Well-Aware-Ness Psychology

02/12/2025

Just a quick reminder of our last Retreat Day for 2025 this coming Sunday 7th December from 9.30am NSW time to 12.30pm.

As this is our last Retreat at Ratanagiri for the year – we can have a shared lunch for those that can stay.
Please bring a plate of food to share with everyone for the occasion and join in connecting with our Meditation Sangha / Community.

The theme for our Half Day Retreat is: ‘Motivation for Meditation and Inspiration for Samadhi’
More info below.

Please note that our Thursday Night Meditation Group will have its last session for the year on Thursday 18th December 2025. We will resume in the New Year – Thursday 15th January 2026.
Whilst I understand that this is a busy time of year, especially connecting with friends and family on the weekends, I do hope that you have some time this Sunday to connect with your friends in Meditation and Buddha-Dhamma.

If you have not already registered for our Half Day Retreat – please send me a quick email so I have an idea of numbers.

Please email info@wellawareness.com.au

If you are unsure – then simply arrive on Sunday as there is usually always enough space!
Looking forward to seeing you at the Meditation Retreat.

Metta Regards,
John B.

RATANAGIRI GARDEN MEDITATION RETREAT DAY

Theme: ‘Motivation for Meditation and Inspiration for Samadhi’

Date : Sunday 7th of December 2025

Time : NSW time – Arrive at 9.15am for a 9.30am start – 12.30pm finish.

Venue : Ratanagiri – 11 Double View Road, Farrants Hill NSW 2484

Led By : John Barter

Practice : Samadhi- Mindfulness of Breathing For Calm and Clarity

Cost : Dana – your expression of Generosity for the Teachings and Guidance.

In keeping with the Buddhist tradition and practice of generosity, teachings are freely given to support the WELLbeing of those interested in spiritual practice. In the spirit of generosity those that have received teachings are free to offer financial support for the continuation of such opportunity.

As a guide suggestion of $50 – $100 for teachings and guidance for the Day Retreat.

Please bring cash for your Dana contribution for the day and a Donations Box will be provided on registration.

Bring : A Plate of food for lunch to share with everyone, notepad and pen, water bottle, warm/rain clothes, shoes for walking meditation outside, your own Meditation Cushion if you wish (Chairs and Meditation Cushions are available here).

ZOOM LINK – it will be possible for people to connect that cannot make it in person. This will stay the same so we can use it for every retreat day.

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82020665739?pwd=JPNtDW7SQder6vomcWj0eZTjDaQ7Gz.1

18/11/2025

Special Guest Monks for Thursday Meditation Group 27th November 2025

Dear Friends in Meditation,

Just a quick message to let you know that we have a special Thursday Night Meditation Group session coming up on 27th November 2025.

We have 2 special Guest Monks – Venerable Jin Chuan Shi and Venerable Jin Wei Shi, who will offer Reflections and Teachings on ‘Spiritual Friendship in Spiritual Practice’.

These monks have been based at the City of Ten Thousand Buddha’s Monastery in California USA for many years and are now establishing a branch monastery in the Red Woods California.
They have a close connection to the Ajahn Chah community of Western Monastics both in the USA and Europe / Britain.

Please come along and be part of this special presentation Thursday Meditation Group for this occasion.
Address:
Ratanagiri.
11 Double View Road, Farrants Hill/ Condong, NSW, 2484.
(Parking Photos below)

See our website for more information.
https://www.wellawareness.com.au/courses-retreats/meditation-groups/

Please see the link below to read more about the monks.

https://www.redwoodvihara.org/redwood-vihara

I do hope to see you next Thursday 27th November at 6.30pm – 8.00pm (extended session if you can stay) NSW time.

If you would like to contact us by email - info@wellawareness.com.au

With Metta – Kind Regards,
John B.

21/10/2025

Dear Friends in Meditation,

Trusting this note finds you well with the warming weather of Spring.

Our Vassa Retreat period for 2025 has now ended.
Of this period from the Full Moon of July to the Full Moon of October, a period of 3 months (12 weeks), we had four monthly Sunday Retreat Days, the last being Sunday 5th October.

I trust that this period of time for those that were part of our Vassa Retreat, found it a helpful period of time to both develop and deepen your Meditation Practice as well as taking time to study and reflect upon the theme of our Vassa Retreat, The Ten Spiritual Virtues – Paramita.
The four Sunday Retreat days were all well attended with around 20 people in attendance as well as several people connecting online for the livestreaming of the sessions.
The weather for all four sessions was also favourable for us, allowing us to practice our Walking Meditation outside in the gardens of Ratanagiri.

I always find that this designated time frame is a great support to dedicate and devote time and energy to a most significant and special endeavour, developing the quality and clarity of our Mind.
I also find that the 3 month period does pass quite quickly indeed.

As I mentioned to the participants on the last Vassa Retreat Session, what remains important is to now continue to develop and maintain the good practice that we have done over the last three months.
Some of you may have attended all of the 4 Vassa Retreat Days, some of you maybe only some, and others maybe none.
However we still do have our Vassa Retreat Period for next year 2026, and maybe you are already looking forward to this!

