Do come and join us at the beautiful Plot 22 for a day of mindfulness practice in nature.

Many of us find great solace and joy in being outside spending time with plants, birds and other wildlife. The more mindfulness and loving attention we can bring to the experience, the more enriching it is. Very often a sense of love and care also arises from these encounters.

The natural world is also a wonderful place to directly observe the central Buddhist teachings of impermanence, inter-connectedness or non-self and satisfactoriness. These core universal principles, once understood fully, have the power to bring distress, despair, and struggle to an end, opening the door to a life lived with peace and dignity.

The day will consist of a variety of guided mindfulness practices and reflections in nature, adapted for inside if required, and some optional sharing and mindful speaking practice. We will be largely in silence for most of the day, to facilitate deep connection and listening, and it will be suitable for all levels of meditation experience.

This lovely site consists of 2 ½ allotments near to Aldrington train station dedicated to eco-therapy, a healing space using the benefits of being around plants and wildlife to find peace and joy. It has covered areas in case of rain, a toilet and running water. The site is level with good paths, if you have accessibility requirements, please get in touch to discuss. Drinks will be provided but please bring your lunch as it is a bit of a walk to a café or shop.

There are chairs at the site but if you prefer to sit closer to the ground, please bring your own cushion/mat/blanket.

Jiva is a graduate of the Gaia House Community Dharma Leader programme, has been practicing largely in the Western Insight and Thai Forest Sangha traditions since 1997.

Her day job is teaching and supervising Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Mindful Self Compassion courses and she brings this accessible, interactive teaching style to her Dharma teaching.