1.1 Any references to the “School”, “our,” “we,” or “us” refer to THE SCHOOL OF CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE incorporated and registered in England and Wales with charity number 1195159 whose registered office is at 53 Portland Street, Cheltenham, GL52 2NX.
1.2 Any references to “you” or “your” refer to the attendee of the event
1.3 Any references to an “event” or “events” refer to any interaction, activity, or programme organised or hosted by the School, whether free or paid, online or in person. This includes (but is not limited to) free online meditation groups, paid in-person or online workshops, retreats, one-to-one Zoom calls, or any other gathering or session we organise or host.
2.1 These terms and conditions (the “Event Ts&Cs“) include and should be read in conjunction with our Privacy Notice and Participant Code of Conduct both of which are available on our website or by emailing [email protected] to request a copy.
2.2 These Event Ts&Cs are deemed to have been accepted by you (and anyone you are making a booking on behalf of) when you confirm your booking, attend an event, or otherwise engage in communications with us in relation to an event, whether in-person or online, that is organised or hosted by us. In the course of such communications, we may copy in or forward your query to a partner retreat centre where relevant, so they can provide information or assistance prior to booking or attendance. If an event is organised or hosted by a third party, and being promoted by us, please refer to the Terms and Conditions of the third party which will apply to your booking.
2.3 When you make a booking, you must use your full, legal name. You may be required to provide the full, legal names of anyone else you are making a booking on behalf of. If you are booking on behalf of others, you must ensure that they have read and agree to these Event Ts&Cs prior to making a booking.
2.4 Where you make a booking with us on behalf of an organisation, we will not require the full, legal names of people within your organisation who will be attending, provided that we are delivering the event at your request. In the event that you are booking on behalf of an organisation, you are responsible for ensuring the Event Ts&Cs are, where applicable, read and agreed by them.
2.5 When we receive your booking request (and, if applicable, after any payment has been made), we will provide confirmation, and you will be deemed to have accepted these Event Ts&Cs.
2.6 If your booking prompts automatic reminders for recurring events (e.g., the weekly reminders which are automatically set up after you sign up for an online practice group) or you have asked us to add your email address to our mailing list [for reminders], you will be deemed to have accepted our Privacy Notice and these Event Ts&Cs each time you click on the link to access our online practice group and/or attend such a recurring event.
2.7 Please note that you may unsubscribe from automatic reminders or our mailing list at any time by clicking the link in the footer of any email sent by us and changing your preferences, or by notifying us at our email address:
2.8 You must check the email confirmation when you receive it to verify that all the details are exactly as you expected. In the event of any discrepancies, please contact us promptly as it may not be possible to make changes at a later date.
3.1 The information, including prices, shown on our website or on the website of a third party (e.g. Ticket Tailor) may have changed by the time you come to book your arrangements. Although every reasonable effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information and prices at the time of booking, errors may occur, and we reserve the right to amend any content, including prices and terms, at any time.
3.2 We accept no liability for any direct or indirect loss, damage, or inconvenience arising from the use of, or reliance on, information obtained from our website or any linked third-party sources.
4.1 It is your responsibility to ensure that you are in possession of any required travel and health documentation needed for you (and anyone else you may have booked a ticket for) before departing for and / or attending an event hosted by us. We will not accept liability if you or anyone you booked a ticket for are refused entry into any country or onto any transport due to failure on your part to carry the requited documentation.
5.1 You are responsible for obtaining any required insurance cover once your booking has been confirmed by us. It is your responsibility to ensure that any insurance cover you purchase is suitable and adequate for your particular needs and anyone else you may have booked a ticket for.
6.1 Your place at a paid event is not confirmed until full payment has been made. If we do not receive this balance in full and on time, we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled by you.
6.2 By attending an event, whether in-person or online, you and anyone you booked a ticket for, agree to these Event Ts&Cs, Privacy Notice and Participant Code of Conduct both of which are available on our website or by emailing [email protected] to request a copy.
7.1 The attendance details you receive, which may include a Zoom link, are intended for you only. If you wish to share details of the event with a third party, please ask them to sign up themselves rather than forwarding on any joining details you have received.
7.2 By attending an event, you agree to the Event Ts&Cs and our Participant Code of Conduct also detailed on our website or available on request by emailing [email protected].
8.1 Due to the high demand for our events, cancellations, particularly those made at short notice, may prevent other interested parties from attending. By registering for a paid-for event, you are committing to the confirmed dates.
8.2 We appreciate that circumstances may change, and you can cancel a booking at any time. Written notification by email from the lead name on the booking must be sent to [email protected] or [email protected].
8.3 If you cancel a booking or do not attend an event, we will not reimburse any expenses, costs, or losses incurred by you or any individuals for whom you booked tickets.
8.4 Cancelled bookings and unused tickets are non-transferable.
8.5 Our in-person events are priced to cover associated event costs (rather than making a profit) and priced on the assumption that the maximum number of tickets will be sold. We price events in this way to ensure that tickets are as accessible as possible. Because of this, and the advance deposits we usually pay to venues, the following terms apply to any tickets that were booked for a fee.
8.6 If we are able to:
8.6.1 Resell your ticket(s) at the same price to someone on the waiting list for the event, we will reimburse the associated cost to you in full, less any transactions fees we incurred when receiving the payment and/or will incur when processing the refund, and an administration fee to reflect the time involved.
8.6.2 Resell your ticket(s) at a lower price to someone on the waiting list for the event, we will reimburse the resale value to you, less any transactions fees we incurred when receiving the payment and/or will incur when processing the refund, and an administration fee to reflect the time involved.
