Practicing Dharma in times of challenge and change
A Home Practice Online Retreat with Zohar Lavie and Nathan Glyde
Retreat Description
Life is always uncertain, but these days it’s profoundly and clearly felt. When we meet this, we may shut down, become stressed, or seek distraction. This is understandable, yet it leads us away from well-being. Dharma teachings and practices offer us a wise alternative, and can be a great resource for meeting life well. On this retreat we’ll uncover ways to support spaciousness and intimacy, resilience and sensitivity, and open the range of possibilities to live from a more free and expansive heart.
The current conditions we are living in open up challenges as well as possibilities. Let’s turn our practice into an immediate resource, and this retreat into an opportunity to deepen and develop our practice and understanding.
A home based retreat offers a chance to nourish our practice through support from teachers and the community of other practitioners. We will offer a daily structure of teachings and meditations, and opportunities to connect in smaller groups with the teachers.
We are aware that the conditions vary between us in terms of how much available time we have, whether we can immerse in silence or are living with others, and our responsibility towards those around us. We would like this retreat to support the whole range of conditions that we find ourselves in.
Retreating at Home
Here are some ideas around how to prepare for a home-based online retreat: Home Retreat Guidelines
Levels of Commitment
We will offer a full schedule so those who wish, and are able to, may replicate an in-person retreat at home. This is balanced with flexibility, so that those who have responsibilities to others are able to do less.
We ask that everyone commits to participating with at least the minimum of the retreat: we have called this the ‘essentials’. This will be best supported by doing as much of the ‘additions’ as we can manage, up to and even exceeding the daily rhythm we propose: we will never shut the online (Zoom) Dharma Hall.
(All timings are expressed in the UK time zone.)
The Retreat will open at 3.30pm on Monday 25th May and the last session will close at 12 noon on Friday 29th May:
Essentials – we ask that you commit to attending these (starting Tuesday, 26 May)
If you are in a time zone that doesn’t support you to do this, recordings will be available so that you can listen later that day –
9.30 – 10.30 Meditation Instructions – introducing the practice theme of the day
15.30 – 16.30 Silent Meditation followed by a Dharma Talk
Wise and Useful Additions (starting Tuesday, 26 May)
10.30 – 11.00 Q&A – on our practice, the previous instructions, or the previous talks
12.15 – 13.00 Listening Groups – sharing in smaller more intimate meetings with Nathan and Zohar
19.30 – 20.15 Guided Meditation – on the day’s theme
The Full Daily Rhythm (first full session starts Tuesday 26 May)
6:30 Personal Mindful Movement or Exercise
7:15 Sitting Meditation
8:00 Breakfast
9:30 Meditation with Instructions
10:30 Walking Meditation / Optional Q&A
11:00 Walking Meditation continued
11:30 Sitting Meditation
12:15 Walking Meditation / Group Meetings
13:00 Lunch
15:30 Meditation and Dharma Talk
16:30 Walking Meditation
17:15 Sitting Meditation
18:00 Supper
19:30 Guided Meditation
20:15 Rest or Further Practice
The Retreat will open at 3.30pm on Monday 25th May and the last session will close at 12 noon on Thursday 29th May:
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.
Registration
Registration for this retreat is now open, please complete the form at the bottom of this page.
Enquiries
If you have any questions regarding the retreat, please 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
This retreat is offered without charge, and for those who feel moved to make a voluntary dana offering of financial support, the teachers and Gaia House are very grateful.
If you wish to offer dana to Zohar and Nathan please use this link. Online form to give dana by credit or debit card
Alternatively, 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 Nathan and Zohar in the notes section on the checkout page.
You can find out more about the practice of dana here.
With deep appreciation for your generosity and support.