Being human includes feeling great and feeling pain; it’s intense. Given this, what kind of happiness is possible for us? The Buddha suggested that we have underestimated the capacity of our heart. Retreat helps us to remember.
Together we will explore how to cultivate freedom, happiness and contentment that are less reliant on things ‘going our way’ and develop resources that are available to us within the circumstances of our lives as they unfold.

ZOHAR LAVIE has been practising meditation in different traditions since 1995. This journey has taken her from the meditation cushion into exploring further ways of expressing truth and love and in 2004 she co-founded SanghaSeva. She now spends most of her time facilitating retreats that offer service as a spiritual path around the world. Since 2006 she has been teaching on silent retreats and Dharma gatherings in India, Europe and Israel.

Listen to one of Zohar Lavie's Talks from the Dharmalaya Silent retreat on 29.03.2017-: Emptiness, Self and Dependent Arising (Duration 50:33)

The teacher will be assisted by:

NATHAN GLYDE began meditating in 1997, and teaching retreats in 2007. From continued exploration grew a deep love for meditation’s alive stillness and creative silence. Feeling the potential for all of life to play a part in awakening opened an interest to cultivate attentiveness in every experience. In 2004 this led to co-founding SanghaSeva to offer retreats combining meditation with engaged action.

Retreat Code = 19157

A = suitable for all

Mental well-being guidelines - please click here to read before booking

Before you book, please read these guidelines about mental well-being and silent retreats:

Intensive silent meditation retreats can be very nourishing; however, as they require sustained meditation practice, they also need some stability of psychological health. If you have recently (within the past year or so) experienced significant trauma or psychiatric illness, or if you are currently experiencing acute emotional distress such as serious depression or anxiety, it may not be the best time for you to attend an intensive retreat in silence. The teachers might not be able to give you the kind of individual psychological care you need at this time. A setting with more opportunities for interpersonal engagement may be more appropriate.

If you are currently under the care of a mental health professional, please discuss your attendance with them. You should be in a relatively stable period of mental well-being and have adequate psychological resilience to attend an intensive silent retreat.
Please be prepared to offer your mental health professional's contact information to the teachers on the opening day if requested.
If you have any questions about this, please contact: retreatmanager@gaiahouse.co.uk

Monday 26 August – Friday 30 August 2019 (4 nights)

Standard Rate:    £236 - Please pay this rate if you can
Sponsor Rate:        £283 - A benefactor rate, which helps others to come here on the Supported Rate
Supported Rate:     £201 - Available if the Standard Rate is too high for you
FAB Fund Rate:       £118 - For more details please see the Financial Assistance page
Young Persons Rate: £71 - For more details please see the Financial Assistance page

Extending Your Retreat = £54 per night – Conditions apply – please see box

Arrival & Departure:

Arrive for registration between 2-5pm on the opening day.
Depart after 12.30pm on the final day (or 1.30pm if staying for lunch).
Please only make travel bookings to fit with these times.
These conditions apply even if you've been to Gaia House before.

Please only book if you are able to commit to the entire retreat:

The teachers and staff at Gaia House require this commitment in order to respect the retreat environment and minimise disruption to others.
We are not able to accept bookings from people who want to arrive and/or depart outside of these times.

Pathways to Happiness: Cultivating Wellbeing and Contentment