What does a Work Retreat involve?
Work Retreats offer the opportunity to integrate your meditation practice with daily life. The work directly contributes to the well-being of the Gaia House community and is one way you can help to keep rates as low as possible.
You commit to staying with us for a minimum of two weeks, up to a maximum of three months. Work Retreats start and finish on a Sunday.
Work Retreats often involve work that is strenuous and demanding, so prospective work retreatants need to be fit and in robust good health. Work retreatants are allocated to a department according to the needs of the house and have to be able to work in any department.
You also need to have the capacity to live and work in silence and to work independently (with instruction from the residential staff).
Work Retreats are available only to those with previous retreat experience (at least 7 days on a silent Group Meditation Retreat) and an established meditation practice. As with a Personal Retreat, a Retreat Application Form (RAF) has to be completed and submitted for approval by a Gaia House teacher.
Work retreatants commit to observing our Code of Conduct, including the Five Precepts.
What does a Work Retreat involve?
A Work Retreat consists of five hours of physical work and at least four sessions of meditation a day. One day a week is set aside as a retreat day. From the second month, as a work retreatant you will be entitled to two additional retreat days per month for each month completed.
Work retreatants are supported by a facilitated weekly group meeting with the resident teacher when scheduled, as well as meeting individually with teachers. Work Retreats are undertaken and continued with the agreement of the teacher.
During Group Retreats, you are welcome to participate in the Group Retreat schedule as your work allows.
Will I have to pay for a Work Retreat placement?
Whatever the length of your Work Retreat it will cost you an initial Booking Fee and Deposit of £50: – £10 of this is a non-refundable Booking/ administration Fee and £40 is a refundable Deposit.
On satisfactory completion of your Work Retreat, you will receive a refund of the £40 Deposit. If you decide to cancel your booking or don’t complete your Work Retreat, however, then the £40 deposit is forfeit.
More about Booking Conditions.
Gaia House has five Work Retreat places available at any time. If you would like to apply for a Work Retreat, please complete and submit a Work Retreat Application Form.
The Retreat Application Form contains a number of important questions about your personal and medical history. These confidential questions are necessary so that our teachers can judge your preparedness for what can be a unique and profound experience; the independence of a Work Retreat can be very challenging if you are not ready for it. You may be asked to undergo additional Group Retreat(s) before embarking on a Work Retreat.
You can apply on-line; by phone or by post. If your application is accepted, Gaia House will be in touch to discuss available dates. Please do not pay your deposit or make travel arrangements until your place has been confirmed.
