Tending Joy, Sustaining Compassion

Overview

How do we creatively care for ourselves and others amidst the personal and collective challenges of our times? This retreat will offer a taste of how cultivating joy can support the capacity to respond without getting overwhelmed. Joy and Compassion are two of the boundless capacities of the human heart (brahma viharas). Together with their companions Friendliness and Equanimity they are inner resources that can be explored and developed moment by moment, to bring greater ease and freedom.

About the retreat

The retreat will be held in an atmosphere of companionable silence, including the lunch break. You’ll be invited to switch off phones and devices for the day, if possible. The guided practices will be 30-40 minutes long, including sitting, walking, and moving meditation, all adaptable to individual physical needs and energy levels. There will be short optional sharing in small groups at the start, and some Dharma reflections and discussion. Guidance will be given for newcomers to meditation; you don’t need to sit on the floor and there are plenty of chairs available. If you are disabled or have a longterm health condition or injury, you are welcome to lie down.

All are welcome, including those new to meditation and mindfulness. The practices and teachings are rooted in the Buddhist tradition, but people of all faiths, no faiths, or multiple faiths, are welcome.

Schedule

9.30 Arrive, hot drinks and a chance to meet other retreatants

10.00 Morning session

12.30 Lunch (please bring a packed lunch, there are no shops nearby)

1.30 Afternoon session

4.00 Retreat ends. Hot drinks and a chance to chat to other retreatants.

About the teacher

River Wolton teaches at Gaia House and other retreat centres in the UK and Europe. She helped to set up Sheffield Insight Meditation, and has completed Dharma Teacher training with Bodhi College. A former Derbyshire Poet Laureate, she has led arts projects for many years, and is an activist in the LGBTQ+ community. Her latest non-fiction book is a creative guide to the Brahma Viharas as an antidote to burnout: The Subtle Art of Caring: A Guide to Sustaining Compassion (Windhorse 2023).

About the venue

Alderwasley Village Hall nestles on the side of a hill overlooking the Derwent Valley and Crich Stand beyond. Thought to be the oldest building used as a village hall in England, this beautiful Ancient Monument and Grade II listed building was totally refurbished in 2010 thanks to Big Lottery funding. The hall, toilets (one disabled) and kitchen are all on one level on the ground floor.

Your ticket pays for the costs of the retreat - hall hire etc - but does not cover a payment for the teachings. You will be invited to offer a donation (dana) to support the livelihood of the teacher. Please see more detail about this below.

Dana

Dana can be translated as cultivating generosity or giving. The teacher does not receive any payment for their teaching. However they are happy to receive voluntary contributions from participants in the events they lead. These offerings are traditionally called dana. Most teachers depend on dana for most or all of their livelihood. This is an ancient tradition, offering teachings freely just as they were received freely from a previous generation of teachers. In this way the dharma (the teachings of the Buddhist tradition) is not made an object of commerce, and the relationship between teacher and student is based upon trust, freedom, and mutual generosity.

If you appreciate what the teacher has offered, we warmly invite you to make whatever contribution you feel appropriate. If you do so, you will be making a vital contribution to their livelihood and helping them to continue teaching on this generous basis, particularly in situations where people cannot afford to pay anything.

Dana can be offered to the teacher, River, during and after the retreat

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Alderwasley Village Hall, Chapel Hill,, Belper, United Kingdom

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