Booking Terms & Conditions
Table of Contents
By booking with us, you agree that you have read and understood the following Terms & Conditions, including the limitations on liability.
Inclusivity
Samadhi is an inclusive organisation and we welcome people of all ages, genders (including gender identity), sexual orientation, abilities, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origin) and religion or belief.
In the interest of maintaining a safe and inclusive environment for all participants, we reserve the right to ask any individual to leave an event or activity if their conduct, language, or behaviour is found to be in direct contravention of these principles or is otherwise deemed inappropriate, offensive or disruptive. Any decision to request an individual’s departure will be made at the sole discretion of the event leader or an authorised representative of Samadhi.
Bookings
Bookings must be made through https://samadhi.org.uk, by adding the event to cart, submitting your information and paying in advance.
Concessionary Rates
We believe that it is important that no one is excluded from accessing the teachings and practices of meditation and Buddhism because of low income. This is why we host most of our online events by donation and are building an archive of audio and video teachings and guided meditations, which can be accessed freely. Unfortunately, other than through our Bursary Fund, we cannot provide concessionary rates or funded places for overnight in-person retreats due to the limited places and high cost of the third-party venues providing the accommodation and group space. We hope that this will change in future when we establish the Samadhi Eco Retreat Centre. For those experiencing financial hardship, we are able to offer some concessionary rates for our in-person day retreats at the Botanic Garden, please email us at [email protected].
Booking Confirmation/Tickets
You will receive an email automatically from our booking system which confirms your booking. This counts as your receipt, booking confirmation and ticket for the event. It is not usually necessary to bring a copy along to the event.
Health & Safety Information
Mental Health Safety
While meditation, yoga and Buddhist psychology have been proven to be beneficial for mental health and wellbeing, our events are not presented as a treatment for serious mental health problems or addiction.
Meditation is not harmful in that it does not create any mental issues or emotional challenges, but as we peel back the veils and cultivate mental balance, we may bring awareness to afflictions we were not aware of before. In this way, exploring the realm of the mind and emotions can be in itself an emotional experience. We always strive to create a safe, supportive environment for participants to embark on this exploration and encourage open discussion with your group leader if we can offer you support in any way.
Our events may be less suitable for individuals who are currently (or recently) under treatment for a serious psychological condition. Difficult life circumstances such as a recent loss of a loved one can also be a difficult emotional time for many people and if you are going through such a challenging time, the practices of this event may feel too demanding at this time. This very much depends on where you are at in your journey, your current psychological health and the support networks that you have around you, such as friends, family and mental health professionals.
If you are currently taking medication for a mental health condition, then we recommend that you do not change your medication, other than in close collaboration with your medication prescriber.
If any of these circumstances apply to you, then we recommend, that if you have concerns or feel we should be aware of something, and you have not done so already, you contact the group leader to discuss your situation and the support networks you have in place and to explore how best to proceed. If you felt safe enough to attend but experience difficulties during the event, please speak to the group leader personally between sessions to discuss whether this is right for you at this time.
Please contact David via [email protected] if you have any concerns.
Yoga Class Safety & Disclaimer
Please take care when filling in our booking form and check the contents are accurate before you click submit. By submitting the booking form, you are confirming that the contents are true and accurate to the best of your knowledge. Please notify your teacher of any changes to your responses to the healthcare questions before participating in classes subsequent to those changes.
Your teacher is not qualified to express an opinion that you are fit to safely participate in any of our yoga classes. You must obtain professional or specialist advice from your doctor before participating if you are in any doubt. Where possible, your teacher may offer suitable modifications or adjustments, and practices to suit different levels of experience and ability.
Please let the instructor know before the class if this is your first yoga class or if you are not confident about your experience and/or ability. Where you have declared a health condition, please contact the teacher before the class if you would like to request that you are provided with suitable modifications or adjustments wherever possible.
Always follow any safety instructions and listen to your body. Where a movement or class is beyond your experience or ability, feels too difficult for you, or you experience any discomfort, please do not continue the movement or class. If you do not put responses to the healthcare questions in your booking form we will assume that you do not have any existing health conditions or concerns to declare to us. Please contact us immediately if your circumstances change or speak with the yoga teacher prior to taking part in a class if you have any concerns. We will be unable to make modifications or adjustments to the exercises for health conditions or concerns that we are unaware of, or which are not declared. We will not be responsible where you fail to declare a health condition to us (whether by completing the booking form or in some other communication), and an issue arises as a result.
Events, Videography & Photography
Events start promptly at the time shown, and so we advise you to arrive 5-10 minutes early so that you can settle in and we can start on time. Sometimes we may record sessions (via audio, video or both) for the purpose of sharing with our members and uploading online. These videos will typically only show the teacher, not the attendees. Audio of participants’ questions may sometimes be captured. Please ask a host or volunteer if you’re unsure what is being recorded, if it has not been made known to you. If you have attended a session and would like a copy of a recording, please email [email protected].
