Details:

Date: Sunday 31st August – Friday 5th September

Retreat Leader: Ven Amy Miller

Requirements: Everyone is welcome

Cost: Generosity ModelDonation only (via the donation form at the bottom of the page; no suggested amount).

Format: Onsite

Start and Finish times: Starting with supper at 18:00 on the first day and finishing after lunch on the last day.

Accommodation: Land of Joy wishes for everyone who visits the centre to feel welcome, accepted, safe and secure. Our accommodation options are very limited, with mostly single-sex shared accommodation with two-four people sharing rooms and only one single room (which is sometimes needed by volunteers). This means single accommodation can only be offered to those who need it the most, but still won’t always be available. Camping can be an option at certain times of year if you have your own tent, but space is very limited. Please read the relevant sections of the booking form carefully.

About the Retreat

This beautiful practice will be the foundation for a retreat focused on experiential meditations that will introduce the green tara sadhana and mantra recitation. In doing this practice, inner and outer obstacles can be eliminated to help us develop our minds and accumulate the positive conditions needed to attain enlightenment.

Green Tara practice has been used for centuries by people in times of need. The meditation and recitations of the mantra positively affect the subtle forces of the universe that influence everything in our lives. Tara’s quality is compassion in action. She is ready to step off her seat, into the world, ready to give help where needed. This makes her practice especially appropriate for us at these challenging times.

Her special quality is Bodhicitta: the attitude to develop yourself in order to benefit all beings. Her practice gives you the strength, resilience and inner joy to tackle the challenges of your life, and be a positive influence in our world

About the Teacher

Amy Joy Miller (Ven. Lobsang Chodren) first encountered Buddhism in 1987 at Kopan Monastery in Nepal and has been ordained since 2000. She has spent a great deal of time engaged in meditation retreats, study, teaching, and Buddhist center management.

Prior to studying Buddhism, Amy was a political fundraiser in Washington, DC and also worked for Mother Jones Magazine in San Francisco, California. She also trained as a hospice counselor during the peak of the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco and offers courses and retreats on death and dying and end-of-life care.

Amy is a touring teacher for FPMT, a spiritual life coach, and also leads pilgrimages to Buddhist sites around the world.

Amy’s teaching style helps people connect with meditation and mindfulness to gain a refreshing perspective on normally stressful living. She is the co-author of FPMT’s Buddhism in a Nutshell. For more information on Amy’s teaching schedule and pilgrimages, see www.amymiller.com.

A Way to Say Thank You

To Land of Joy…

Our generosity model means we do not charge for any teachings, accommodation or food. We are therefore 100% dependant on donations to help us cover our £90,000 a year running costs.

You are therefore invited to give what you can as a thank you for the organisation and hosting of the retreat, including the food and accommodation provided if you stayed onsite.

You may also like to make a regular contribution to the centre by becoming a Branch of Joy. This kind of support gifts us a steady and ongoing income, which in turn provides the confidence and means for us to continue to flourish for many years to come.

Everything given will ensure Land of Joy continues to be offered as a precious place for retreat.

To The Teacher…

Teachers and retreat leaders practice generosity by freely offering their time to Land of Joy. We cover their travel expenses but do not pay them for the teachings they give.

You are therefore invited to make an offering to the teacher as a thank you for the time and knowledge they share.

To The Volunteers…

Our retreats are supported by our wonderful team of volunteers, some of whom you will meet during your time at the centre. Those who live onsite offer their time, expertise and dedication in return for food and accommodation. They do not receive a wage or stipend. Unfortunately, we are only able to accept offerings for them in cash, so if you would like to thank them for their service, please do so by bringing cash with you to the centre and placing it in the volunteer collection pot.