camping

This retreat is for those who seek a practice of meditation that is secular in orientation but framed by Buddhist ethical and philosophical values. We will explore the role of mindfulness in embracing the suffering of life, letting go of the dictates of reactivity, experiencing the calm and clarity of spaciousness, and cultivating creative engagement as a way of being in the world.

Attention will be focused on the technical aspects of meditation as well as its intuitive and imaginative dimension.

The week will consist of periods of sitting and walking, instructions, discussions and talks.

-Camping places-
A limited number of camping places are available for this retreat at a reduced rate. It is not possible to book these online. Please contact our Reception team to enquire. Please note that we can only accommodate small one/two-person tents and each retreatant must have their own tent. Please be aware that if there is poor weather we may be unable to accommodate campers in the house.

STEPHEN BATCHELOR trained as a Buddhist monk in the Tibetan and Zen traditions. He is the author of several books, including the bestselling Buddhism without Beliefs. His most recent publications are After Buddhism and Secular Buddhism . A co-founder of Bodhi College, he teaches worldwide and lives in South West France.

Listen to one of Stephen Batchelor’s Talks at Gaia House on 24.07.2015: Instructions – Behold the Ceasing (Duration 34:23)

MARTINE BATCHELOR lived in Korea as a Zen nun under the guidance of Master Kusan for ten years. She is the author of Meditation for Life, The Path of Compassion, Women in Korean Zen and Let Go: A Buddhist Guide to Breaking Free of Habits. She is a Gaia House guiding teacher. She teaches meditation retreats worldwide and lives in South West France. Her latest work is The Spirit of the Buddha.

Listen to one of Martine Batchelor’s Talks at Gaia House on 23.07.2015: Instructions – What is This? Questioning. The Way of Korean Seon and it’s connection with Vipassana (Duration 34:08)

Retreat Code = 17152

A = suitable for all

Saturday 22 July 2017 – Saturday 29 July 2017 (7 nights)

Standard Rate:&nbsp&nbsp£385 – Please pay this rate if you can
Supported Rate:  £327 – Available if the Standard Rate is too high for you
Sponsor Rate:     £462 – A benefactor rate, which helps others to come here on the Supported Rate
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbspFor additional help with retreat costs, other options are available

Extending Your Retreat = £43 per night – Conditions apply – please see box

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.

We will learn the art of welcoming each moment with a kind and spacious attention, opening our hearts to ourselves and all beings, while exploring the nature of our experience and contemplating what it means to be alive. As we open to the way things are, we can rediscover the natural peace and freedom of our human hearts.

-Camping places-
A limited number of camping places are available for this retreat at a reduced rate. It is not possible to book these online. Please contact our Reception team to enquire. Please note that we can only accommodate small one/two-person tents and each retreatant must have their own tent. Please be aware that if there is poor weather we may be unable to accommodate campers in the house.

JAKE DARTINGTON has practised Buddhist meditation since 1995. After training as a Dharma teacher with Christina Feldman, he started teaching in 2007. He has a background in Philosophy and Buddhist Studies and has trained as a teacher of MBSR/MBCT. Jake lives in Nottingham where he teaches mindfulness and Insight Meditation.

Listen to one of Jake Dartington’s Talks given at Gaia House on 01.01.2016: Four Noble Truths (Duration 53:55)

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.

Listen to one of Zohar Lavie’s Talks from the Dharmalaya Silent retreat on 29.03.2017-: Emptiness, Self and Dependent Arising (Duration 50:33)

Retreat Code = 17155

A = suitable for all

Thursday 17 August 2017 – Tuesday 22 August 2017 (5 nights)

Standard Rate:  £275 – Please pay this rate if you can
Supported Rate:  £234 – Available if the Standard Rate is too high for you
Sponsor Rate:     £330 – A benefactor rate, which helps others to come here on the Supported Rate
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbspFor additional help with retreat costs, other options are available

Extending Your Retreat = £43 per night – Conditions apply – please see box

Facing illness and loss in our lives can be a time to slow down and look deeply into our experience. This retreat provides an opportunity to explore being present with our experience just as it is without judgement or blame, thus opening to the possibility for transformation that this approach brings. The practice of Insight Meditation will be used as the basis for exploring our relationship to bereavement and illness.

Developing greater mindfulness in times of transition, challenge and confusion can enable us to find new ways of relating to our daily lives. The retreat includes guided meditation and reflection, reflective exercises and contemplative art/writing.

Paul Burrows and Zohar Lavie offer a wealth of experience in supporting people find greater peace when facing the difficulties of illness and bereavement, through Dharma teachings and tailored meditation techniques.

