Letting In (Devon, UK and online)

Letting In is a meditation retreat on mettā (loving-kindness) and the Buddha's five recollections, led by Nathan Glyde and Zohar Lavie, with Yuka Nakamura and Monica Antunes. It is held in Devon, UK, and can also be joined online. It suits people drawn to Insight Meditation who want to meet ageing, illness, death, separation and the consequences of their actions with kindness rather than avoidance.

What to Expect

The retreat begins from a simple observation: as goodwill grows, we become more available to parts of life we usually overlook or avoid. The Buddha named five subjects for recollection: ageing, illness, death, separation, and the consequences of our actions. Practitioners across generations have found that turning toward them with appropriate attention brings not heaviness but a surprising lightness of being.

Over the eight days, the retreat invites a gentle yet courageous shift, from turning away from our human condition to letting it in. Mettā supports the whole exploration. You will look at how openness can be more powerful than fear, and how clarity and kindness can meet even the most difficult realities. The tone is steady and unhurried, a space for sitting with what is true rather than fixing it.

About Nathan Glyde

Nathan Glyde is an Insight Meditation teacher recognised by Gaia House in the UK. He has practised and studied meditation since 1997 and has shared teachings on retreats since 2007. In 2004 he co-founded SanghaSeva, whose retreats emphasise wisdom and compassion in ecological and humanitarian service.

With Zohar Lavie, Nathan writes the materials and runs every part of DependentOrigination.org, a body of work on the Buddha's teaching of dependent origination. The teaching holds that all things arise reliant on other causes and conditions. Nathan and Zohar describe it as a practical exploration of how everything leans, including how stress depends on thirsting and how seeing such dependencies opens a path to freedom. Together they offer retreats, online drop-in groups and meditation sessions.

The Setting

The in-person retreat takes place in Devon, in the south-west of England, and is held through Gaia House. Those who cannot travel can take part online, so the retreat is open to people who live far from Devon or are unable to be away in person.