Deep gratitude to our friends at Wild Geese Sangha in Edinburgh for hosting a wonderful mid-winter retreat at Gorton House near Roslyn Glen. We spent time delving into the deep and beautiful Heart Sutra, enjoyed chanting, meditating, eating, working and walking together with much nourishing silence. Our hearts are full to the brim!
Dear all,
We had our last Sangha session of 2019 yesterday evening and enjoyed a focus on gratefulness and some poppy seed cake! We will gather again on Thurs 9th January 2020 for another year of breathing and smiling together.
In the meantime wishing you a joyous and nourishing festive season.
A lotus to you.
5 MINDFULNESS TRAININGS TRANSMISSION IN SCOTLAND: A RARE OPPORTUNITY! At the February retreat at Newbold House, Forres there will be one of the rare opportunities to take the Five Mindfulness Trainings in Scotland. Senior Dharma teacher Murray Corke will lead a transmission ceremony. The retreat is called “The Path to Happiness – Practices for an Engaged Life” and will happen 6-9 February 2020. Teachings will be on the Nobel Eightfold Path and the Mindfulness Trainings. The northern Sanghas are just finalising the last bits and booking will open very soon.
https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness-practice/the-5-mindfulness-trainings/
Paloma & I thoroughly enjoyed joining together with other UK sangha brothers and sisters at the bi-annual Aspirant and Order Member retreat at Wiston Lodge near Biggar this month. We came together to practice with the theme of “impermanence” and this was deeply supported by the time of year and the autumnal landscape surrounding Wiston, leaves falling and decaying on the ground. There was a real sense of joy and family by the end and we all felt deeply grateful for the nourishing time there together.
November, 19
Join us on Saturday 5th October 2019 for a Mindfulness Day in the Tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh and Plum Village with Dharma Teacher, Susanne Olbrich.
How can we meet the current global and national crisis with an open heart and mind? How can mindfulness and creativity help us to be the change that we want to see in the world? Through meditations and creative exploration we will nurture a sense of aliveness, awareness and connection with nature and each other – because what the world needs now is people who are alive, awake and connected!
We all have the seeds of creativity and joy in us and this day will be an opportunity to water them. Let’s come together for mindful breathing, sitting, walking and eating to slow down and reconnect with the source of peace and joy inside. By coming home to ourselves, relaxing body and mind, and allowing the senses to open up, we will embark on a journey of discovery with sound, music, words, colour and nature materials. Through simple creative activities, weather permitting outdoors, we will nurture awareness, openness, playfulness, curiosity, kindness and a spirit of adventure in ourselves and each other. You are invited to explore and experiment, to be receptive, to be. Everyone welcome!
Susanne Olbrich, True Ever-present Stability, is a musician, music educator and mindfulness teacher based at Findhorn, where she co-founded the Northern Lights Sangha. In 2016 she received the Lamp Transmission as a dharma teacher in Plum Village. She loves offering retreats and days combining mindfulness and creative expression.
Please bring:-
– A musical instrument if you have one (whether you can play it or not), crayons or pastels.
– Packed lunch. We will provide teas/ coffees.
– A meditation cushion/ stool if you have one, don’t worry if not, we have a few spare and some chairs (these are quite hard so a small cushion can be beneficial).
– A favourite blanket or shawl for warmth. Slippers or warm socks can also be nice.
– Outdoor shoes and coats
An opportunity to gently arrive and enjoy a cup of tea will be offered from 10am, starting the day fully at 10.30am.
There is no fee for the day but the opportunity will be there to offer dana (a voluntary contribution) to our visiting teacher.
To book a place please email orla.beaton@btinternet.com.
The monastic-led retreat on Holy Isle was a great success, so wonderful to gather together with friends, old and new, in such a beautiful setting.
Dear Sangha friends,
We can now can confirm details of our Mindfulness Day with Janie Ellen Combelic on Saturday 27th April, 10-3pm. Please see the FB link and info below….
The event will take place at our usual Sangha venue of Westbank in Strathmiglo.
“You are invited to a nourishing and relaxing day with writer, storyteller and mindfulness teacher Janie Ellen Combelic. Come hear stories from her recent book, No Coming No Going, about the year she – and her dog, Serafina – spent on a farm near Plum Village in southern France, studying with Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh. We will experience and discuss one of the most meaningful practices from Plum Village: deep listening and speaking from the heart, sharing that most precious of gifts, our presence. Everyone is welcome, from any faith tradition or none. Jane Ellen Combelic is a long-time student of Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, and former editor of his magazine The Mindfulness Bell. Originally from Colorado, she now lives near Findhorn in Scotland.”
If you would like to join us please let us know by emailing Orla at orla.beaton@btinternet.com so that we can keep track of numbers. Thank you! On the day we would request a donation to cover the rental of the hall at Westbank and Dana for our teacher but please don’t let this stop you from coming along. Please bring a small amount of vegetarian food to share for lunch as well as your own plate/ bowl and cutlery. We will provide teas & coffees. Please also bring your own meditation cushion/ stool & blanket if you have them but not to worry if you don’t we have a few spare and some chairs.
We look forward to welcoming Janie to Poppy Seeds very much and hope you see you there!
With a smile of happiness, Poppy Seeds