This unique annual retreat has been running at Gaia House since 2011 and has received much positive feedback from participants.

Jenny Nicholson, who attended the retreat in 2016, said: “The retreat was a safe space for me to start to explore my relationship with a relatively recently diagnosed chronic illness for the first time. The silence allowed me to really be with my experience, in beautiful, therapeutic surroundings, and the daily afternoon sessions helped me to face issues and feelings in a kind and supportive environment. Going through the Brahma Viharas was perfect for me – exactly what I needed – and I have come away with a clearer feeling of wholeness and strength to help me live with the condition.”

Pau, who attended the retreat in 2016, said: “What helped me the most was to share my experience of loss with other people who were passing through a similar situation. That really changed my perspective of feeling alone in my situation and I began to realise that it is a shared experience. Seeing that made the pain of my loss become more bearable and it helped me to be more compassionate with other people and with myself. I still remember this now and I think it’s something I won’t forget.”

Thelma, who attended the retreat in 2015, said: “The retreat changed my life. That sounds like an extreme claim, but I came away knowing what I needed to do to help me cope with issues that had overwhelmed me, and it resulted in me successfully making twice-daily meditation part of my routine. I was transformed by those few days and hope to repeat the retreat next year.”

Alison, who attended the retreat in 2015, said: “I gained a lot of benefit from attending this retreat. I came on the verge of depression with repetitive thoughts of not knowing what to do, and of despair – I left with a plan! I felt in control of my life again and was much happier. I would highly recommend the course to others who are feeling lost. The teachers were excellent and assisted the participants to feel included and accepted in the group. This broke down much of the isolation that I had been feeling”.

Because of practical constraints, we request that those attending be able to manage the tasks of everyday living.

Please note the arrival time for registration for this retreat is from 14.00 until 16.30.

Click here for answers to some additional questions you may have about the retreat.

PAUL BURROWS is a student in the Insight Meditation tradition. He trained as a teacher with Christina Feldman, co-founder of Gaia House retreat centre and he now leads courses internationally. His exploring has led him through the monasteries and retreat centres of the Kathmandu Valley, India and the UK and through periods of intensive retreat practice in the Theravada and Tibetan Buddhist traditions. He is now making a home in North London. Awakening City.com

Listen to one of Paul Burrows’ Talks at Gaia House on 22.12.2015: What’s With All This Meditation Then? (Duration 48:30)

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.

Listen to one of Zohar Lavie’s Talks from the Dharmalaya Silent retreat on 29.03.2017-: Emptiness, Self and Dependent Arising (Duration 50:33)

Retreat Code = 17156

C = special criteria, please read the retreat description carefully

Saturday 26 August 2017 – Thursday 31 August 2017 (5 nights)

Standard Rate:  £245 – Please pay this rate if you can
Supported Rate:  £208 – Available if you cannot afford the Standard Rate
Sponsor Rate:     £294 – A benefactor rate, which helps others to come here on the Supported Rate
          For additional help with retreat costs, other options are available.

Extending Your Retreat = £43 per night – Conditions apply – please see box

This retreat is particularly designed for people who have completed an eight-week course in MBSR, MBCT, or equivalent and may not yet have attended a residential retreat. It will offer an opportunity to explore the familiar mindfulness practices in ways that can gently deepen our practice of non-reactive awareness.

Participants will be guided through various mindfulness practices (including sitting meditation, walking, and mindful movement) and will also have opportunities for inquiry and to meet one-to-one with the teachers. There will also be some short talks and time for questions about the theory of mindfulness, including its roots in Buddhist psychology.

The retreat will be held in the supportive context of silence at Gaia House, and the programme will include some time to practice in silence without guidance. Those who have already attended retreats as well as the eight-week course are also welcome.

Please note that this is not a training retreat for potential teachers but aims to support us in deepening and nourishing our personal practice of mindfulness.

To join this retreat you need to have completed an eight-week course in MBSR, MBCT, or equivalent.

JAKE DARTINGTON has practised Buddhist meditation since 1995. After training as a Dharma teacher with Christina Feldman, he started teaching in 2007. He has a background in Philosophy and Buddhist Studies and has trained as a teacher of MBSR/MBCT. Jake lives in Nottingham where he teaches mindfulness and Insight Meditation.

Listen to one of Jake Dartington’s Talks given at Gaia House on 01.01.2016: Four Noble Truths (Duration 53:55)

JENNY WILKS has practised in various Buddhist traditions since the late 1980s, and has an MA in Indian Religions. She has taught for several years at Gaia House, the Barn Retreat near Totnes in Devon UK, and local meditation classes. She trained in clinical psychology and works as an MBCT (Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy) therapist and trainer at Exeter University.

