Awakening Together: 7am Daily Meditation (Apr-Jun)

Self-guided 30-minute meditation online

1 April – 30 June

You are welcome to register at any point during the 3-month practice period. The mornings are offered freely, and you are warmly invited to offer dana to Gaia House when you register, which supports us in providing the space to gather each morning. Dana is a practice of generosity. Click here to read more about the practice of dana.

Overview

We are delighted that the silent 7am meditation space can continue to be available from April to June 2024. Whether you already have a regular daily meditation practice, or you are looking to establish one, we trust that this opportunity to gather and practice alongside others each day will provide a precious support to you.

The 30-minute morning sessions will be held in silence, without any spoken guidance, and we will simply mark time with the ringing of a bell at the start and end of each session.

This continuation of Awakening Together recognises the overwhelmingly positive feedback we have received from those who have joined previously, and the vibrancy and preciousness of the practice community (sangha) that this has created. We have heard how gathering online in silence each morning has helped to establish or support consistent daily practice, and has enriched the lives of those taking part as they move through the rest of their day.

One way to conceive of the path of practice is a step-by-step letting go of those habitual ways of being that don’t serve our wellbeing, and a gradual picking up and nourishing of those that do. In this way, we can wisely shape our lives. Yet carving out the time to practise meditation each day can be challenging. That is why we gather each morning to practise in silent community, offering one another the support of our presence and the shared intention to cultivate more freedom and ease in our lives.

As well as strengthening your daily practice, we envision this silent practice space as a support:

To prepare for attending residential retreats
To keep the momentum for those returning from retreat and back into daily life
To facilitate the exploration of particular themes and practices for participants who are actively following one of our many online courses.

We trust that these benefits will only increase with time as we each enjoy the precious opportunity to establish or develop our own practice within a field of shared intention and support.

Feedback from participants of ‘Aiming for Freedom’- Daily morning practice for 30 days

“I wanted to feedback how tremendously helpful these daily sits have been for me. I think it’s the first time in my life that I have managed to maintain such a regular practice.” ~ Abbey

“We are finding that morning practice in the group makes a significant improvement to the rest of the day, more mindfulness, patience and positive attitude in both of us.” ~ Margaret & Douglas

“It’s surprising how one forms ‘friendships’ when nothing is spoken. I feel a strong sense of community with the other participants, and I am extremely grateful to Gaia House for holding the space.” ~ Carole

Schedule

7.00 – 7.30am (BST), Monday 1 April – Sunday 30 June 2024

Every morning, self-guided practice in silence (or using pre-recorded meditations from the noticeboard) and we will simply mark time with the ringing of a bell at the start and end of each session.

We also schedule oppportunities to hear from one another and to foster connection as the practice period unfolds.

We encourage you to commit to attending each morning, if possible.

If you miss a morning session, please try to practice at another time during the day, and be prepared to simply begin again the following morning — responding to changing conditions and intentions in our day-to-day lives, is a natural part of the path of practice.

We won’t close registration, so you are welcome to sign up and join the sangha for the first time at any point during the three-month practice period.

Pre-recorded 30-minute meditations

Gavin Milne kindly provided 30-minute guided meditations for the precursor offering, ‘Aiming for Freedom’, for those who preferred not to be self-guided on a given morning. These will continue to be made available on the new noticeboard for your use through the April- June practice period. We may be able to add new recordings to this collection over time.

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

Dana/generosity

The mornings are offered freely, and you are warmly invited to offer dana to Gaia House when you register.

There is also the opportunity to make a dana offering to Gavin for the pre-recorded guided meditations he has provided. Gaia House teachers rely on the generosity of students for their livelihood.

Click here to read more about the practice of dana.

Dana can be offered to Gaia House. To make a donation please click here and specify that your donation is for ‘Awakening Together (Apr24) in the notes section on the checkout page. Your support is greatly appreciated and helps us to continue offering the teachings of the Dharma from our centre in Devon and online.

Dana can also be offered to Gavin via the Gaia House website. Please click on Teacher and then specify that your donation is for ‘Awakening Together’ in the notes section on the checkout page.

With deep appreciation for your generosity.

Preparing for the morning sits

Please make it your intention to stay for the sit.

Practicalities

Arrange your computer or device so you can the others in the sit and gain a sense of community
Make sure you have easy access to the Zoom link and arrive at a time giving you time to settle before the session starts
Explain to any other people in your household what you will be doing and discuss how they can support you
If you wish, dedicate an area in your house where you will sit, you can arrange a small altar with candles, flowers, or altar objects near you

Well-being and online meditation

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

Meditation can be very nourishing; however, as it requires sustained practice, it 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 online meditation sessions. 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.
If you have any questions about this, please contact us.