The Bardo

Your old life ends. Your new life begins. What happens between? In Tibetan Buddhism, the interval between death and rebirth is called the “bardo.” It is a space of possibility and liberation. It calls on you to reflect on the journey you’ve completed and prepare yourself for the journey ahead.

The Bardo is a “leavership” programme for leaders in a space of conscious transition. Designed and hosted by Bramble, The Bardo incorporates solo and small group reflection, creative, somatic and nature-based practices, and inspiration from pioneers in diverse fields to activate your awareness, hope and agency – three capacities we believe are vital for leaders who want to evolve themselves and the systems around them. Our essay “In Praise of Leavership” outlines more about why we believe leavership is so important for a regenerative future.

Now taking expressions of interest for autumn cohorts near London and Barcelona.

Talk to us about joining a Fall 2026 Cohort

  • "A uniquely powerful concept with very intentional execution and brilliant selection of humans."

  • "I left the Bardo feeling like my soul had left my body... The Bardo 2026 was a moment of meaningful connectivity with people that helped me reflect deeply and walk out differently than I walked in."

  • "Our group of strangers became friends, cheerleaders, advocates and allies during our days, and a few of us had breakthroughs that we didn't know we needed. So glad I did this."

  • "A caring, carefully curated space to step away from the familiar, well-rehearsed pressures of leadership. The Bardo gave me perspective and the mental space to consider where I now want to focus my time and energy."

Who is The Bardo for?

You are a leader in your field, sector or community who is sensing a need for something radically different – both for the systems around you and for yourself. Perhaps you’ve been sensing this for a while, but you had commitments you wanted to honour or projects you wanted to see through. For whatever reason, the time finally feels ripe to pause, take stock and prepare to venture out to meet the better future you know is possible. You are hungry to unlearn alongside unlikely peers.

Our years of hosting impactful leadership programmes like The Performance Theatre and The Leadership Vanguard have taught us that your fellow participants are often the most important ingredients in any learning experience. For that reason, we have a strictly limited number of places in the programme, and The Bardo is an invite-only gathering. We will ask those interested in participating to have an introductory conversation with us, and we will curate the group to maximise intimacy and inspiration.

We take your privacy seriously – especially given the nature of this gathering. If you join The Bardo, we will ask you not to share the identities of or views expressed by your fellow participants without their explicit permission.

The Programme

  • You are welcome to check in any time from 17:00.

  • We start our journey with an exploration of what we are leaving behind, allowing our own “business as usual” to become strange to us. What are the narratives, goals, hypotheses, or theories of change on which we have based our work to date? What elements of these beliefs no longer resonate with us? What elements of our recent and current work do we believe are worth preserving in whatever we choose to do next?

  • We spend our second day seeking inspiration through encounters with alternative futures. We learn from leavership trailblazers – individuals who have made conscious work transitions in pursuit of greater purpose and values alignment. We channel our inner dreamers and imagine multiple possible futures for ourselves, before stepping back and considering the underlying preferences these potential selves reveal.

  • We conclude our journey by returning to the present and near future. How will this new knowledge allow us to navigate unexpected opportunities and challenges that may arise as we undergo this transition? What commitments will we make, and how will we hold ourselves to account?

  • Day 4: Departure

Pricing

Participation in The Bardo costs:

  • Corporate rate: £4350 (exc. VAT)

  • Individual rate: £3250 (exc. VAT)

We want to make the Bardo accessible to as many as we can, and we may be able to offer additionally discounted places for participants currently experiencing financial hardship. Please contact hello@bramble.co to discuss options.

Your ticket will cover:

  • four nights of single-occupancy accommodation

  • all meals and coffee breaks during the week  

  • all programme materials 

  • a contribution toward the costs for our small team of facilitators

  • opportunities for pre- and post-retreat engagement 

Our team

Saya Snow Kitasei

Saya is a partnership builder, storyteller and leadership advisor. Prior to co-founding Bramble, she was a Managing Director at Xynteo, where she also previously held roles as Head of Energy and Head of Resilience. In these roles she helped leaders and teams build collaborations, develop strategies, and foster the capabilities needed for inclusive and planet-positive growth. Between 2016 and 2022, she served as director of The Performance Theatre, where she honed her passion for building communities and designing meaningful learning experiences.

She holds a BS in Earth Systems and MA in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies from Stanford University. She directed the documentary The Myken Project, sings Alto II and reads books, especially science fiction. Things she is not good at include sports trivia, afrobeat moves, and keeping houseplants alive.

Partner

Tim Frost

Tim is a founding partner at Bramble and his mission is to encourage leaders to courageously step into their potential as catalysts for people and planet-positive impact. He specialises in executive level development and culture change, and his experience over 20 years spans sectors including FMCG, energy, tech, retail, NGOs and elite sport. His career also includes roles developing talent in the music industry, global social entrepreneurs, and corporate innovation.

He is a firm believer that you can have enormous fun doing really important work - so he always brings great energy, commercial and strategic sharpness, and a deeply human and creative approach to developing leaders and teams. He is a committed practitioner of feedback and experimentation, encouraging a bias for action and helping leaders form new, measurable habits quickly.

He is certified in Systemic Team Coaching, NLP and the Leadership Circle Profile, and working towards a Shadow Work coaching certification - using these to reveal deep rooted patterns, shift behaviours, and build momentum where it matters most. 

Partner

Laura Lewin

Laura coaches individuals and teams, with a particular emphasis on senior leaders navigating complex situations. She has been coaching for 30 years as part of a portfolio of business psychology consulting interventions (including leadership development, strategy facilitation, culture transformation and top team journeys. She’s coached a very wide range of nationalities across multiple continents at all levels in the private and non-profit sectors. Whilst her exposure to many different contexts means I can step in with credibility, I am always sensitive to the uniqueness of each individual and each specific situation.

As a psychologist, Laura blends her understanding of human psychology with a systemic lens so clients grow as individuals and really get to grips with how to increase the health of their organisations through high-leverage interventions. This blended approach has led to significant impacts for clients, such as accelerated promotions/more effective relationships/reduced friction as well as more effective leadership of their organisations at scale. 

Associate