Listen to one of Jenny Wilks’ Talks at Gaia House on 31.12.2016: The Five Recollections (Duration 52:50)

Retreat Code = 17157

C = special criteria, please read the retreat description carefully

To join this retreat you need to have completed an eight-week course in MBSR, MBCT, or equivalent.

Monday 4 September 2017 – Thursday 7 September 2017 (3 nights)

Standard Rate:&nbsp&nbsp£183 – Please pay this rate if you can
Supported Rate:  £156 – Available if the Standard Rate is too high for you
Sponsor Rate:     £220 – A benefactor rate, which helps others to come here on the Supported Rate
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbspFor additional help with retreat costs, other options are available

Extending Your Retreat = £43 per night – Conditions apply – please see box

This retreat will interweave the practices of meditation with mindful movement and yoga practice, all as supports for freeing ourselves from habitual patterns, as we recognise them both psychologically and in the tension patterns in our bodies.

The retreat will include two periods of mindful movement each day along with silent and guided meditations, and meetings with the teachers. The movement practices are designed to greatly enhance the sensitivity and steadiness of mind in attending deeply to moment-to-moment experience, and to be integrative in bringing awareness and inquiry into all moments and activities of life.

-Camping places-
A limited number of camping places are available for this retreat at a reduced rate. It is not possible to book these online. Please contact our Reception team to enquire. Please note that we can only accommodate small one/two-person tents and each retreatant must have their own tent. Please be aware that if there is poor weather we may be unable to accommodate campers in the house.

MARTIN AYLWARD began practising Dharma aged 19, spending several years in Asian Buddhist monasteries and with Himalayan hermits. He is co-founder and resident teacher at Moulin de Chaves Retreat Centre in France, and of online Dharma platform WorldwideInsight.org. Martin directs teacher training at Mindfulness Training Institute and leads retreats worldwide. For information on his teachings and schedule visit MartinAylward.com

Listen to one of Martin Aylward’s Talks at Gaia House on 21.6.2016: The The 3 Facets of Practice, in Meditation and in Life (Duration 45:38)

GAIL AYLWARD attended her first retreat in Bodh Gaya in 1994. Since then she has lived and worked continuously in meditation centres, as well as bringing up her 2 children. In 2005 Gail became co-founder and director of Moulin de Chaves Meditation Centre in S.W. France. Alongside assisting Martin Aylward on some retreats, Gail is a qualified yoga teacher, offering yoga classes at Le Moulin and locally, emphasizing embodied awareness. She has been a student of the Diamond Approach since 2005.

Retreat Code = 17158

A = suitable for all

Tuesday 12 September 2017 – Sunday 17 September 2017 (5 nights)

Standard Rate:  £275 – Please pay this rate if you can
Supported Rate:  £234 – Available if the Standard Rate is too high for you
Sponsor Rate:     £330 – A benefactor rate, which helps others to come here on the Supported Rate
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbspFor additional help with retreat costs, other options are available

Extending Your Retreat = £43 per night – Conditions apply – please see box

This retreat will explore the qualities of Loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity. As we begin to understand what impedes these natural attributes of the heart, an innate resilience and ability to bring harmony to our inner and outer worlds emerges.

We will cultivate a quality of conscious presence that embraces our heart, mind and body. When no aspect of our experience is left out, we can access the creative energy and intuitive wisdom that can fuel our spiritual awakening and support our passionate participation in life.

CATHERINE McGEE has been teaching Insight Meditation at Gaia House and internationally since 1997. Her teaching emphasises embodiment and working with whatever hinders us from living our deepest knowing in the world. She is an advisor to One Earth Sangha and a long term student of the Diamond Approach.

Listen to one of Catherine McGee’s Talks given at Gaia House on 09.08.2010: Intimacy and Non Attachment (Duration 51:37)

JAYA KAREN RUDGARD began meditating in the 1980s and practised for eight years as a nun in the Thai Forest tradition in England with Ven. Ajahn Sumedho as her teacher. She is a graduate of the IMS/Spirit Rock Teacher Training and teaches Insight Meditation and mindfulness in the UK and internationally.

