Freedom Right Here: A Beginner’s Guide to Meditation
With Mark Ovland
28th January 10.00AM – 4.00PM
Meditation helps us to free up our hearts, free up our minds, and free up our lives. Taking time to learn this ancient and precious skill is one of the kindest gifts we can give to ourselves. And in giving to ourselves we give to the world. Through developing beautiful qualities of heart and mind, and by accessing a deep inner spaciousness for ourselves, we become all the more able to engage with our relationships and the stuff of life with love, with care, and with increasing wisdom.
This day retreat will be focused on helping beginner meditators to establish a basic home practice. During the day we will meditate in different postures (sitting, walking, and standing, if people’s bodies allow), and share a delicious vegetarian lunch together. There’ll be instructions and reflections, tips and advice, and plenty of time for questions.
Everyone is welcome. If you’re a more experienced meditator and simply fancy a day on retreat, do please come along. Your presence and your practice will be a valuable support for those just starting out.
Mark Ovland
Mark has been practising meditation since 2008. At the start of his journey he lived briefly as a monk in India, then on his return to the UK spent the following few years volunteering as a residential coordinator at the Barn Retreat and then Gaia House. Mark was invited to teach by the late Rob Burbea, with whom he studied and practised for a little under a decade. He co-founded the charity Freely Given Retreats and was a co-initiator of DANCE (the Dharma Action Network for Climate Engagement). Outside of retreat centres and meditation groups, Mark has also led courses in prisons, universities, and the workplace.
Retreat Day Venue: Glenfrome Primary School, Bristol, BS5 6TY
These days are run by Bristol Insight Meditation group from 10-4 with a shared lunch. You can arrive as from 9.30 to have a bit of time for a drink and to settle in before we start at 10am.
So please bring the following items with you on the day:
- a vegetarian dish to share (or your own pack lunch if you prefer),
- Chairs and gym mats are provided. You may wish to bring cushions and blankets for meditation.
Booking:
Early Bird Booking (one month or more before the retreat) is £20 waged and £10.00 unwaged.
Late Booking is £25 waged and £12.50 unwaged.
This covers the administration costs and the hall hire only. There will be an opportunity to offer dana (the practice of generosity) for the teacher as a donation on the day.
You can book on Eventbrite here.
For more information about our day retreats please visit our General Information and Practicalities page on our website.
For a list of all our 2023 retreats click here