‘The times are urgent; let us slow down.‘ Báyò Akómoláfé

How do we creatively care for ourselves and others amidst personal and collective crises without burning out? On this day retreat we’ll explore how the arts of resting, befriending, enjoying, and delighting, can sustain compassion and support us to ‘fill as we pour’.

To encourage a deepening of practice, the retreat will be held in an atmosphere of companionable silence, including the breaks. There will be guided practices, including sitting, walking, and moving meditation, all adaptable to individual physical needs. There will also be a short optional sharing in small groups at the start, and some Dharma reflections and discussion. The retreat is suitable for beginners as well as those with experience of meditation practice.

River Wolton teaches at Gaia House and other retreat centres in the UK and Europe. She helped to establish Sheffield Insight Meditation, and has completed Dharma Teacher training with Bodhi College. A former Derbyshire Poet Laureate, she has led writing and arts projects for many years, and is an activist in the LGBTQI+ community. Her latest book is The Subtle Art of Caring: A Guide to Sustaining Compassion (Windhorse 2023).

For more information and to book a ticket https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/731135735667?aff=oddtdtcreator.

Listen to River’s talks on Dharma Seed

Dana: In the spirit of generosity, our teachers offer their teaching freely. We invite you to make a ‘dana‘ donation to support River in continuing to offer the teachings in this way. There will be an opportunity to offer dana on the day if you are participating in person. You can also make donations to River via this Paypal link.

Please note we are unable to process donations for our teachers through Eventbrite.

Booking fee: The fee for online participation is £5/£3 (concessions) and for in person participation £15/£5 (concessions). The fee covers general running costs of the online and in person retreats, including Zoom costs, Eventbrite fees, hall hire and teachers’ travel and accommodation expenses. Our teachers receive no payment from the booking fee; instead you will be invited to offer a donation to our teachers in the ancient tradition of dana.

Concessions: We invite you to pay the full rate if you are reasonably able to do so, as this supports the continuation of our retreats. We also offer concessionary rate tickets to those who are unemployed, full-time students, on a low income, or are otherwise finding it difficult to meet the full cost. If you are unable to afford our concessionary rate, for any reason, please contact us on the email address below, as we’d like to ensure that these days are accessible to everyone.

To find out more, and to book, please see the Eventbrite page.