Listen to one of Jaya Karen Rudgard’s Talks at Spirit Rock Meditation Center on 24.11.2015: Seeing Through the Net of Illusion (Duration 47:55)

Retreat Code = 17141

A = suitable for all

Friday 14 April 2017 – Monday 17 April 2017 (3 nights)

Standard Rate:&nbsp&nbsp£183 – Please pay this rate if you can
Supported Rate:  £156 – Available if the Standard Rate is too high for you
Sponsor Rate:     £220 – A benefactor rate, which helps others to come here on the Supported Rate
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbspFor additional help with retreat costs, other options are available

Extending Your Retreat = £43 per night – Conditions apply – please see box

The form of this retreat is based on that followed in the Sŏn (Zen) Buddhist tradition of Korea. In meditation we will seek a balance between the calm of open awareness and a focus of deep inquiry into the nature of our lives through the question (kungan / koan) ‘What is this?’

Sitting and walking meditation both take place in the hall. There is also an optional practice of offering and bowing twice a day. Equal emphasis will be given to traditional instructions and contemporary interpretation of the tradition.

This retreat is suitable for experienced meditators, and is not recommended for beginners.

-Camping places-
A limited number of camping places are available for this retreat at a reduced rate. It is not possible to book these online. Please contact our Reception team to enquire. Please note that we can only accommodate small one/two-person tents and each retreatant must have their own tent. Please be aware that if there is poor weather we may be unable to accommodate campers in the house.

STEPHEN BATCHELOR trained as a Buddhist monk in the Tibetan and Zen traditions. He is the author of several books, including the bestselling Buddhism without Beliefs. His most recent publications are After Buddhism and Secular Buddhism . A co-founder of Bodhi College, he teaches worldwide and lives in South West France.

Listen to one of Stephen Batchelor’s Talks at Gaia House on 24.07.2015: Instructions – Behold the Ceasing (Duration 34:23)

MARTINE BATCHELOR lived in Korea as a Zen nun under the guidance of Master Kusan for ten years. She is the author of Meditation for Life, The Path of Compassion, Women in Korean Zen and Let Go: A Buddhist Guide to Breaking Free of Habits. She is a Gaia House guiding teacher. She teaches meditation retreats worldwide and lives in South West France. Her latest work is The Spirit of the Buddha.

Listen to one of Martine Batchelor’s Talks at Gaia House on 23.07.2015: Instructions – What is This? Questioning. The Way of Korean Seon and it’s connection with Vipassana (Duration 34:08)

Retreat Code = 17142

E = experienced

This retreat is suitable for experienced meditators, and is not recommended for beginners.

Saturday 22 April 2017 – Saturday 29 April 2017 (7 nights)

Standard Rate:&nbsp&nbsp£385 – Please pay this rate if you can
Supported Rate:  £327 – Available if the Standard Rate is too high for you
Sponsor Rate:     £462 – A benefactor rate, which helps others to come here on the Supported Rate
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbspFor additional help with retreat costs, other options are available

Extending Your Retreat = £43 per night – Conditions apply – please see box

Vipassana Insight Meditation in the Mahasi Tradition.

The Mahasi Sayadaw of Burma, one of the most influential meditation teachers of the last century, developed a combination of techniques – a robust schedule, noting, noting intentions and going slow – to develop the steadiness of attention needed for insight into the impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and not-self. Understanding these Three Existential Characteristics leads to liberation, peace and happiness. Metta/Goodwill and Bodycare are also developed.
Time also for daily practice and questions.

Carl Fooks will continue to assist Bhante as he has done since 2014.

-Camping places-
A limited number of camping places are available for this retreat at a reduced rate. It is not possible to book these online. Please contact our Reception team to enquire. Please note that we can only accommodate small one/two-person tents and each retreatant must have their own tent. Please be aware that if there is poor weather we may be unable to accommodate campers in the house.

BHANTE BODHIDHAMMA started training in Soto Zen in 1977, then in the Mahasi Theravada Tradition with Sayadaws U Rewata Dhamma, U Janaka and U Pandita. In 1986 he ordained, subsequently spending eight years at Kanduboda Mahasi Meditation Centre in Sri Lanka. He has been teaching in England, Ireland and internationally since 1998. From 2001- 2005, he was the Resident Teacher at Gaia House. He founded the Satipanya Buddhist Retreat in Wales, a meditation centre devoted to the Mahasi tradition.

Listen to one of Bhante Bodhidhamma’s Talks: Mae Chee Kaew: Awakened! (Duration 41:40)
More talks on Dharma Seed. and Satipanya.

