The Monastery Manchester

23/08/2025

📣 Bank Holiday Closure Notice 📣

Just a little heads-up that The Monastery will be closed on Bank Holiday Monday, 25th August, so our lovely team can enjoy a well-earned rest 💛

We'll be open again as usual from 10am-4pm on Tuesday, and look forward to welcoming you then.

Wishing you a peaceful long weekend, wherever you are.

22/08/2025

We’ve had a bumper week at the Monastery, with horticultural winnings, and labyrinth beginnings - our hearts (and trowels) are full! 🫶

First up: huge congratulations to our amazing Green Team, who brought home a whole wheelbarrow of awards from the 74th Annual Horticultural Show at Debdale Nature Park last weekend!

Here’s how we did:

👉 Vegetable Collection - Highly Commended
👉 Potatoes, Chillis, Cucumbers - 2nd place
👉 Longest Cucumber - 1st place
👉 French Beans, Begonia, Herb Planter - 1st place
👉 Humorous Fruit or Veg & Flowering Planter - 3rd place
👉 Geraniums - 2nd & 3rd

🌟 And a big HURRAH for the Men’s Shed too, who scooped 2nd place for their up-cycled wine bottle bird feeder. Craft and care in perfect harmony!

Meanwhile, back at the Monastery garden, it’s been a hive of joyful activity…

- Chris put his expert digger skills to use, prepping the top of the car park area.
- Gary & Les barrowed tons of crushed concrete for the labyrinth base.
- Claire & Sarah (our new Green Team volunteers!) have been busy weeding, watering, deadheading and even seed-collecting.
- Poppie & Roux popped in to lend a junior hand too - a splendid team effort!

We’ve got people of all ages and backgrounds coming together with love, purpose and muddy boots, and you can REALLY feel the energy. Every week, the grounds get more beautiful, the smiles grow bigger, and the plants stretch just a little taller.

It’s not work when you love what you do! 💚

Greater Manchester Environment Trust Greater Manchester Combined Authority

21/08/2025

Mother Nature IS Mother (if you let her) 🌎

Need a moment of calm today? Just step outside.

Nature has always known what we’re only just beginning to remember; that healing doesn’t always come in pills or productivity. Sometimes, it comes in birdsong, bare feet, and the first light of dawn.

🌤 Morning sunlight helps regulate your sleep, lift your mood, and boost your focus - a natural rhythm-reset for the whole body.

🎶 Birdsong doesn’t just sound beautiful, it reduces anxiety, improves focus, and brings the nervous system back into balance.

🌿 The scent of trees can calm the mind and reduce stress. Touching soil? That can increase serotonin, the happiness chemical. (Yes, really.)

👣 Walking barefoot on grass lowers inflammation and eases stress, reconnecting us (literally) with the Earth’s energy.

🪷 Watching the sunrise helps balance hormones, boost vitamin D, and remind us how to begin again - softly, with presence.

These aren’t just romantic ideas. Science backs them. And your body already knows them.

✨ Let the Earth be your medicine today. Even for five minutes.

🙏 to (IG) for today's beautiful graphic 💖

20/08/2025

This Sunday, August 24th, is a moment we look forward to each month, as Des brings his amazing Gong Bath to the Monastery. Here's how a recent participant felt afterwards 👀 👇

💬 "The session was fantastic. I feel so much better, lighter and clearer headed after it. The weight has lifted. I would recommend the monthly gong bath session to anyone to improve health and wellbeing." - Lisa Keen

But the only real way to know what immersing yourself in a gong bath feels like, is by ... doing one yourself! ✨

Full info here 👉 https://buff.ly/edQOuTU

19/08/2025

💞 Unique couples deserve unforgettable weddings. And this one? A joyful explosion of colour, love, and personality, woven into every vibrant, heart-filled detail 😍

We LOVE the striking contrast between the bold, blooming centrepieces and the soft, graceful table settings - all wrapped in the quiet grandeur of our neo-gothic masterpiece! (Bow to the architect, E.W. Pugin, whose father also designed Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, no less! ✨)

Every couple brings their own love story to The Monastery, and we’re here to help you celebrate yours; in your own beautiful, one-of-a-kind style.

💍 Planning to say “I do” in a way that’s truly you?

⛪ Explore our wedding packages 👉 https://buff.ly/Sqt3Mgg
📸 Beautiful capture by (IG) 💖👏

18/08/2025

Yesterday we had the honour of welcoming Tibetan Buddhist monk, Geshe Lama Ahbay Tulku Rinpoche, who shared his teachings of peace, tolerance and kindness with us all, and bestowed his blessings upon everyone present - a wonderful feeling 💛

We are deeply grateful to Ahbay Rinpoche for his visit, and we hold his peaceful words in our hearts 🙏 ✨

The Monastery is open 10am-4pm, Sunday to Thursday and is open to all - a place of quiet reflection, with a healing garden to relax in, and an onsite café serving fresh, organic veg & salad from our very own kitchen garden (as well as a lovely brew!) 🌿 🫖 ☕

We hope you’ll join us 😊

📸 Many thanks to Graham North, Lois and Rev Laura Roberts for today's beautiful pics 👌 👏

15/08/2025

Fancy a good belly-laugh with us at The Monastery?! 😃

On the third Sunday of every month, we gather for one of the most joy-filled activities you can imagine… Laughter Club!