8.7 If we cannot not resell your ticket(s), we will be unable to offer you any reimbursement, but we may be able to offer you a free ticket for an online event.
8.8 The terms above do not apply to any donation made at the same time as purchasing a ticket. Donations will not be reimbursed.
9.1 We reserve the right to cancel an event under any circumstances.
9.2 In the event this happens, you will be offered a full refund for the ticket price paid. However, we accept no further liability for cancellations beyond the refund of the ticket cost.
10. 1 Please only book an event if you, and anyone you may be intending to book a ticket for, are able to fully commit to the event schedule.
10.2 If you have booked an event and are no longer be able to commit to the event programme (for example, you will need to be working on your computer during periods throughout the event or be in regular contact with a family member), please let us know so that we can consider offering you a refund and reallocating your ticket.
10.3 If, after booking, you or any ticket holder are unable to fully participate in the event due to foreseeable distractions or commitments, please notify us promptly. We may, at our discretion, offer a refund and reallocate your ticket.
10.4 PLEASE ALSO NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
10.5 Our events should be understood as only providing spiritual guidance and advice to help participants deepen their own meditation practice and understanding. You and any people you book a ticket for are entirely responsible for how you choose to understand, misunderstand, use or misuse any of our event content, materials and advice.
10.6 Many people have experienced improvements in general wellbeing through meditation practice. However, if you or anyone you intend to book a ticket for suffer from any mental, emotional or physical health conditions, please: a) ask your medical practitioner if it is advisable for you/them to attend an event with us, b) make sure you/they always follow your/their medical practitioner’s advice and c) let us know in general terms without sharing specific details. In the event that your/their participation brings issues to the surface or reveals some form of mental health condition, we recommend you/they seek suitable professional support. Please be aware that we cannot provide any professional care.
10.7 We cannot accept any responsibility for any adverse effects, directly or indirectly, that may result from your/their participation in, or use of the information provided during our events or included on our website, in materials, or any other communications, both online and in person. Furthermore, we make no guarantees that any of the programmes, advice and practice material we provide will function in any particular way for you/them. By engaging with us, you/they agree that you/they will use the information, guidance and advice entirely at your own/their discretion.
10.8 Where we are delivering an event on behalf of an organisation, it is the organisation’s responsibility to ensure that the event is appropriate for the people they wish to attend, in accordance with the provisions of this agreement.
10.9 If you have any questions or concerns, or need to make contact to discuss anything above, please email [email protected].
11. 1 Donations can be made through our website using a credit or debit card or via a CAF Bank account or Stewardship account. Local charges may apply and, for further details in this regard, please contact your bank or building society.
11.2 Your credit/debit card details or bank account details will not be transferred to us but only a) to the credit/debit card company directly, b) to the mandated payment service provider (i.e. Stripe) in charge of processing the payment with the respective credit/debit card company or c) to CAF Bank.
11.3 Upon receipt of the donation, the donor will receive an automated email confirmation from CAF confirming their donation which may be required to qualify for tax-deductibility in certain jurisdictions. If for whatever reason you do not receive this, please email [email protected]. Donations are non-refundable.
12.1 Participants shall pay for a booking online unless under extraordinary circumstances you have agreed an alternative payment arrangement with us (such as a bank transfer).
12.2 Donations should also be made following the same method.
12.3 Participants shall use a credit or debit card (such as Visa or MasterCard). Our chosen payment service providers are Stripe and PayPal. The validity of the customer’s payment card is verified by Stripe or PayPal. Payments may be refused for a number of reasons including a stolen or blocked card, credit limit reached, or incorrect details entered. In the event of a problem arising, the customer should contact their bank first and then contact us ([email protected]) to confirm the reservation and payment method. We reserve the right to change our preferred payment service provider for future payments.
12.4 In the event that payment for a booking is refused, we reserve the right to cancel the booking. We will notify you of the cancellation, and any associated costs or losses incurred as a result of the cancellation will be your responsibility.
13.1 All intellectual property rights in or arising out of or in connection with the Services (including all proprietary information, trademarks, copyrights, patents, trade secrets, and any other intellectual property rights) remain the exclusive property of the School of Contemplative Life.
14.1 We collect and process personal data as they relate to individuals as set out in our Privacy Notice and in accordance with the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Use and Access Act 2025.
14.2 Personal data we collect, and process may include, but is not limited to, name, email address, phone number, and any other information for which we have a lawful basis.
14.2a For events delivered in partnership with retreat centres and other organisations, we may share relevant personal data (such as your name and contact details) with the retreat centre or other organisation for the purposes of responding to event-related queries, and ensuring your needs are appropriately met (i.e. special access requests and/or special dietary requirements). We will only share the minimum personal data necessary.
14.b On occasion, if you contact us with a question about such an event, we may copy the retreat centre or other organisation into our reply so that they can respond directly where appropriate. We will not share your details with any other third parties, and your data will continue to be processed in accordance with our Privacy Notice and the retreat centre’s or other organisation’s own privacy policy.
14.3 For further information, please refer to our Privacy Notice.
14.4 Our events are intended to offer a safe, peaceful space in which participants can ask questions and discuss challenges with their meditation practice. Unless explicitly stated, our events are never recorded.
14.5 Confidentiality will be observed at all times except in the very rare circumstances when we are concerned about your welfare, in which case we will discuss our concerns with you in the first instance. By attending one of our events, you agree to keep confidential and not pass on anything to others that is shared by any person at any of our events.
15.1 Each party irrevocably agrees that the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of, or in connection with, the Agreement or its subject matter or formation.
To contact us, please email [email protected] or phone +44 (0) 7834 626426.
Last updated on 24th August 2025.