Group Retreats
Gaia House offers a year-round programme of week-long and weekend group retreats led by experienced teachers. The weeklong retreats mainly focus on the practice of Insight (Vipassana), Loving kindness (Metta) and Zen meditation. Weekends serve as either introductions to these forms of meditation or opportunities to reflect on the nature and purpose of personal meditation practice. All retreats share the common aim of Buddhist contemplative traditions to free the mind and heart from confusion, selfcentredness and anguish. They allow us the opportunity to cultivate moment-to-moment awareness that nurtures inner stillness and peace, insight into the nature of one’s experience and the fostering of emotional resources with which to respond more fully to suffering. Apart from personal and group meetings with teachers, retreats at Gaia House are held in complete silence. A typical day starts at 6:00 in the morning and finishes at 9:30 at night. Most of this time is spent in meditation practice, either sitting in the spacious hall or walking in the grounds. The teachers give daily meditation instructions as well as an evening talk. The schedule, silence, group support and comprehensive instruction combine to create an atmosphere of exceptional sensitivity, mindfulness and stillness. Resident managers provide meals, housekeeping and other practical requirements to support retreatants. Although we do have a limited number of single rooms, most group retreatants will be expected to share with one or two others. Each person is asked to contribute one hour of work per day to the house.
