Community Sitting Group
Our Mindfulness Practice Group Space is open to all
curious hearts and minds:
Newcomers to mindfulness, those with some experience
or an established practice, and those on our Teacher Training Pathway.
APRIL:
Practicing Right Here…
You might have noticed, the human mind is very creative, it wants to understand what’s going on and therefore creates a lot of conceptual models about ‘me’, ‘you’ and the ‘world around us’.
The same about mindfulness and how to practice.
We might have a tendency to grasp for knowledge and/or try hard to find answers to the questions, we may have about life in general or mindfulness in particular.
APRIL:
Practicing Right Here…
- What does mindfulness practice look like?
- What does a mindfulness practitioner look like?
- Who am I to claim to be a mindfulness practitioner or not to be one?
- Where can I find the way in?
An ongoing invitation to build a community…
The Community Sitting Group is an intimate way to come together to sit, practice and to dive deeply into the nature of our own experiences and to explore what it means to be truly human.
We invite you to join us in building this mindful community, wherever you are based and regardless of your practice history so far. As a newcomer to mindfulness or a long-time practitioner or trainee, it is a valuable opportunity to invite curiosity, connection and insight into the group, allowing us to connect with people of all different backgrounds.
If you are curious about joining our Mindfulness Practice Group, you are welcome to join for a calendar month or longer and continue to be part of our group for as long as you would like.
As this group will be on a continual basis, there is no need to attend every session within the period, as there is no real ’beginning’ or ’ending’. Just an ongoing journey together!
You are most welcome to help us shape our practice community into a truly enriching experience for everyone who comes into contact with it – either briefly or over a longer time.
Tina talks about her experiences
and the benefits of joining us.
Belonging & purpose - Part I
The sitting group has offered me a space in which to return to a sense of stillness, belonging, and purpose. I am humbled by the work each one of us in this community is putting in to returning home to the practice, even where there might be resistance to doing so!
It is both illuminating listening to the talks from Susann, and at the same time deeply nourishing to come back to my own practice, with the support of others in the group – just by being there in silence and in sharing their own experiences.
Belonging & purpose - Part II
This sense of community supports me far beyond what words can explain, and I am really happy to be here from the beginning to see how it evolves and grows over time…
It is indeed a very special group and one I feel very grateful for.
I’m so glad that you have set it up and that we can all access it.
I feel very privileged to be amongst a group of such inspiring people.
Inspiring people…
Pleasantly surprised - Part I
I was a little unsure of how an online meditation group would compare to being in a room with people and how group dynamics would work with just a screen in front of me.
I’ve been very pleasantly surprised at how quickly the ’feeling’ of being a part of a group arises and the opportunity to speak alone with other participants is still possible with break out rooms.
Pleasantly surprised - Part II
Perhaps the greatest advantage is the convenience of not having to travel and with work commitments, this method makes it possible for me to attend courses and groups.
A fantastic opportunity for anyone wishing to develop their practice further, I’ll continue to use in the future. I am now converted to online groups!
I really liked meeting the other members of the group, it’s amazing how comfortable it is doing a group session online. It shows how connected we all are.
Amazing…
’Secret Practice’ - Part I
I just wanted to write you a message to say that I really got a lot out of our Community Sit, and especially your talk on Sunday. I felt resistance in the morning because I was discombobulated by being an hour ’behind’, and had struggled with my practice last week leading up to Sunday, but it was really just what I needed.
’Secret Practice’ - Part II
I love having my weeks bookended by the Community Sit and it recharges me for my home practice.
I’ve also shared the concept of the ’secret practice’ with others who meditate – it really resonated with me!
’Secret Practice’ - Part III
And during our breakout session, we mentioned how nice it was that you shared in the talk your own experiences, and for me, it reinforces the fact that the practice is not about turning me into a perfect/better human (which, as you know, is one of my secret practices!) but about being with who we are, as we are. Thank you for sharing your light!
