Insight Meditation and Yoga Retreat
Monday 1st June – Friday 5th June
A Gaia House online home retreat with Yanai Postelnik and Helen Stephenson.
YANAI POSTELNIK has practised and studied Insight Meditation and Buddhism since 1990 and has been teaching internationally for over 20 years. He is much inspired by the Thai forest tradition and the transformative power of the natural world. Yanai is a Core Faculty member of Insight Meditation Society, Massachusetts, and he lives with his wife Catherine McGee in Devon, England.
Listen to one of Yanai Postelnik's Talks given at Gaia House on 02.09.2013: The Art of Unknowing (Duration 61:05)
HELEN STEPHENSON has practised Hatha Yoga and Insight Meditation since 1979. Initially she was taught by the late Robert van Heeckeren and in 1981 she began to study classical yoga with the Indian Yogateacher Sri. S. Rajagopalan. Her movement work is influenced by the work of the late Moshe Feldenkrais "awareness through movement" and her training in body centred therapy with the late Ron Kurtz. Having lived most of her life in a communal setting she and her family now share a home with another family in Newport Pagnell.
Listen to one of Helen Stephenson's Talks given at Gaia House on 01.05.2012: The Texture of Being (Duration 37:59)
For those who were registered for the Insight Meditation and Yoga retreat, and anybody who feels a connection to Gaia House and/or the Insight Meditation tradition.
Retreat Description
Meditation and yoga are natural partners in the spiritual life. Drawing on the Buddha’s teachings of mindfulness and awakening, and the yoga teachings of Patanjali, this retreat will combine the practices of hatha yoga and Insight Meditation.
The yoga is offered as a spiritual path rather than simply an exercise system. Slow, precise movement attuned with the flow of breath enables practitioners to move safely into and out of posture. Through the practice of meditative awareness the body becomes a gateway to inner peace and understanding, enabling us to open into an intimate connection with life.
Please have a yoga mat or blanket ready to use if you have one.
The yoga movements taught on this online retreat are basic and simple, but not all movements are suitable for pregnant women. If you are pregnant, please consult with your healthcare professional before participating in this online retreat.
Format
All are welcome. You will not have to look at your screen for all the time we are together: at times you may only want to listen in.
This online retreat in your home, will include periods of instruction, guided meditation practice, silence, Dharma reflections, yoga, sharing together as sangha/community and optional sharing meetings.
The format will support all who wish to attend the scheduled group sessions while continuing to be quite fully engaged with your ongoing life at home, and also those wishing to practise formally in a sustained way throughout the days.
Key teachings will be recorded and made available to participants as we go along in case you have to miss a session or are joining from another time zone.
Joining this retreat will require your commitment to attending or listening to the first and final sessions:
Schedule
Session times (UK BST)
Monday
7:15 –8:45pm Opening talk
Tuesday – Thursday
7:30-8:30am Yoga and breath-work
10:00-11:30am Insight meditation reflections, instructions and practice
12:00-12:45pm Optional group meeting
3:00-5:15pm Yoga and inquiry
7:15 –8:30pm Meditation and Dharma talk
9:00 – 9:30pm Meditation
Friday
7:30-8:30am Yoga and breath-work
10:00-11:30am Insight meditation reflections, instructions and practice
12:00-12:45pm Optional group meeting
3:00-5:15pm Yoga and inquiry
7:15 –8:45pm Closing session and sharing
Using Zoom
This online retreat will use the Zoom platform. For support with learning how to use Zoom, please click here to read the guidance we’ve put together on our website. Please read the first section, ‘Using Zoom’, before registering.
Registration
Registration is now open. Please fill in the form at the bottom of this page to register.
You will then receive an automated email response with information about participating in the retreat and instructions for how to join the online sessions.
If you do not receive the automated response in your inbox, please also check your junk/spam folder.
Enquiries
If you have any questions regarding the retreat, you can send an email to info@gaiahouse.co.uk we will respond as quickly as possible, but we have a reduced team during this time so we apologise if you have to wait longer than usual.
Dana (the practice of generosity )
This online retreat is offered without charge, as an offering to support your wellbeing. We would like to invite you to join in that spirit of generosity by making a voluntary offering of dana / financial support at the end of the retreat, to help Gaia House with its ongoing expenses, and contribute to the teacher’s livelihoods. Both Gaia House and the retreat teachers rely on your kindness and generosity to continue offering retreats in this way and are deeply grateful for your support.
You can find out more about the practice of dana here
Dana can be offered to the teachers here via PayPal.
All teacher dana donations will be shared between Helen and Yanai.
Dana can also be offered to Gaia House or the teachers through the Gaia House website. If you are offering dana to the teachers please choose Teachers and then specify that your donation is for Yanai and Helen in the notes section on the checkout page.
With deep appreciation for your generosity and support.