And what are we laughing about, you may ask? Well, nothing in particular! It might sound a little bonkers, but you’d be amazed at how uplifting, energising, and downright good it feels. Throw in a little breath work, movement and simple good vibes and voila! The ingredients for a stress-free afternoon, right there 😊

Led by the fabulous Claire and Robin (the queen and king of giggles) this family-friendly session is open to everyone, and yes… it’s completely free.

🕐 Time: 1–2pm
📍 Where: The Monastery, Manchester
💛 No need to book - just turn up and join the fun!

It’s all part of our Healing Manchester programme - a whole day of wholesome activities on the 3rd Sunday of each month.

Find out more 👉 https://buff.ly/bJT08Vw

Feelgood Communities CIC

14/08/2025

📣 Big shout out today to the mature warriors. The ones with the courage to meet hurt with understanding, to meet pain with care, and to keep believing in better days ❤️

13/08/2025

For any man, or anyone who loves a man (we're talking dads, brothers, sons, friends or any male loved one) who may need some support - in a judgement-free space.

Mentell Gorton - every Wed 7-9pm at the Monastery.

Free. ALL men are welcome 💙.

Walking into something new can feel big, we get it.
If you’re coming to our Gorton group tonight, here’s what to look out for:

👋🏻 Christian will be at the door in his Mentell tee
🔵 Our blue Mentell sign
✔️ From there, we’ll take care of the rest

Free. Safe. 7–9pm at The Monastery Manchester

13/08/2025

This Sunday, 17th August, 2025, we are SO pleased and honoured to welcome Geshe Lama Ahbay Tulku Rinpoche - a Tibetan Buddhist monk whose radiant kindness and wisdom have inspired communities across the world - to the Monastery 🧡 ✨

🌅 Morning: Audience & Blessing
🕙 11am–1pm
Experience an uplifting morning of connection, contemplation and compassion, as Rinpoche shares his presence, blessings and wisdom in the serene beauty of our sacred space. A rare opportunity to meet a truly remarkable spiritual teacher.

🌬 Afternoon: One Spirit Service – “The Breath”
🕑 2pm–3.30pm
Later in the day, Rinpoche joins Rev. Laura Roberts for our monthly One Spirit Service. Together they’ll explore The Breath through music, poetry and meditation - a soulful gathering to refresh the heart, mind and spirit.

Whether you join us for the morning, afternoon, or both, this will be a day of togetherness, gentle reflection, and shared inspiration - everyone is welcome, all faiths and none 🌍

📍 The Monastery, Manchester
🌐 More info & booking: https://buff.ly/E2JC2lw

12/08/2025

Beneath the soaring arches, bathed in jewel tones of blue and purple, the Monastery becomes a celebration space like no other - even if we are a little biased (ahem)!

Candlelight flickers. Music swells. The dance floor overflows with joy. Every glance is a photograph waiting to happen, every moment steeped in beauty...

Can you imagine your guests stepping into this breathtaking setting? Dining under those arches, dancing in cathedral-esque dimensions, and celebrating in style in one of Manchester’s most iconic venues... 🫠

Whatever the occasion, please don’t be shy! We’re always happy to offer options and prices, or you can find out more about hosting your special event at the Monastery right here 👉 https://buff.ly/Sqt3Mgg

📸 Special thanks to Press Record Live for sharing today’s gorgeous pic 👌👏

11/08/2025

Our beautiful Monastery isn’t just a stunning building, it’s a living story, brought to life by our dedicated tour guides, featured in today's photos 💜

🌿 Meet Grahame Birtles - our resident expert on the Monastery’s Victorian history, breathtaking architecture, and remarkable restoration journey. His Taste of the Monastery tours run every Monday, morning and afternoon, and are the perfect way to soak up fascinating history in just an hour.

🐾 Meet Gill Harbach (and the ever-charming Mr Pippin!) - who leads our Hidden in Plain Sight tours on the first Tuesday and last Sunday of each month. Gill reveals the Monastery’s intriguing connections to ancient teachings and esoteric wisdom - stories that will spark your curiosity and imagination.

Whether you’re captivated by architectural grandeur, spiritual heritage, or the hidden threads that connect past and present, these family-friendly tours are an inspiring way to spend a morning or afternoon.

📅 Check our website for dates and times and see the Monastery in a whole new light 👉 https://buff.ly/xnxFkZE

💜 A heartfelt thank you to Grahame and Gill for their years of dedication, knowledge, and care in sharing the Monastery’s story.

📸 Thank also to (IG) for today's gorgeous pic of a fabulously sunny Monastery garden! 👏 👌