In this issue

Welcome to our first electronic newsletter! We hope you like it and find it straightforward to read. This edition is something of an experiment so we would welcome your feedback on looks, format and, as ever, content. Our intention is to have more pictures and colour in the future. The advantage of using Mailchimp is that the newsletter will be easier and take less time to produce. 

We now have a contents section below with direct links to each area. A highlight for this month is Yanai's day retreat on Saturday 31st October. The theme is Contemplating Death. There are many benefits in turning towards this often difficult reality as part of a sangha and we are lucky to have Yanai to help us do this.  All are welcome.

As usual the self-led day retreat is coming up on the first Saturday of the month  - Saturday 3rd October. We hope you find this a useful day to support your practice. This month there will be a meeting afterwards from 5 to 6pm to plan the future of this group. If you are interested in this you are welcome to come along.

A new development is that the Tuesday night sitting group is going to try out a new venue for the whole of November. Please see the 'news' section for more on this.

As ever, please send us your ideas/contributions. 

Warm wishes to you all,

Mannie and Jonathan

Contents

• Our regular events
• Tuesday evening sitting group
• Self-Led Day Retreats
• Day time Sangha
• Focusing Groups
• Teacher-Led Day Retreats
• News
• Contributions from our Sangha
• Adverts and events from other related organisations 

Our regular events

Tuesday evening sitting group 19:30 – 21:30

Bristol Zen Dojo
91-93 Gloucester Road (between Miss Millie’s & Winning Post)
Bristol
BS7 8AT

The evening is as follows:

45 minutes meditation
Tea break
Mindful sharing and topics (see note)

Please arrive at 19:15 for a 19:30 sit. The door will be locked after 19:30, so please arrive on time.

There is no need to bring cushions or mats, these will be available.

Cost
£3.00 waged
£2.00 part-time waged
£1.00 unwaged

Donations of packets of tea and biscuits are invited.

October Dates for Sitting Group
Tuesday      6th
Tuesday    13th
Tuesday    20th  
Tuesday    27nd

Mindful Sharing and Topics:

After a short tea break there is an opportunity to share experiences of practice mindfully or to discuss a particular topic.

What is Mindful Sharing?

Sharing starts from a place of silence and returns to a place of silence. This is an opportunity for anyone to contribute and respond in the spirit of mindfulness, which may include observations, issues and reflections regarding practice, or perhaps excerpts from Dharma teachings, books or poems that may have been helpful or inspirational.

Raising Topics

Topics of interest are welcome either on the night or by signing up in advance. To raise a topic on a particular date, a notebook is available for this purpose at the Dojo or please to speak to Ray (07871 588 994) or Jill (0117 955 1360). If you set a topic it is useful to give a short introduction to the group about what it is and why you have raised it to start the discussion.

Topics for September:

This will be posted on the website.

Self-Led Day Retreats

We meet on the first Saturday of each month, and you are welcome to join us in this quiet spacious venue.

The day consists of alternating 45-minute periods of silent sitting and walking meditation, with a recorded talk before a pause for lunch. The warmth of the silence becomes supportive and enables us to be with ourselves, and others we’re with, without being distracted. The common experience expressed by many who take part is how a few hours of practice in this way, brings us to a place of spaciousness and stillness in our busy, daily lives.

As one participant recently shared, ‘practicing together is very supportive and helps to sustain me in my practice’.

We are very supportive of newcomers joining us, whether not-so-experienced or more experienced, you are equally welcome. Please ask if you would like to find out more.

Please arrive promptly at 10am to allow time to be settled to begin at 10:15am. Bring a mat, cushion, stool and vegetarian contribution to a shared lunch. Chairs available if you prefer.

Cost

£15.00 (£7.50 concessions)

Date for October

The next retreat is
Saturday 3rd October
10am – 5pm
 
Horfield Quaker Meeting House
300 Gloucester Road
Bristol
BS7 8PD
 
If you wish to find out more or confirm your place, please contact David Ringsell, or you’re very welcome to turn up on the day.
 
Dates for 2015:
3 October
7 November
5 December

Daytime Sangha Meetings  

These once a month meetings are open to all, and give an additional daytime opportunity to get together in a small group in a spirit of sangha.

The meeting will include a period of sitting meditation, some sharing, and discussion on any topics of mutual interest arising.

The next meeting will be on:

Friday 9th October at Margaret’s place:
15 Rayens Cross Road, Long Ashton, Bristol BS41 9AE.
Tel. 01275 392187.
Usual timing: 10.30-12.30.
Tel: 01275 392 178

Reminder: please let Margaret know in advance if you are planning to come to the meeting.

Please phone Gordon on 0117 908 0494 or email him for any further information.

Focusing Group

The Focusing Group is not meeting for the timebeing.

For information about Focusing, including articles, courses and links to various focusing websites,see the British Focusing Teachers (BFTA) website.

Dates:

There are no meetings of the Focusing Group planned at the moment.

Please phone Gordon on 0117 908 0494 or email for any further information.