I wanted to express how much I took away from the talk today especially when you said at the end “we really don’t understand the depth of what we are doing when we sit together and practice like this”.
In that moment, the penny dropped – Thank you!
Penny dropped…
How will we meet?
For our Mindfulness Practice Group, we meet together using the OnlineLIVE platform Zoom from wherever you are based. All you will need is a computer or laptop and a reliable internet connection – all details and a link to join the call will be sent via email when you sign up.
If you would like to have a Zoom appointment for a 15min conversation free of charge to test the platform and to discuss the OnlineLIVE Community Sitting Group please feel free to contact us.
Facilitated by our Guiding Teacher
Susann Herrmann, Clinical Psychol./Occup. Psychol. (MA) >>
and Friends of our Community.
The formal sessions last for 60 minutes, but you’re welcome to arrive and leave at any time.
Time zone details:
- Wednesday evening: 7.00 – 8.00pm BST (London, UK)
- Sunday morning: 9.30 – 10.30am BST (London, UK)
If you are in a different time zone, please use a time zone converter to determine your local time.
Location:
Our Zoom Meditation Space
Structure:
- Welcome & Introduction
- Guided Arrival Practice
- Breakout rooms: Peer Support for Mindful Living
- Guided Sitting Meditation Practice with brief chanting/recitation and a Talk on a topic related to our practice (25min)
- Walking Meditation Practice (5min)
- Silent Sitting Meditation Practice (5min)
- Group Dialogue
- Closing recitation & end of meeting
The online meeting space will be open:
15 minutes either side of the formal session in order to give the possibility to share something with each other or just have an informal chat.
The formal sessions last for 60 minutes, but you’re welcome to arrive and leave at any time.
Time zone details for Tuesday:
- 7.00 – 8.00am BST (London, UK)
If you are in a different time zone, please use a time zone converter to determine your local time.
Location:
Our Zoom Meditation Space
Structure:
- Online space opens at 6.55am for silent arrival
- Silent Sitting Meditation Practice with brief chanting/recitation (25min)
- Walking Meditation Practice (5min)
- Guided Sitting Meditation Practice and a Talk on a topic related to our practice (15min)
- Group Dialogue
- Closing recitation & end of meeting
The formal sessions last for 30 minutes, but you’re welcome to arrive and leave at any time.
Time zone details for Thursday:
- 7.00 – 7.30am BST (London, UK)
If you are in a different time zone, please use a time zone converter to determine your local time.
Location:
Our Zoom Meditation Space
Structure:
- Online space opens at 6.55am for silent arrival
- Silent Sitting Meditation Practice with brief chanting/recitation (25min)
- Closing greeting & end of meeting
A 15minute Individual Online Meeting with our Guiding Teacher each month
These meetings provide another Contemplative Practice Form to engage with, and whilst optional, they are highly encouraged. Working with a teacher is an important part of an active engagement with your meditation practice and with your own life. These meetings give you a space to ask any questions, discuss your meditation practice, or fine-tune your practice instructions.
Please note that these meetings are not designed for psychotherapy, coaching or supervision. They are intended to be brief and to the point, which is why we keep them under 15 minutes. Time slots are allocated at the beginning of each calendar month and are offered on a first come first served basis.
Location:
Our Zoom Meditation Space
Joining Details
Participants are invited to book a calendar month at a time, to maintain consistency in the group over this period of time. Anyone is more than welcome to book more than one calendar month or join our Friends Membership Scheme, to keep up a long-term regular sitting group.
If you would like to start practicing with us, please make a booking, so that we are able to send you the log-in details in ample time. The booking for the current calendar month is kept open until the middle of each month.
Starting date
First meeting OnlineLIVE Community Sitting Group:
- November: Sun 1
- December: Tue 1
Contribution
- £ 45 for one calendar month
- Friends Membership Contribution:
- £ 35 / month (totalling £ 420 per year)
- £ 360 / year in one lump sum
- Details about our Friends Membership >>