During the Vassa Retreat Period, we also had our Thursday Night – weekly Meditation Group, which provided extra explanation and discussion on the Ten Spiritual Virtues.
Our Thursday Night Meditation Group will continue for the rest of the year as usual.

The next and also last Sunday Meditation Day Retreat for the year will be on Sunday 7th December 2025.
This will be a Half-Day Retreat with a shared lunch at the end, as a way of finishing the year.

I came across a lovely verse in my notebook that I used when I was a Buddhist Monk living at Amaravati Monastery in England in 1990.
The verse expresses the beauty of deep inner Peace and Presence when we stop the mental creating of stress and worldly issues; waking up to profound Peace which is the foundational experience behind all the stress.
The verse was written by an American Buddhist Monk at City of Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery in Northern California, the monastery of Master Hua; who I visited in 1990 together with other monastics from Amaravati Monastery. During that visit I also met Reverand Heng Sure, another American disciple of Master Hua, who spends half the year in Australia at Dharma Realm Buddhist Monastery on the Gold Coast.
Last month several of us from the Ratanagiri Meditation Group visited Dharma Realm, and just last week Rev. Heng Sure and two visiting monks from USA visited me at Ratanagiri (see photo above).
Please enjoy the verse below and use it for your own inspiration for your Meditation.

I hope to see you at our Thursday Night Meditation Group and also our last Retreat Day for the year, which you can register for now: info@wellawareness.com.au
Metta Regards
John B.

Life is truly a dream.
All of its troubles I alone create.
When I stop creating, the trouble stops.
With a single mind, with an unbounded heart,
We can wake up to the wonderful existence
In true emptiness that we are
In the middle of right now.
When all in the world ceases to exist,
Only the wonderful remains.

Bhikshu Heng Ch’au

24/09/2025

https://youtu.be/s9gv9qkPZYY?si=QhATknbs32JI9D8P

The 3rd retreat day of the 2025 Vassa Retreat. This year the theme for our Vassa Retreat is: The Ten Spiritual Virtues.These are qualities or strengths that ...

09/09/2025

Buddha head handmade by John B. in school aged 15 years old.



Dear Friends,

Welcome to Spring 2025.

The season of Spring brings such a contrast from the cold days and long nights of Winter.

It is little wonder why most people and creatures do appreciate and celebrate the arrival of this wonderful season!



Whilst Spring is in many ways a call to our sensors to experience the world outside – especially through the changes in Nature both flora and fauna; it still remains important to be inwardly aware both psychologically and spiritually.

Both through WELL-AWARE-NESS Psychology and Ratanagiri Retreat Garden, mindfulness and meditation continue to be the way to centre the mind and open the heart to the present moment; as I often say to both clients and meditators ‘live now – not next!’.



The Vassa Retreat – the three month period from the Full Moon of July to the Full Moon of October, continues with our monthly Sunday Retreat Sessions and ongoing weekly Thursday Night Meditation Group.

This Sunday just passed we had the third of our Sunday Retreat Sessions, which was well attended with 20 Meditation participants. Through this three month (12 week) period we are looking into the Ten Spiritual Virtues (Paramita) which the Buddha recommended to develop as we engage and interface the various issues and challenges of our life. The Vassa Retreat being also an important time to deepen and develop our Meditation Practice.



Our last Vassa Retreat during the three month period will occur on Sunday 5th October 2025 where we will look into, reflect and contemplate the last two of the Spiritual Virtues (Paramita) being Kindness and Equanimity. These are very important qualities to interface both all experience as well as INTRA and INTER-personal relationships.

Even if you have not been able to attend the last three Vassa Retreat Sessions, you are still most welcome to join us for this upcoming Retreat Session.

Please contact us by email to register your place for this Sunday Meditation Retreat Session: info@wellawareness.com.au



The last Retreat Day for the year at Ratanagiri Retreat Garden – Farrants Hill will be on Sunday 7th December 2025 and will also serve as a special occasion to connect especially if you have not been so frequent during the year at the Retreat Days or Thursday Night Meditation Group. This can provide a sense of connection and community around the appreciation and practice of Meditation and Buddhist Wisdom.



We continue to video record the Thursday night Meditation and Sunday Retreat Days whilst also providing LIVE Streaming. If you live at a distance or unable to attend you are welcome to join us. If you send us an email to notify us that you would like to attend online we can add you to the LIVE Streaming ZOOM list and send you the ZOOM link.



So as the warmth of Spring continues please stay mindful and kind-ful towards others and also to oneself!

Spend time in Nature to celebrate the joy that Spring can bring and also reminding us of the possibility of an Awakening of our Spiritual Spring, as I mention in my verse below.



I do hope to see you soon.

Metta Regards

John B.

SPRING BLOOMS
Spring blooms,
And never too soon.


Buds and blossoms,
Birds and butterflies.


Flora and fauna,
A collage of colours.


The sweet scent,
Of fragrant flowers.


The sonorous sounds
Of Nature calling to herself.


Longer days,
And shorter nights.