Retreat Code = 17143

A = suitable for all

Friday 5 May 2017 – Sunday 7 May 2017 (2 nights)

Standard Rate:&nbsp&nbsp£122 – Please pay this rate if you can
Supported Rate:  £104 – Available if the Standard Rate is too high for you
Sponsor Rate:     £146 – A benefactor rate, which helps others to come here on the Supported Rate
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbspFor additional help with retreat costs, other options are available

Extending Your Retreat = £43 per night – Conditions apply – please see box

Vipassana Insight Meditation in the Mahasi Tradition.

The Mahasi Sayadaw of Burma, one of the most influential meditation teachers of the last century, developed a combination of techniques – a robust schedule, noting, noting intentions and going slow – to develop the steadiness of attention needed for insight into the impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and not-self. Understanding these Three Existential Characteristics leads to liberation, peace and happiness. Metta/Goodwill and Bodycare are also developed. Time also for daily practice and questions.

On the last Sunday there is the opportunity to undergo Lay Ordination for those wishing to make the Buddha Dhamma the reference point in their lives.

Carl Fooks will continue to assist Bhante as he has done since 2014.

-Camping places-
A limited number of camping places are available for this retreat at a reduced rate. It is not possible to book these online. Please contact our Reception team to enquire. Please note that we can only accommodate small one/two-person tents and each retreatant must have their own tent. Please be aware that if there is poor weather we may be unable to accommodate campers in the house.

BHANTE BODHIDHAMMA started training in Soto Zen in 1977, then in the Mahasi Theravada Tradition with Sayadaws U Rewata Dhamma, U Janaka and U Pandita. In 1986 he ordained, subsequently spending eight years at Kanduboda Mahasi Meditation Centre in Sri Lanka. He has been teaching in England, Ireland and internationally since 1998. From 2001- 2005, he was the Resident Teacher at Gaia House. He founded the Satipanya Buddhist Retreat in Wales, a meditation centre devoted to the Mahasi tradition.

Listen to one of Bhante Bodhidhamma’s Talks: Mae Chee Kaew: Awakened! (Duration 41:40)
More talks on Dharma Seed. and Satipanya.

Retreat Code = 17144

A = suitable for all

Friday 5 May 2017 – Sunday 14 May 2017 (9 nights)

Standard Rate:  £441 – Please pay this rate if you can
Supported Rate:  £375 – Available if the Standard Rate is too high for you
Sponsor Rate:     £529 – A benefactor rate, which helps others to come here on the Supported Rate
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbspFor additional help with retreat costs, other options are available

Extending Your Retreat = £43 per night – Conditions apply – please see box

Through understanding the way things are, we can come to know what it means to awaken in the midst of our life, to be deeply connected to our experience, and yet not bound by it.

This retreat will focus on cultivating a quality of conscious presence that embraces our heart, mind and body with acceptance and wisdom. Insight Meditation practice will be supported by instructions, loving-kindness meditation and opportunities for questions.

The retreat will include some chanting as well as mindful movement and qi gong.

-Camping places-
A limited number of camping places are available for this retreat at a reduced rate. It is not possible to book these online. Please contact our Reception team to enquire. Please note that we can only accommodate small one/two-person tents and each retreatant must have their own tent. Please be aware that if there is poor weather we may be unable to accommodate campers in the house.

JAYA KAREN RUDGARD began meditating in the 1980s and practised for eight years as a nun in the Thai Forest tradition in England with Ven. Ajahn Sumedho as her teacher. She is a graduate of the IMS/Spirit Rock Teacher Training and teaches Insight Meditation and mindfulness in the UK and internationally.

Listen to one of Jaya Karen Rudgard’s Talks at Spirit Rock Meditation Center on 24.11.2015: Seeing Through the Net of Illusion (Duration 47:55)

CHRIS CULLEN trained to teach Insight Meditation with Christina Feldman, and did Community Dharma Leader training at Spirit Rock. Chris co-founded the Mindfulness in Schools Project, and teaches mindfulness courses at the Oxford Mindfulness Centre and for MPs in the Houses of Parliament. He has a psychotherapy practice in Oxford.

Listen to one of Chris Cullen’s Talks given at Insight Meditation Society Retreat Center on 29.01.2015: Compassion (Duration 63:02)

Retreat Code = 17145

A = suitable for all

B = particularly suitable for beginners

Friday 19 May 2017 – Sunday 21 May 2017 (2 nights)

Standard Rate:&nbsp&nbsp£122 – Please pay this rate if you can
Supported Rate:  £104 – Available if the Standard Rate is too high for you
Sponsor Rate:     £146 – A benefactor rate, which helps others to come here on the Supported Rate
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbspFor additional help with retreat costs, other options are available

Extending Your Retreat = £43 per night – Conditions apply – please see box

“All conditioned dharmas, are like a dream, like an illusion, like a bubble, like a shadow, like a dewdrop, like a lightening flash; you should contemplate them thus.” – Diamond Sutra

This will be the third and final part of the Courage to Care series. Attendance is open to anybody; participation on the previous two retreats is not necessary although previous retreat experience is encouraged.

