Metta and Insight
A Gaia House online retreat with Zohar Lavie and Nathan Glyde
Friday, 11 December – Thursday, 17 December
This retreat is now full. If you wish to be added to the waiting list, please fill in your details using the form at the bottom of the page and we will contact you if a place becomes available.
For anybody who feels a connection to Gaia House and/or the Insight Meditation tradition. All levels of experience welcome. Suitable for all, all are welcome.
This is a six-night retreat and will fulfil the online retreat requirements of the MMTCP Program.
The teachers:
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.
NATHAN GLYDE has been practicing and studying meditation since 1997, and sharing teachings on retreats since 2007. In 2004 he co-founded SanghaSeva whose retreats emphasise wisdom and compassion in ecological and humanitarian service.
Retreat description
The meditation practices of Insight and Metta (goodwill or loving-kindness) are powerful transformative vehicles that connect us with our potential to awaken to ever deepening levels of love and wisdom in life.
On this retreat we will explore our capacity to welcome each moment with a kind and spacious attention, to nourish a sense of wellbeing and joy, and to deepen our understanding of ourselves and all beings.
Format
The days will include meditation guidance, talks and interviews with the teachers.
We request all participants to consider attending as much of the retreat as they can manage.
We require participants to attend the morning instruction, guided meditation, and the Dharma talk daily. If they can’t make it to those sessions live, we ask that they listen in to the recordings as soon as they can.
We also request a commitment to attend their small group interview meetings (listening groups), and/or an interview with one of the teachers during the retreat.
Schedule
(all times are shown in GMT)
Friday, 11 December — Opening Day
15:30-18:00 Opening Session
19:30 Guided meditation
20:15 Rest or further practice
Daily Schedule (Saturday — Wednesday)
06:30 Personal Mindful Movement or Exercise
07:15 Sitting Meditation
08:00 Breakfast
09:30 Meditation with Instructions
10:30 Walking Meditation / Optional time for Questions
11:00 Walking Meditation continues
11:30 Sitting Meditation
12:15 Walking Meditation / Listening Groups––Group Interviews
13:00 Lunch
15:30 Meditation and Dharma Talk
16.30 Walking Meditation / Listening Groups––Group Interviews
17:15 Sitting Meditation
18:00 Supper
19:30 Guided Meditation
20:15 Rest or Further Practice
Thursday, 17 December — Closing Day
06:30 Personal Mindful Movement or Exercise
07:15 Sitting Meditation
08:00 Breakfast
09:30-12:30 Closing Session
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.
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)
At the end of your retreat you will be invited to make a voluntary offering of dana / financial support, to support the livelihoods of the teachers who have guided your retreat and help sustain Gaia House into the future. Your registration fee contributes towards Gaia House’s management and support costs and maintenance of our building and grounds. The Dharma teachings of wisdom and compassion are considered priceless, thus the retreat teachers offer their understanding freely. Both Gaia House and the retreat teachers rely on your kindness and generosity, and are deeply grateful for your support.
You can find out more about the practice of dana by clicking here.
You can offer dana to Zohar and Nathan at https://www.dependentorigination.org/support/ via PayPal, international credit or debit cards, and bank transfer.
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 ‘Zohar and Nathan’, in the notes section on the checkout page: this will be shared between the teachers.
With deep appreciation for your generosity and support.
Well-being guidelines - please click here to read before booking Before you book, please read these guidelines about mental well-being and silent retreats: 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 participate in a retreat. 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.