Ideas and options,
Possibilities and potentials.


May we all realise our Spiritual Spring,
As a Mind-Heart Awakening within!

02/09/2025

Hope to see you at our upcoming Meditation Retreat this Sunday the 7th of September. Day 3 of Vassa.

Starts at 9.30am - Finishes at 12.30.

Please email info@wellawareness.com.au to register.

More details at wellawareness.com.au

Thankyou.

29/07/2025

Dear Friends,
Our next Meditation Retreat Half Day is on the 10th of August, Day 2 of the VASSA Period for 2025.
info at wellawareness.com.au
Hope to see you there.

28/05/2025

Dear Friends,
Our next Meditation Retreat is on the 13th July, Day 1 of the VASSA Period for 2025.
info at wellawareness.com.au
Photos of our Easter Retreat with special visitor Venerable Ajahn Bhuripanyo.

16/04/2025

Just a gentle reminder that our Meditation Retreat is on this Sunday the 20th of April (Easter) - please email info@wellawareness.com.au if you would like to join us.

We have a very special visitor Venerable Ajahn Bhuripanyo. He will also be joining us for the Meditation group tomorrow night. Thursday the 17th April.

All details on our website https://www.wellawareness.com.au/courses-retreats/meditation-retreats/

19/03/2025

Dear Friends,

Welcome to Autumn 2025.

Certainly we may be used to Autumn being a season of calm cool weather, pleasant days and cool nights and the occasional windy days, but certainly not Tropical Cyclones in an area that is not the Tropics!
However here on the Far North Coast of NSW, we did have a Tropical Cyclone – Alfred, which fortunately was downgraded at the last minute before it made land fall from the ocean.

We were also fortunate to have many days to prepare for what could have been a major weather disaster, preparing the space to receive high winds, stocking up on food, water, candles and torches, while also cancelling major events.

As you would be aware, sadly I needed to cancel our major special event of Ajahn Tiradhammo, one of the world’s most senior Western Buddhist Monks, especially in the Theravada Forest Tradition.
Ajahn Tiradhammo was due to fly in to Coolangatta on Wednesday afternoon 5th March, give the Teachings on the Thursday Night Meditation Group and give a Sunday Meditation Day Retreat – all here at Ratanagiri – Farrants Hill, then depart on Monday 10th in the afternoon.
However due to the severe weather predictions of a major weather event – a Cyclone, we needed to cancel / postpone this visit.

Here on the Far North Coast of NSW we did have very severe – cyclonic winds and torrential rain. There was a Power Grid outage for 6 days, as well as no internet and intermittent phone coverage. There were many trees down in this forested area, across road and tracks, as well as powerlines down, roads flooded and much mess of branches and foliage – strewn around.

During the several days of bad weather it provided a time to live simply and reflect on how reliant we have become on both electricity and the internet!
When such weather events occur they also provide an opportunity for learning about ourselves and how we tend to cope in these situations and what we can do to improve our coping strategies.
Further to this the learning about being careful in organising events close to the Summer rains and possible Cyclones that might occur again in this part of Australia.

Whilst we await Ajahn Tiradhammo to work out when he can visit us based upon other obligations he has in the year; we do have Ajahn Bhuripanyo visiting next month.
Ajahn Bhuripanyo is an Australian Buddhist Monk who will be with us from Thursday 17th April until Monday 21st April. During this time he will offer Teachings at the Thursday Night Meditation Group and also give a Sunday - Easter – Meditation Retreat Day.
It will be special to have a Buddhist Monk here at Ratanagiri – for the special, spiritual day of Easter.

Please do let us know if you can attend the Easter Sunday Retreat Day with Ajahn Bhuripanyo, email us on: info@wellawareness.com.au

Do have a look at the flyer for details.

We will also live stream this Retreat Day by ZOOM so those that can not attend in person can still attend the Retreat online.

In many ways the wind and rain of Cyclone Alfred, may be seen as a way nature both blows away and washes away much of the debris from the last season summer, while also clearing out some of the overgrowth and undergrowth of the forested areas that has occurred with the heat and rain of Summer.

I do hope that those of you that went through the severe weather event, were not affected badly and that the clean up is happening quickly.
At such times connecting with family, friends and your Spiritual Community is most important.

I do hope to see you at our weekly Thursday Night Meditation Group and our next Sunday Retreat Day.
Please regard my verse below.

Kind Regards with Metta
John B.


Autumn Arrives

Autumn arrived with an amazing storm,
A Topical Cyclone,
Not our weather’s norm!

Blustering wind and torrential rain,
Leaves, bark and debris,
Against the window pane.

Power outage – the days all grey,
Concern for flooding,
If the rain does stay.

In time the storm did pass,
Reminding us all,
That nothing will last !

Now there is a paler pastel sky,
The days become cooler,
As the weeks go by.

Autumn, a quiet and pleasant time,
More easeful for the body,
More peaceful for the mind.

Different birds come to this place,
While some have left,
For a warmer space.

So stop and sit and breath and be,
Become calm within,
To deeply feel and really see!