We are living through complex times. The multifaceted crisis — spiritual, psychological, ecological, social, political and economic – brings us into uncharted terrains where our usual solutions and strategies are growing increasingly impotent to effect change.

What is it to abide, wholeheartedly, in uncertainty? To collectively create a field which exists beyond the known? How can we contribute as we understand that we co-emerge in relationship with the whole?

As Dharma practitioners dreams can open a door into the ultimately empty and selfless nature of all dharmas. Through them we can explore that we are not on Earth, we are of Earth. We are Earth in human form.

On this retreat we will establish a group field that allows a different kind of listening to arise, through tending to and sharing our dreams, guided meditations and group time, to let the sense of imaginal space arise – of intuition and felt images – and to explore what they ask of us.

-Camping places-
A limited number of camping places are available for this retreat at a reduced rate. It is not possible to book these online. Please contact our Reception team to enquire. Please note that we can only accommodate small one/two-person tents and each retreatant must have their own tent. Please be aware that if there is poor weather we may be unable to accommodate campers in the house.

SUVACO is a former Buddhist monk and a passionate advocate for embodying life in all of its forms. He lives in the South West UK where he works as a psychotherapist and Tai Qi teacher.

Listen to one of Suvaco’s Talks at Gaia House on 15.06.2015: Evening Talk from Touching the Earth Retreat (Duration 47:09)

Suvaco will be assisted by Kamalamani. She has been a Dharma farer since 1995 and was ordained within the Triratna Buddhist Order for 11 years. She lives in Bristol where she works as a body psychotherapist, ecopsychologist, facilitator, and supervisor. She is author of Meditating with Character and Other than Mother: Choosing Childlessness with Life in Mind.

Retreat Code = 17146

A = suitable for all

Friday 26 May 2017 – Monday 29 May 2017 (3 nights)

Standard Rate:&nbsp&nbsp£183 – Please pay this rate if you can
Supported Rate:  £156 – Available if the Standard Rate is too high for you
Sponsor Rate:     £220 – A benefactor rate, which helps others to come here on the Supported Rate
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbspFor additional help with retreat costs, other options are available

Extending Your Retreat = £43 per night – Conditions apply – please see box

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 bring a yoga mat if you have one.

-Camping places-
A limited number of camping places are available for this retreat at a reduced rate. It is not possible to book these online. Please contact our Reception team to enquire. Please note that we can only accommodate small one/two-person tents and each retreatant must have their own tent. Please be aware that if there is poor weather we may be unable to accommodate campers in the house.

YANAI POSTELNIK has practiced 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 Yoga teacher Sri S Rajagopalan. She is a certified pilates teacher and lives with her family in an interfaith community in Milton Keynes. Helen is also the director of mindfulness:mk and runs courses and retreats in Milton Keynes and other locations. For more information please see www.mindfulnessmk.com

Listen to one of Helen Stephenson’s Talks given at Gaia House on 01.05.2012: The Texture of Being (Duration 37:59)

Retreat Code = 17147

A = suitable for all

Friday 2 June 2017 – Wednesday 7 June 2017 (5 nights)

Standard Rate:  £275 – Please pay this rate if you can
Supported Rate:  £234 – Available if the Standard Rate is too high for you
Sponsor Rate:     £330 – A benefactor rate, which helps others to come here on the Supported Rate
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbspFor additional help with retreat costs, other options are available

Extending Your Retreat = £43 per night – Conditions apply – please see box

The Chinese Chan (Zen) practice of investigating Huatou and Gongan (Koans) will be practised in periods of sitting meditation interspersed by walking meditation and stretching exercises.

As one becomes deeply absorbed in the practice mental constructions drop away, and one is confronted by a realisation that one does not know the nature of existence and one’s fundamental assumptions of life are groundless. Staying with and cultivating this ‘doubt’, it can become all-consuming ‘Great Doubt’ which may ‘shatter’ into a direct insight into reality, a glimpse of Enlightenment.

This retreat is recommended particularly for those with previous experience of intensive retreat but serious beginners are also accepted.

-Camping places-
A limited number of camping places are available for this retreat at a reduced rate. It is not possible to book these online. Please contact our Reception team to enquire. Please note that we can only accommodate small one/two-person tents and each retreatant must have their own tent. Please be aware that if there is poor weather we may be unable to accommodate campers in the house.

