Last updated 14 July 2021
What a joy that Gaia House is now open for residential retreats! After 14 months of shutdown, it has been truly wonderful to have our first retreatants back at Gaia House this summer.
Our popular online programme also continues.
Our response to covid-19
As we enthusiastically, though cautiously, move forward into this new chapter, we are keeping up-to-date with government guidelines to provide a safe retreat environment. As the conditions and guidelines are changing, we are remaining flexible and will be reviewing what is needed at the time of each retreat.
We want to reassure you that we have conducted thorough risk assessments and we’re planning to make your retreat at Gaia House as supportive as possible.
Prior to your retreat, we will send some more information about what to expect whilst at Gaia House. We hope you find the following information useful. Please use it as a guide, which we hope will help answer any questions you might have prior to registering for your retreat.
- You will be allocated a single room.
- You may be allocated a specific bathroom to use for the duration of the retreat.
- To support the running of the house with a much smaller number of retreatants, we need to increase the working meditation period for the time being. It is possible there will be two separate hours of working meditation each day. We are sorry that we have to ask for this additional contribution from you and we very much hope that this can be a valued aspect of your retreat. The work periods will need to be pre-allocated; please inform us of any physical limitations and health conditions so that we can support you as needed.
- Although normally we would discourage the use of mobile telephones whilst on retreat, within the current conditions it may be necessary to check for NHS Test and Trace messages once a day. If you wish, you can discuss with the teacher how to do this in a way that will be respecting and honouring your intention to be on retreat.
- You may be asked to follow the government guidelines to take a lateral flow test in the days prior to your arrival at Gaia House and then test during your retreat as set out by the guidelines at that time.
- It may be necessary for face-coverings to be worn whilst walking through communal areas and during working meditation periods. If so, we will be asking for you to bring enough face coverings for the duration of the retreat. If you are exempt from wearing a face-covering for medical reasons, we ask that you notify us at the time of booking by sending an email to our Retreat Manager on: retreatmanager@gaiahouse.co.uk
- If you have covid-19 symptoms during your retreat, there will be a facility available for your isolation for a limited period. However, we need you to have a plan in place to enable you to continue your isolation away from Gaia House, i.e. if you have travelled by public transport you will need a friend or family member to collect you.
Cancellation terms and conditions
- If you find it necessary to cancel your booking due to covid-19 related reasons, a full refund will be available. Please note this does not include any travel costs you may have incurred. In all other circumstances, our standard cancellation terms and conditions apply.
- If there is an outbreak of covid within the residential staff community, the retreat will be closed early and a refund will be offered for the remaining days of the retreat.
Thank you for your help in co-creating as supportive and safe a retreat environment as possible, under the covid regulations that may still be in place during your stay with us.