Teacher-Led Day Retreats

A day retreat led by Yanai Postelnik

Contemplating Death

A Gateway to Immediacy, Love and Freedom

Saturday 31st October 2015
9:30am – 5pm

At St Michaels on the Mount Parish Hall
St Michaels on the Mount School
Old Park Hill, off Perry Road
Bristol BS2 8BE

Practical Information

The booking fee is £12/£6 concessions (to cover running costs) and a donation (dana) is invited from participants for the teaching received. Participants bring vegetarian lunch to share, and a cushion to sit on.

The retreats are held in silence and generally consist of alternate periods of sitting meditation, walking meditation, talk/instruction by the teacher, and on some retreats, interactive practice.

An open question period is usually included.

For further information, and to book online,see the Bristol Insight website.

In our modern western culture is easy to be somewhat insulated from death, and thus denied the benefit and transformative power of contemplating the reality of our own impermanence. The contemplation of death (known as Marana-sati, in the Buddhist tradition) has a remarkable capacity to open the mind and touch our hearts. Allowing ourselves to sense deeply into this central feature of our existence invites us to reconnect with the preciousness and mystery of our life. This practice helps clarify what is really important to us, opens our heart to the shared condition of all beings, and invites a deeper letting go into the freedom which lies beyond death. Participants are requested to commit to attend for the whole day.

Yanai Postelnik encountered the teachings of the Buddha and the practice of Insight Meditation while in Asia in 1989, and sat his first Insight Meditation retreat in 1990, and has been engaged in the study, practice and service of the Buddha’s teachings on a full time basis ever since. Yanai began teaching at Gaia House, in 1992, and lives in Ashburton, Devon, with his wife Catherine McGee. Over the years Yanai has taught in Australia, Ireland, France, India, and currently leads retreats in New Zealand, Sweden, Finland, Israel, the USA, and in the UK at Gaia House and around the country. He is much inspired by the immediacy of the human body, heart and mind as open doorways into discovery and awakening, and by the Forest Tradition of Thailand. His teaching draws upon wisdom from the breadth of the Buddhist teaching traditions, and other traditions likewise. He loves to spend time in the wilderness when he can, and includes the transformative power of nature as one of his most important teachers. Yanai is a member of the Gaia House Teacher Council, and a Core Faculty member of Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts. 

News 

Next steps with our Tuesday night sitting group venue

On September 15th the Tuesday night sitting group met to continue the exploration of an alternative venue for the group - one that is accessible to all and which will allow us to grow in numbers.  What seemed clear to us I think is that no one new venue is going to be perfect for everyone.  However as a group the majority decision was to try out the Central Quaker Meeting House for the whole of November. This will give us the opportunity to see how it works for us over a sustained period of time.  The Meeting House is a comfortable, spacious and peaceful setting. We shall also keep our place at the Dojo. If at the end of November we feel the Meeting House really isn't working we can return to the Dojo.

If you can accompany or provide a lift to and/or from the bus or train station, please do volunteer. We shall discuss the trial in the second half on October 13th as well.

The evenings in November will run as normal:

Start at 7.30 (doors open at 7.00)
Tea break at 8.20
Second half mindful sharing at 8.45
Finish at 9.30

Directions
The full address is
Friends Meeting House
Champion Square,
Bristol BS2 9DB

The Meeting House is within walking distance of the Marlborough Street Bus Station - Walk along Bond Street and turn left into Wellington Road. Buses 8, 9, 43a, 544, 545. Alight at Penn Street or Bond Street. Cross the main road by the footbridge. Parking is available for about 6 cars in the Meeting House forecourt on a first come first serve basis.

There is car parking in Cabot Circus which costs £2.00. However there is also parking in the side streets nearby behind the meeting house.

Mannie

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Can you distribute our information leaflet?  

We have a lot of information leaflets that we want to have distributed, they are kept at the Zen Dojo. If you can distribute any in your local area that would be great. Please ask Jonathan, Jill, Julia or Mannie to give you some.

Contributions from our Sangha

Julia Wallond writes
We have received the following beautiful message from the Mandala Trust:

'If your heart has been impacted by the current humanitarian crisis facing Africa and Europe but you are not sure what you can do to help then please read on.

There are various options out there, including taking yourself down to Calais (if you are in the UK), so please look around and find the way of supporting that feels most appropriate for you. We have our own option to throw into the mix - we are always keen to support children and young people as best we can and for this reason have teamed up with the Thessaloniki Refugee Solidarity Movement in Greece. These volunteers are working tirelessly to support the constant influx of refugees into Greece and any money donated to this cause will go directly into buying the most essential items these people need - rain clothes, warm clothes, shoes, baby food, nappies.. Minor refugees will get all the care and support possible.

Please have a look at the website.'

The Mandala Trust,
The Stables,
Langham Place,
Rode,
Somerset,
BA11 6PL, UK
Telephone: +44 (0)1373 831 834
Email: info@mandalatrust.org

Adverts and events from other related organisations

Creating Community- Creating Change: A Climate Change Engagement Retreat

A joint Gaia House and DANCE retreat at Hill End outside Oxford

30th October to 1st November 2015 

Price £85 Facilitated by Kirsten Kratz

Click here for details.

