"You Believed in Me Before I Could Believe in Myself" — A Conversation with Terry Doyle

We sat down with Terry Doyle — holistic wellbeing coach, Tai Chi teacher, and one of Minsteracres’ most familiar faces — ahead of his Holistic Wellbeing Retreat on Saturday 18th April 2026.

If you met Terry Doyle in a pub and asked what he did for a living, he’d probably make you laugh before he made you think. “I’m a holistic wellbeing coach, Tai Chi teacher, community organiser — and I work with a singing project,” he says, grinning. “It keeps me out of mischief.”

That warmth is immediately disarming. But behind the easy humour is a career that spans over three decades of quietly transformative work — from supporting homeless people in Middlesbrough and helping resettle Syrian refugees, to running meditation programmes in prisons and leading retreats that have changed lives. Terry is the kind of person who makes stillness feel accessible rather than intimidating.

A Love Affair with Minsteracres

Terry’s connection to Minsteracres began in 2002, and it started in difficult circumstances. “My marriage had just broken down, and I’d booked onto a four-day silent meditation retreat,” he recalls. “I thought, do I really want to close my eyes and sit with all that pain?” He went anyway — and something shifted. “I fell in love with the place. By the end of the retreat, I was centred enough to go home and deal with what I needed to deal with.”

He’s returned almost every year since, and has led retreats there more times than he can count. When asked to describe Minsteracres in a single sentence, he reaches for a phrase he heard from one of the priests there years ago: “A place where the veil between heaven and earth is thinner.”

“And then there are those Sequoia trees as you arrive,” he adds. “Like a huge natural hug.”

A Day in the Life — The Holistic Wellbeing Retreat

This April, Terry returns to Minsteracres with a new collaborator — Lana Kennedy, a Pilates teacher from Sunderland he met at a retreat last summer. Together, they’ll lead a full day of gentle, accessible wellbeing practice from 10am to 4pm.

“It’s a wellbeing theatre,” Terry says. “Tai Chi, meditation, Pilates, breathwork, mindfulness — maybe a little head and shoulder massage. The idea is that people dare to leave their cares behind and go home feeling much more together.”

No fitness level is required. No experience necessary. “I always cater for whoever might be the least able in the room,” he says. “So long as we all try our best, we’re all equal. Whatever level of physical ability you have — let’s do this, and all will be well.”

The day also includes Minsteracres’ famously warm hospitality — tea, coffee, and a home-cooked vegetarian lunch served in the historic ballroom. “The food is always excellent,” Terry says. “All cooked with love. And for 45 pounds, you’ve got two highly qualified facilitators, lunch, the venue, and a whole day together. Down south, that would cost at least double.”

Open to Everyone — Faith or No Faith

One question Terry gets asked often is whether the retreat is only for people of faith. His answer is unequivocal: “Absolutely not. It’s not about religion. It’s open to people of all beliefs and none.”

He’s passionate about finding common ground between traditions — bridging East and West, ancient and modern, science and spirituality. “All of these practices — Tai Chi, Christian meditation, breathwork — they all lead to the same place: inner peace,” he says. “I love finding where different traditions meet.”

He even quotes the Dalai Lama: “You don’t have to convert to be a Buddhist. Simply blossom where you are planted.” For Terry, that spirit of openness is at the heart of everything he does.

The Line That Stays With Him

After more than thirty years of this work, what’s the feedback that sticks? Terry pauses.

“People have often said to me — you believed in me before I could believe in myself.” He smiles. “That one never gets old.”

Holistic Wellbeing Retreat Northumberland

The Holistic Wellbeing Retreat with Terry Doyle & Lana Kennedy takes place on Saturday 18th April 2026, 10am–4pm at Minsteracres Retreat Centre, Nr Consett.

Suggested donation £45, including lunch. Spaces are limited.

Terence Walsh

With a passion for design and a heart for community, Terence Walsh has spent over 20 years helping businesses in the North East grow their online presence. As the founder of TWDA (twda.co.uk), he is delighted to share his expertise with Minsteracres, contributing to their mission of offering a place of peace and reflection in our busy digital world.