Intern Applications warmly welcomed for the 2024 Winter Retreat
Saturday, June 8 3:30 PM to Wednesday, September 4, 1:00 PM
UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES FOR WINTER RETREAT INTERNSHIPS
Applications to join the community for 1,2, or 3 months are now open.
This is a wonderful opportunity to be part of the Dharma Gaia community, with all the richness of learning and support in spiritual practice.
Learn how to live more deliberately and authentically.
Living in conscious community grounded in Mindfulness you will learn to understand yourself and others. You will be supported to see clearly and to transform habits and beliefs that do not support you to live fully and in true connection with yourself and others,
Our commitment for this time is to develop and integrate powerful tools to live in Presence and Awareness. Besides the formal practices of sitting walking and eating meditation, we support physical practices such as yoga, Tai Chi, Deep Relaxation,
Dharma Inquiry and contemplative inquiry are also important aspects of waking up collectively. And interwoven throughout practice and the daily living we give space and value to rest, silence, creativity and Being in the nature as much as possible
We also open the centre for others to join us from time to time and this is a deep opportunity to serve and let generosity flow out from our Gratitude.
:
Cost For the full 3 months - 13 weeks of board, food, training and participation in all the Winter Retreat Programmes- $1080 - $900 (this is a sliding scale; participants will choose where on that scale they can afford). Some further scholarships for the 3 month programme may also be possible. As this is a very wonderful opportunity, we would not want the financial contribution to prevent a genuine applicant from attending.
if you are unable to apply for the full 3-month programme, possibilities are available for the first 2 month period: - board, food training and participation in the opening 5 day retreat- $820 - 750 (this is a sliding scale; participants will choose where on that scale they can afford).
or alternatively the first 4 week period is the shorter of the opportunities to join - board, food training and participation in the retreat- $580 - 620 (this is a sliding scale; participants will choose where on that scale they can afford).
Places for Interns on the Winter Retreat are limited. Preference will be given to those who want to join for the whole 3 months, but space may be available for one or two months. Applications are open now until May 4th (or until possible places are filled)
Recommendation from a 2023 Intern
A little insight about my experience at Dharma Gaia. Initially, I came to Dharma Gaia to do two weeks as a Volunteer. When I arrived I immediately felt the peacefulness of the centre, and could really feel that it was a safe space to slow down and to come home to myself. After the first weeks, the Community offered me the opportunity to apply to stay for the three months winter retreat. It felt like a big commitment as I was traveling around New Zealand at the time. After a period of really looking into this and into myself, I decided to say Yes!
The winter retreat is a traditional period in Buddhism to come together and to deepen one’s practice of peace and concentration To me it has been very powerful to practice in community in this way. We have times when we are in silence together, and at other times we share our inner experiences and we hold space for each other. What I like a lot about the Plum Village tradition is the practice of mindfulness in all aspects of life … not just on the cushion meditating. We learn to settle ourselves in presence and bring peace and lightness to our meals, our gardening, cooking and during the nature walks in the area. Here you are always gently invited to come back to the present moment every moment of the day and to be present with all that is around you and inside you.
A profound experience
Annabelle, From the Netherlands Winter 2023
Winter is also a wonderful opportunity to deepen our creative spirit - to nourish the writer, the poet, the artist the musician - in this way we feed the very essence of our natural capacity for meditation and mindful concentration …
the Artist enrishes and enlivens the essence of the Meditator …
and the Meditatior nourishes and strengthens the Artist