Bristol White Clouds Sangha

The Bristol White Clouds Sangha meets on the first and third Wednesday of every month for mindfulness meditation practice in the tradition of Zen Buddhist Master Thich Nhat Hanh. All welcome!

We gather together at 7:15pm for a 7:30pm start in the Library at the Friends Meeting House, 126 Hampton Road, Redland, Bristol, BS6 6JE

For more information please contact Jonathan Edwards 

Bath Buddhist Group

We meet weekly for meditation practice, talks and discussion, with speakers from the main schools of Buddhism.

Thursdays at 7:45 pm  (for a 8:00 pm start)

Scout Headquarters, 7 Grove Street, Bath.

See the website for further details of our programme. All welcome.

Bath Insight Meditation

Fridays 6pm-8pm

John Williams Room at Bath Central United Reform Church, Grove Street, Bath BA2 6PJ

We start with 45mins sitting/walking meditation followed by tea, a discussion then a short meditation.

All are welcome to join us.  Chairs are provided. Please bring a cushion or stool if you prefer.

Please phone Sue on 07929 842776 if you would like any further information.

Worldwide Insight

Teachings Online, Practice at Home

Worldwide Insight is a Dharma practice group that you can join from anywhere in the world. Each Sunday, renowned Insight Meditation teachers, including several from Gaia House, offer meditation instruction, teachings, and live Q&A on video.

Worldwide Insight functions just like city based Insight Meditation groups around the world, but you can attend from anywhere. Worldwide Insight covers the whole globe, yet delivers the dharma right to you.

We are committed to a broad and diverse dharma offering:

Sunday sessions with Dharma teachers with diverse backgrounds and cultural perspectives

A range of both world-renowned teachers and lesser known voices

Teachings you don’t hear on retreats: Bringing dharma wisdom to daily life themes such as work, relationships, sex, communication, culture, ecology and consumerism, as well as ethics, meditation and the liberation of the heart.

Teachings are offered on the basis of dana, inviting you to support the teachers you value and the practice you love.

Worldwide Insight meets every Sunday at 7pm UK time for 90 minutes.

Signup here.

Dartmoor Summer Walking and Meditation Retreat with Yanai Postelnik

Camping at Gidleigh Village Hall, Chagford, Devon

Fri 29th July – Tues 2nd August 2016 ​

This silent retreat is a special opportunity to cultivate mindfulness and practice the Dharma, while exploring the beauty and wilderness of Dartmoor. Following in the tradition of the Buddha, we will support our hearts to deepen in wisdom and compassion while walking together, sitting in meditation, and spending time around the campfire and in nature. We will be walking in a range of landscapes, including remote areas and ancient stone circles. Gidleigh Village Hall provides an ideal base, with secluded camping space, a spacious heated hall for meditation, toilets, a shower and a catering kitchen. Nutritious vegetarian meals will be provided. Much of our time together will be spent in silence, and there will also be meditation instructions, dharma teachings and opportunities to discuss meditation with the teacher. There will be space for sharing together and time for solitude.  Friday, Saturday and Sunday will include extended walks of several hours, and there will be regular periods of sitting meditation through the retreat.

Yanai Postelnik has been teaching the Buddha Dharma and Insight Meditation retreats internationally for 20 years. He has spent substantial periods walking in wilderness environments and has led walking retreats over many years in the French Pyrenees and in the Negev desert in Israel. He is inspired by the forest tradition of Thailand and the practice of ‘tudong’ - walking and meditating in the wilderness, undertaken in that tradition.  Faith Burch, our retreat organiser and cook, is a dharma practitioner of many years, and has organised and catered for many local events.

Previous experience of insight meditation and silent retreats will be beneficial, but is not required, as full instruction for the sitting meditation and walking practice will be given. The walking may be moderately challenging for some, and some degree of physical fitness will enhance your experience. There is parking at the hall, and a camping shop in nearby Chagford if equipment is needed.

You will need:  Meditation cushion or bench, mat and blanket or shawl (chairs are provided),camping equipment (including ample warm bedding as weather cold at night), and walking equipment suitable for varied terrain. The weather is variable and appropriate equipment for cold or wet conditions is required.

Cost: £130 which covers the cost of organising the retreat, hiring the hall and providing the meals, but does not include any payment for the teaching. In the Insight Meditation tradition, dharma teachings are offered without charge and participants are invited to support the teacher in the spirit of generosity. At the end of the retreat, there will be an opportunity to practice Dana (Generosity) to support the livelihood of the teacher.

To book your place, send a cheque for £50 (non-refundable deposit) payable to H F Burch, and post it to Kingfisher Flat, Middle Washbourne Farm, Washbourne, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 7UB. If you would like to pay by BACS then call Faith on 07952 157 585 for bank info. The deadline for full payment is 20th June 2016  (non-refundable from this date).

The retreat will begin on Fri 29th July, with time for arrivals and setting up tents etc. from 3pm, registration at 5pm with tea at 6.30pm. We will conclude on Tuesday after lunch at around 2.30pm.  Please note that it is not possible to sleep in the village hall – this is a camping retreat (you may sleep in a camper van).

Gidleigh Village Hall Website. 

For any further information and booking contact Faith.