BIPOC Retreat Day: Nurturing Mindfulness, Opening the Heart, and Strengthening Community
Online meditation day
With Antonia Sumbundu
Saturday 25 May, 10.00 am – 4.00 pm (BST)
Antonia says:
Join us for a nourishing daylong retreat dedicated to cultivating mindfulness and compassion and connecting with others who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).
The Buddha’s teachings have inspired people from different walks of life for centuries. These teachings offer a path to living with more awareness, compassion, and understanding. Recognizing our shared human experiences, while also acknowledging the unique tapestry of individual lives woven from the diverse threads of our bodily hues, cultural backgrounds, and ethnic identities, offers new and rich avenues of exploration.
As BIPOC individuals, we often find ourselves in the minority within various meditation and Dharma contexts. Having the opportunity to come together, to practice together, and to reflect on the teachings and their relevance to our lived experiences is supportive of our lives and practice.
Suitability
Those who identify as a person of colour (Black, Asian, Middle Eastern, mixed heritages & indigenous people of North, central and South America). All levels of experience welcome.
Teacher
ANTONIA DORTHEA SUMBUNDU is a Dharma teacher, clinical psychologist, and mental health specialist. She has been practicing meditation for over 35 years and has had the good fortune to practice and study with many great teachers. As a Dharma teacher, she leads retreats, teaches, and supports practice groups internationally. She holds an MA from the University of Copenhagen, a Master of Studies in MBCT from the University of Oxford, and has completed the Bodhi College Dharma Teacher Training programme.Format & schedule
The day will consist of Dharma talks, guided practices, and opportunities for both personal and group reflections. No prior meditation experience is required. Please make it your intention to attend for the full day.
10.00 am – 4.00 pm with a break for lunch
(times shown are in BST)
Please note, this event will not be recorded.
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 onlinecoordinator@gaiahouse.co.uk.
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 Antonia at the end of the evening.
Click here to read more about the practice of dana.
Dana can be offered to Antonia via the Gaia House website. Please click on Teacher and then specify that your donation is for ‘Nurturing Mindfulness’ in the notes section on the checkout page.
Dana can also be offered to Gaia House. To make a donation please click here and specify that your donation is for ‘online Nurturing Mindfulness’ 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.
With deep appreciation for your generosity.
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.
Preparing for the retreat
We suggest that you have in mind your plan for the days of our retreat. For example, will you be:- Maintaining silence?
- Continuing with/doing additional sitting and walking meditation?
- Cultivating an attitude of retreat throughout?
Creating a retreat environment
- Find a quiet and comfortable space to practice and make it as pleasant and welcoming as you can
- If you like, you can arrange a small altar with candles, flowers, or altar objects near you
- You may like to keep a small candle burning throughout the day as this helps to remind us that we are practising on retreat
- We want to create a space that feels like we are with each other as much as possible. Even though we are not together physically, arriving on time is still important. Settle in and prepare your space and yourself before each session begins.
- Whilst we are online together, don’t multitask. Turn off your other devices and any other programs you have been using. Engage with the session and teachings offered just as you would on a retreat you attend in a retreat centre. Give yourself this time to be present and awake.
- Consider how you are going to use the time between our online sessions and try to keep life as simple and free from distractions as possible
Practicalities
- Arrange your computer or device so you can see and hear well
- Make sure you have easy access to the schedule and Zoom links and arrive on time for all the sessions you can attend
- If you have to miss any sessions, please check the noticeboard to access recordings of the missed sessions
- Think about where you might go to practice any walking meditation
- Shop before the retreat if you can so that you don’t have to do this during the retreat. Planning meals in advance may also be helpful
- Think about disengaging from unnecessary conversations and interactions: explain to any other people in your household what you will be doing and discuss how they can support you
Online: BIPOC Retreat Day: Nurturing Mindfulness, Opening the Heart, and Strengthening Community
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.
To register for this meditation day:
- 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 starting at £0. 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 suggested registration band is too high for you, you can enter the amount you are able to pay.
Registration: £13 — £35 (if this amount is too high, please feel welcome to pay what is appropriate for your current circumstances)
Dānanandi Sangha: £0 As a regular donor to Gaia House you are contributing already. Thank you.