitates Dharma Study Programmes in his local area, and is a Teacher Mentor for the Insight Meditation Institute’s teacher training programs. Will’s website is: https://www.willjamesmeditation.com https://www.tallowwoodsangha.org.au/dana daily 0.75 2025-07-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61e0dfc9d709f221858710ea/591238da-98f9-4eeb-8816-b8b3b01c56c6/Will_HeadTeacher.jpg Dana - Make it stand out Tallowwood Sangha teacher Will James with Sister Shobha, the Principal of the School of Wise Abiding (Prajna Vihar School) in Bodhgaya, Bihar India. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61e0dfc9d709f221858710ea/d14c4e6e-bda5-4e83-b0b3-9045950f18e4/Namaste_Bihar.jpg Dana - Make it stand out Day begins for one of the classes at this non-denominational school that offers places to the most poorly-resourced children of Bodhgaya. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61e0dfc9d709f221858710ea/f2404f25-d96d-4047-ab04-a06c5705279d/Full_classroom_Bihar.jpg Dana - Make it stand out Without an opportunity to attend school, most children here would have little hope of escaping the life of begging and illiteracy had by their parents. Some graduates from this school now attend universities, and can look forward to a very different future. https://www.tallowwoodsangha.org.au/teachings daily 0.75 2025-04-26 https://www.tallowwoodsangha.org.au/zen-group daily 0.75 2025-08-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61e0dfc9d709f221858710ea/eb7c5df1-2986-4974-a78e-f7c5e225e0ce/Screen+Shot+2025-05-03+at+1.12.21+pm.png Zen Group - Vince Jensen Guiding Teacher Vince Jensen is the Guiding teacher of Bellingen Zen Group and Associate teacher of Ordinary Mind Zen Brisbane. He commenced studying Zen in 1985 with Charlotte Joko Beck at Zen Center of San Diego. After moving to Australia in 1999, he continued to study with Joko Beck as well as several other teachers including Ezra Bayda from Zen Center of San Diego, Sexton Burke Roshi and Ellen Davison Roshi at Bellingen Zen Group, and with Gregg Howard of Ordinary Mind Zen Brisbane. Vince was appointed Practice Leader by both Ellen Davison (2016) and Gregg Howard (2017) and in 2021 received Dharma transmission from Gregg Howard and became a teacher within the Ordinary Mind School of Zen.