From time to time, we may take photographs or videos of our events for the purpose of social media and publicity. By attending, you agree to our use of your photo or video likeness for any legitimate purpose. You can revoke your consent by letting a volunteer know that you would prefer photographs and/or videos of you to not be shared publicly.
Cancellations & Refunds
Cancellations should be sent by email to [email protected].
Events are subject to cancellation or rescheduling at our discretion. If the event is cancelled in its entirety, we will refund any bookings made by you as soon as possible. If the time, date, venue or content of the event is changed subsequent to your booking, you will be notified and given the option to cancel your booking. We shall not be liable for any additional loss or damage resulting from such cancellation or changes.
Refund Policy for Classes – Online or In-Person:
Our cancellation and refund policy for online and in-person classes is as follows:
- Cancellation 48 hours or more before the event: full refund
- Cancellation 24 hours to 48 hours before the event: 50% refund (unless your place is booked by someone else, in which case full refund minus a 10% admin and payment processing fee)
- Cancellation less than 24 hours before the event: no refund
Refund Policy for Day Courses & Relaxation Day Retreats:
Our cancellation and refund policy for Day Courses and Relaxation Day Retreats is as follows:
- Cancellation 10 days or more before the event: full refund minus a 5% admin and payment processing fee
- Cancellation less than 10 days before the event: no refund (unless your place is booked by someone else, in which case full refund minus a 5% admin and payment processing fee)
- Cancellation less than 48 hours before the event: no refund
Our Booking Swap policy (moving your booking to a future date) for Day Courses and Relaxation Day Retreats is as follows:
- Request 10 days or more before the event: booking can be moved to a future date without problem
- Request less than 10 days before the event: we can move your booking only if your place is booked by someone else. If your place cannot be filled, the above cancellation and refund policy applies from the date which you notified us.
Refund Policy for Overnight Retreats (of 2 nights or more):
Our cancellation and refund policy for overnight retreats is as follows:
- Cancellation 6 weeks or more before the event: full refund minus a 10% admin and payment processing fee
- Cancellation less than 6 weeks before the event: deposit non-refundable (unless your place is booked by someone else, in which case a refund of your deposit minus a 10% admin and payment processing fee)
- Cancellation less than 4 weeks before the event: no refund (unless your place is booked by someone else, in which case a refund of any amount paid minus the deposit)
Full payments are due 4 weeks before the start of the retreat. After this time, if you have not contacted us we may consider your booking as cancelled and you will forfeit your deposit. You will be notified by email of this cancellation.
If we (the organiser or venue) need to cancel the retreat, any money paid will be fully transferrable to another of our retreats.
Due to the cancellation policies of our third-party venues, we are still required to pay the full amount for your accommodation and meals even if you cancel last minute. We also may be unable to fill your space at such short notice. We can therefore not offer a refund under these circumstances. This is why we strongly recommend adequate travel insurance, including cancellation insurance, to protect yourself against medical or other unforeseen emergencies that prevent you from attending.
Our Booking Swap policy (moving your booking to a future date) for overnight retreats is as follows:
- Request 6 weeks or more before the event: booking can be moved to a future date without problem
- Request less than 6 weeks before the event: we can move your booking only if your place is booked by someone else. If your place cannot be filled, the above cancellation and refund policy applies from the date which you notified us.
Cancellation Policy for the Samadhi Supporter Subscription
The ‘Samadhi Supporter’ subscription is a way for our regular members to support our activities with a monthly donation. As a valued Samadhi Supporter, you are entitled to the benefits outlined here.
We understand that circumstances change, and therefore, Samadhi Supporters may cancel their subscription at any time with no issue. To do so, simply email us at [email protected]. While there is no obligation to hold your subscription for any minimum period of time, we kindly ask that you respect the intention behind the Samadhi Supporter programme and consider the benefits you have received.
To avail of the discount on in-person overnight retreats, your Samadhi Supporter subscription must be active both at the time of making the initial booking and when paying the final balance.
Limitations and exclusions of Liability
By attending any event, you agree to the following:
To the maximum extent permitted by law, we exclude all representations, warranties, and guarantees related to our events. We do not warrant or guarantee that you will not suffer injury directly or indirectly from our events or that events will run for any specific period.
Our liability limitations apply to all liabilities arising from this agreement or our events, including those in contract, tort (including negligence), and statutory duty.
We will not be liable for any personal injury (including serious injury or death) or other losses arising from your attendance at our events, your personal property lost, stolen, or damaged during an event, or losses arising from events beyond our control.
We will not be liable for any business losses, special, indirect, or consequential losses or damages.
Nothing in this agreement limits or excludes our liability for negligence causing death or personal injury, fraud, or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law.
If any section of these terms is deemed unlawful or unenforceable, the other sections remain in effect.
These terms are governed by English law, and disputes related to this agreement or our events fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
These terms and conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English law, and any disputes relating to this disclaimer or our events will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
In this disclaimer, “we” means (and “us” and “our” refer to) Samadhi Retreat Centre, a charity registered in England and Wales under Charity number: 1207744.
Questions
If you have any questions relating to the above, please get in touch by email to [email protected]