SIMON CHILD is a retired medical doctor who has trained for over twenty-five years with the late Dr John Crook and Chan Master Sheng-yen. He is a Dharma heir of Chan Master Sheng-yen since 2000. He is Teacher of the Western Chan Fellowship and leads retreats for the Fellowship at their retreat centre in Wales, and also in Europe and the USA.

Listen to one of Simon Child’s Talks at Gaia House on 12.04.2014: Introduction to Koans (Duration 1:12:43)

JAKE LYNE lives in Devon. He is a retired Clinical Psychologist, and has practiced Chan meditation for many years as a student of Dr John Crook and Master Sheng-Yen. He is a former Chair of the Western Chan Fellowship (WCF) and leads Chan Retreats at Bala Brook on Dartmoor and at the WCF retreat centre in Wales.

Retreat Code = 17148

A = suitable for all

Monday 12 June 2017 – Monday 19 June 2017 (7 nights)

Standard Rate:&nbsp&nbsp£385 – Please pay this rate if you can
Supported Rate:  £327 – Available if the Standard Rate is too high for you
Sponsor Rate:     £462 – A benefactor rate, which helps others to come here on the Supported Rate
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbspFor additional help with retreat costs, other options are available

Extending Your Retreat = £43 per night – Conditions apply – please see box

In a world where so much is changing so fast, where can we find a place for our hearts to rest?

From one perspective, Insight Meditation and mindfulness can be seen as rational techniques, with benefits confirmed by science. From another perspective our practice can inspire in us a sense of the sacred, devotion to something larger than ourselves, resting on faith and bringing blessing to ourselves and the world.

How do we hold, practise and benefit from both these orientations and explore what relating to a sense of the sacred might look like in a modern context? Join us to explore timeless refuge and meaningfulness in today’s world, releasing the heart and mind from the endless search for home.

To join this retreat you need to have a regular meditation practice and a working familiarity with mindfulness practice.

-Camping places-
A limited number of camping places are available for this retreat at a reduced rate. It is not possible to book these online. Please contact our Reception team to enquire. Please note that we can only accommodate small one/two-person tents and each retreatant must have their own tent. Please be aware that if there is poor weather we may be unable to accommodate campers in the house.

CATHERINE McGEE has been teaching Insight Meditation at Gaia House and internationally since 1997. Her teaching emphasises embodiment and working with whatever hinders us from living our deepest knowing in the world. She is an advisor to One Earth Sangha and a long term student of the Diamond Approach.

Listen to one of Catherine McGee’s Talks given at Gaia House on 09.08.2010: Intimacy and Non Attachment (Duration 51:37)

ANUSHKA FERNANDOPULLE has trained in Buddhist meditation for over 25 years, lives in San Francisco and teaches meditation around the globe. Her teaching is informed by nature, creative arts, political engagement, and modern urban life. She holds a BA from Harvard and MBA from Yale. For more info visit: www.anushkaf.org

Retreat Code = 17149

C = special criteria, please read the retreat description carefully

Saturday 24 June 2017 – Saturday 1 July 2017 (7 nights)

Standard Rate:&nbsp&nbsp£385 – Please pay this rate if you can
Supported Rate:  £327 – Available if the Standard Rate is too high for you
Sponsor Rate:     £462 – A benefactor rate, which helps others to come here on the Supported Rate
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbspFor additional help with retreat costs, other options are available

Extending Your Retreat = £43 per night – Conditions apply – please see box

This retreat is dedicated to the exploration and cultivation of four natural wonders of the heart: friendliness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity. Together with the practices of mindfulness and investigation, these four inter-related qualities help us find a path through life conducive to healing, awakening, and freedom.

The retreat will be held predominantly in silence but there will also be individual and group meetings with the teachers, guided meditations, Dharma talks, and contemplative exercises in pairs or groups involving some talking and listening.

-Camping places-
A limited number of camping places are available for this retreat at a reduced rate. It is not possible to book these online. Please contact our Reception team to enquire. Please note that we can only accommodate small one/two-person tents and each retreatant must have their own tent. Please be aware that if there is poor weather we may be unable to accommodate campers in the house.

JENNY WILKS has practised in various Buddhist traditions since the late 1980s, and has an MA in Indian Religions. She has taught for several years at Gaia House, the Barn Retreat near Totnes in Devon UK, and local meditation classes. She trained in clinical psychology and works as an MBCT (Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy) therapist and trainer at Exeter University.

