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**Hixinfineedom** · 05-14-2010, 05:53 PM

from post #1

I go to a weekly Samatha meditation group here in West London, led by a lay teacher.

The foundation was established by a Thai Forest monk who came to this country quite a long time ago, and there is a centre at Greenstreet in Wales where the weekend (and weekday) courses and retreats are held.

I have heard from others who have been to weekend courses that it's all very peaceful, the accommodation is "quite basic" which I understand to mean cold in the winter and without modern conveniences.

As well as welcoming all to weekend retreats, they train teachers to lead meditation groups, and there are about a dozen groups, like the one I go to, around the country. There's no master plan for these, they just get set up where-ever a trained teacher chooses to live.

The training in meditation is very structured, compared to a different approach I have learned before from another tradition. The structure helps train attention on the breath to begin with, and gently leads you to settle at a deeper level after some weeks of practice.

I'm not the only one here with experience of Samatha. Perhaps Slartibartfast will add a post from his perspective.

05-14-2010, 05:53 PM	#3
Hixinfineedom Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 490 Senior Member	from post #1 I go to a weekly Samatha meditation group here in West London, led by a lay teacher. The foundation was established by a Thai Forest monk who came to this country quite a long time ago, and there is a centre at Greenstreet in Wales where the weekend (and weekday) courses and retreats are held. I have heard from others who have been to weekend courses that it's all very peaceful, the accommodation is "quite basic" which I understand to mean cold in the winter and without modern conveniences. As well as welcoming all to weekend retreats, they train teachers to lead meditation groups, and there are about a dozen groups, like the one I go to, around the country. There's no master plan for these, they just get set up where-ever a trained teacher chooses to live. The training in meditation is very structured, compared to a different approach I have learned before from another tradition. The structure helps train attention on the breath to begin with, and gently leads you to settle at a deeper level after some weeks of practice. I'm not the only one here with experience of Samatha. Perhaps Slartibartfast will add a post from his perspective.
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