Last updated Monday 30 July 2020
Dear friends,
We hope you are well, and finding your way with the challenging circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic.
Gaia House exists to offer the Buddha’s teachings of wisdom, compassion and meditation practice, for the wellbeing of all life. In light of the continuing situation, our residential group retreat programme is paused at least until 31 October, with retreats taking place online instead. Our personal and work retreats are cancelled until 30 September.
People and communities everywhere are being called to do what they can to slow the spread of the pandemic. Suspending our retreat programme is the best way for us to support this shared effort.
Online practice opportunities
While we cannot gather in person, Gaia House is continuing to creatively explore how we can support and nourish each other.
We are working with teachers to offer online group retreats in place of residential retreats. We have also opened an Online Dharma Hall: a new space for connection, reflection, and refuge, where we can share the Dharma and practise together, supporting us to meet our lives and our world in these times. Click here to find out more.
Our online sitting group meets every Monday 8-9pm. Click here to find out more.
Looking after yourself and your community
While this is a challenging time for us all, the impact of this health crisis will be felt by some much more than others. We may be able to offer support in our communities and we may be in the position of needing to ask for support. Giving and receiving both reveal the tenderness, beauty and strength of our profound interconnectedness and interdependence. Let this be an invitation to bring out the best in us all as we bring compassion, care and wisdom to the situation we face.
Supporting you and Gaia House
Many of you, along with Gaia House and other organisations, will be facing financial hardship at this time.
Cancelled retreats
If you are booked onto a cancelled retreat (between now and 31 October), you will receive an email from our Admin Manager. We would like to reassure you that we are able to offer a full refund. However, if you’re able to donate your booking fee or part of it to Gaia House, this will help to ensure that the Dharma teachings offered at Gaia House survive and continue to thrive into the future. If you would like to support the work of Gaia House in this way, please send an email to info@gaiahouse.co.uk within a week of the notification of your cancellation.
Temporary cancellation policy for future retreats
Due to the exceptional circumstances of COVID-19, we have a temporary cancellation policy in place for retreats from 1 November for group retreats and from 1 September for personal and work retreats.
We hope our flexibility supports you, while your generosity helps sustain our offerings through these unpredictable conditions.
If you need to cancel your retreat booking for any reason, there are two options available to you:
- Request a full refund
- Allow your payment or part of the payment to be received by Gaia House as a donation. This will help to ensure that the Dharma teachings offered at Gaia House survive and continue to thrive into the future.
To contact us about cancelling a future retreat booking, please email us on info@gaiahouse.co.uk
Supporting Gaia House through the crisis
Our community have been hugely generous by donating cancelled retreat fees to Gaia House as well as making one off and regular donations to help see us through this challenging time to ensure we preserve our beloved refuge for the future. If you are fortunate enough to be in a position to support us financially, please do offer your generosity now.
Thank you for your patience and understanding while we navigate these unchartered waters. We are constantly assessing the situation and will keep you updated via our website, facebook and e-news.
May all beings be well,
on behalf of all of us at Gaia House