2020 Dharma Gaia Rains Retreat
8 July to 31 August 2020
A 55 day winter practice programme
This Rains Retreat practice programme is composed of guided practice at home, weekly online sessions led by Dharma Teachers and the Dharma Gaia Sangha, practical and sharing support in local sanghas and study groups, and culminating in a 10 Day Residential Retreat at Dharma Gaia from the 21st to the 31st of August (The 1st of September will be a great and integration day.)
The rains retreat programme is for people who have already practiced in the Plum Village tradition and are familiar with the way of practice as taught by Venerable Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. If you have not practiced in this tradition but wish to attend please write a request o the Dharma Teachers to assess if this is a suitable Retreat for you.
The teachings and guidance will cover 7 themes over the 55 day period
The at-home six-week practice: Each week will be based on one of the themes as a place of practicing mindfulness in daily life, of contemplation and opportunities to read or watch further dharma talks if you wish. Journaling daily will help keep your practice commitment, Supports/guidelines/readings etc will be offered for each of the weekly themes:
REGISTRATION:
For The 6-week NON RESIDENTIAL COMPONENT: we invite you to register as a way to be supported in your commitment and to feel part of the Dharma Gaia community over the 55 days of the Rains Retreat. In order to receive full ongoing details for practice at home and in local sangha and to receive the zoom access details for the Wednesday night sessions at Dharma Gaia. Please register by email peace@dharmagaia.org
Cost: There is no set cost for the first six-week non-residential component. Dharma Gaia is offering this purely on the basis of donation/dana. See the account details below.
The FINAL 10 days of this practice period will be offered as a Residential component:: Cost will be on a sliding scale and will be announced here soon: For now we welcome your early registration by emailing us your details peace@dharmagaia.org - subject line 10 DAY RESIDENTIAL RETREAT. Confirmation of a place on the retreat will be possible once full registration fee is confirmed.
RETREAT DETAILS
Wednesday 8 July 7.30pm - 9pm - OPENING CEREMONY AT DHARMA GAIA and also offered VIA ZOOM
Thereafter every Wednesday night practice until the 19th August we will be dedicating our zoom sessions to our Rains Retreat theme for that week.
We encourage the local sanghas and study groups to also dedicate their sessions over this period to the Rains Retreat themes - more details from the various practice groups will be posted here as the groups have practices to offer.
The six-week Home programme
Week 1 - July 9 to 15 BODY AWARENESS Please try to journal every day.
This week of home practice has two aspects:
1. We will focus on one specific activity and our practice will be Awareness of Our Body - You may take one aspect of your real life - walking to work, eating, exercise, playing a musical instrument, bathing children, cleaning, doing dishes, inviting the bell. Whatever you choose it should be a committed practice for every day for the week.
2. And our second practice this week is to start out with our hands in the soil … and our awareness in the soil of our minds.
Embodying our practice in a concrete way of supporting ourselves/supporting the planet. Our focus is to prepare a physical place for planting a tree. This is an inward investigation and an outward action. We can contemplate ..How connected am I to the earth? In planting a tree - How much care and thought will go into my preparation? Seeing … am I in a hurry, fearful, joyful, trusting, seeing my actions as important for self/others/future generations. Then can I use this seeing as a mirror and a support for awareness/transformation of how I do anything? PLANT A TREE THIS WEEK and remember to journal about observations of how you do an activity.
Further practice details for the following periods will be added to this website as we progress through the Rains Retreat.
Week 2 - July 16 to 22 Body in motion, Body at rest
Week 3- July 23 to 29 Sensory Awareness Body in connection and separation
Week 4 - July 30 to August 5 Body and Mind are one
Week 5 - August 6 to 12 Feelings/Emotions
Week 6 - August 13 to 19 Me/Interbe
19 and 20 August reviewing and relaxing. Please use your daily journal.
From 21 August to 31 August - this is the Residential 10 day Retreat at Dharma Gaia (full Information for this residential component of the Rains Retreat Practice can be found here).
A note for our Order of Interbeing aspirants and members: Even though many of these days we will practice at home and in our everyday lives, if we practice diligently these 55 days and attend the following OI &A retreat we will have completed our commitment to 60 days of Mindfulness Practice a year. And even if we are not aspirants or members of the Order of Interbeing - we can practice diligently these 55 days and manifest deep transformation and healing.