Listen to one of Jenny Wilks’ Talks at Gaia House on 31.12.2016: The Five Recollections (Duration 52:50)

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.

Listen to one of Zohar Lavie’s Talks from the Dharmalaya Silent retreat on 29.03.2017-: Emptiness, Self and Dependent Arising (Duration 50:33)

Retreat Code = 17150

A = suitable for all

Wednesday 5 July 2017 – Monday 10 July 2017 (5 nights)

Standard Rate:  £275 – Please pay this rate if you can
Supported Rate:  £234 – Available if the Standard Rate is too high for you
Sponsor Rate:     £330 – A benefactor rate, which helps others to come here on the Supported Rate
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbspFor additional help with retreat costs, other options are available

Extending Your Retreat = £43 per night – Conditions apply – please see box

The Buddha’s teachings on non-attachment are not a means of escaping this life but an invitation to engage with it with care, creativity and a spirit of inquiry.

In this retreat we will explore our relationships of being in the world and how we can hold, enjoy and cherish the dynamic and creative tension of wise non-attachment and the human heart’s need and wish for belonging and for engaged participation: a passionate and compassionate participation that can encounter life with amazement and wonder, as rich in meaning, and even sacred.

This retreat will include guided meditative interactive practice, chanting and qi-gong.

-Camping places-
A limited number of camping places are available for this retreat at a reduced rate. It is not possible to book these online. Please contact our Reception team to enquire. Please note that we can only accommodate small one/two-person tents and each retreatant must have their own tent. Please be aware that if there is poor weather we may be unable to accommodate campers in the house.

KIRSTEN KRATZ has practised Buddhist meditation in Asia and the West since 1993. She started teaching in 2006. One of her particular passions is exploring how wisdom teachings can foster appropriate responses to the challenges of our time; she supports those on personal retreat in Gaia House and is co-initiator of the Dharma Action Network for Climate Engagement: DANCE.

Listen to one of Kirsten Kratz’s Talks given at Gaia House on 23.03.2013: Calm and Kindness (Duration 38:57)

JAYA KAREN RUDGARD began meditating in the 1980s and practised for eight years as a nun in the Thai Forest tradition in England with Ven. Ajahn Sumedho as her teacher. She is a graduate of the IMS/Spirit Rock Teacher Training and teaches Insight Meditation and mindfulness in the UK and internationally.

Listen to one of Jaya Karen Rudgard’s Talks at Spirit Rock Meditation Center on 24.11.2015: Seeing Through the Net of Illusion (Duration 47:55)

Retreat Code = 17151

A = suitable for all

Thursday 13 July 2017 – Tuesday 18 July 2017 (5 nights)

Standard Rate:  £275 – Please pay this rate if you can
Supported Rate:  £234 – Available if the Standard Rate is too high for you
Sponsor Rate:     £330 – A benefactor rate, which helps others to come here on the Supported Rate
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbspFor additional help with retreat costs, other options are available

Extending Your Retreat = £43 per night – Conditions apply – please see box

The Buddha’s teachings offer a pathway to discover inner peace, freedom and the compassionate heart.

This Insight Meditation retreat will focus on cultivating a quality of wakeful presence that embraces our heart, mind and body with kindness and wisdom, and supports us to re-connect with what is most important in our lives.

Through understanding that we are not separate, we can come to know what it means to awaken in the midst of our life, to be deeply connected to our experience, and yet not bound by it. All are welcome.

YANAI POSTELNIK has practiced 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)

Gavin Milne will be an assistant teacher for this retreat.

Retreat Code = 18152

A = suitable for all

Monday 2 July – Saturday 7 July 2018 (5 nights)

Standard Rate:    £280 – Please pay this rate if you can
Sponsor Rate:        £336 – A benefactor rate, which helps others to come here on the Supported Rate
Supported Rate:     £238 – Available if the Standard Rate is too high for you
FAB Fund Rate:     £140 – For more details please see the Financial Assistance page
Young Persons Rate: £84 – For more details please see the Financial Assistance page

Extending Your Retreat = £44 per night – Conditions apply – please see box

Intensive silent 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 (i.e. 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 attend an intensive retreat in silence. The teachers might not be able to give you the kind of individual or psychological care you might need at this time. It could possibly be more appropriate to practise in or seek out a setting where there are more opportunities for interpersonal engagement.

• 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 to attend an intensive silent retreat.
• Please be prepared to offer your mental health professional’s contact information to the teachers on opening day if requested.
• If you have any questions about the above please contact: retreatmanager@gaiahouse.co.uk