Online retreat with Yanai Postelnik and Helen Stephenson
Thursday, 11 March – Monday, 15 March 2021
This retreat is open to all, including beginners and those with experience. Please join us.
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.
The teachers:

Listen to one of Yanai Postelnik's Talks given at Gaia House on 02.09.2013: The Art of Unknowing (Duration 61:05)

Listen to one of Helen Stephenson's Talks given at Gaia House on 01.05.2012: The Texture of Being (Duration 37:59)
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
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
All times shown are in Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
Thursday
7:15 – 8:45pm Opening talk
Friday – Sunday
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
Monday
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.
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 at this time so we apologise if you have to wait longer than usual.
Dana/generosity
None of your registration fee goes to the teachers. Gaia House teachers rely on the generosity of students for their livelihood. There will be an opportunity to make a dana offering to your teachers at the end of the event.
Click here to read more about the practice of dana.
Dana can be offered to Yanai and Helen via the Gaia House website by clicking here. Please click on Teacher and then specify that your donation is for ‘Meditation and Yoga’ in the notes section on the checkout page.
With deep appreciation for your generosity.
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.

Insight Meditation and Yoga Online Retreat
To register for this retreat:
- Please look at the rates listed below and enter the amount appropriate to you in the amount box.
- Then complete the registration form.
- Please read our Booking & cancellation conditions before completing your booking.
Rates:
Registration is on a sliding-scale. Please consider paying at the highest rate that you are able to. Your generosity is vital in supporting Gaia House to sustain its Dharma offerings for the benefit of all. We are committed to ensuring that our programme is available to everyone who wishes to participate. If our registration band is too high for you, you can enter the amount you are able to pay.Registration:           £80 — £240
Dānanandi Sangha:     £0     As a regular donor to Gaia House you are contributing already. Thank you.
A note on dana/generosity
None of your registration fee goes to the teacher(s). Gaia House teachers rely on the generosity of students for their livelihood. There will be an opportunity to make a dana offering to your teacher(s) at the end of the event.