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London meet up 15th October (confirmed, mit photos)

This is a London/South East roll call as suggested by Steph S. Who'd like to meet up informally and bounce ideas and experiences off each other? If you're feeling shy, you can always send me a private message instead of posting here. emoticon

(Edited for date, see newest post)

RE: London meet up
Answer
9/8/11 2:59 PM as a reply to Liam O'Sullivan.
I'd be up for that Liam

RE: London meet up
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9/8/11 4:08 PM as a reply to Liam O'Sullivan.
Ballocks. I'm just outside of Glasgow! emoticon

Hope you get something sorted mate, great idea.

RE: London meet up
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9/9/11 7:48 AM as a reply to Tommy M.
Nick, wicked, your approach seems pretty different to mine so that'll make for some interesting conversation. Anyone else want to join us?

Tommy, that's a shame. I was looking forward to hearing Pali chanted with a Glasgow accent. ;)

More seriously, feel free to give me a poke if you're in the Big Smoke at any point emoticon

RE: London meet up
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10/23/11 8:43 PM as a reply to Tommy M.
Just been to a retreat at dhanakosa by Loch Voil, an hours drive from Glasgow. http://www.dhanakosa.com/
Heard of it?

RE: London meet up
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10/24/11 1:18 AM as a reply to carolin varley.
carolin varley:
Just been to a retreat at dhanakosa by Loch Voil, an hours drive from Glasgow. http://www.dhanakosa.com/
Heard of it?

It is a beautiful location. I have been on two retreats there. A very good two week silent retreat about four years ago. This was the movement I originally learnt to meditate with. Who led your retreat? What was its theme?
Damian

RE: London meet up
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10/24/11 5:48 AM as a reply to Charles Portland.
Tejananda. I thought he did an amazing job leading the retreat and setting up and explaining the "formless-awareness" practice. It was a bit like a rigpa approach.
Really funny guy.
And yes the location was great! emoticon

RE: London meet up
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10/24/11 6:12 AM as a reply to carolin varley.
carolin varley:
Tejananda. I thought he did an amazing job leading the retreat and setting up and explaining the "formless-awareness" practice. It was a bit like a rigpa approach.
Really funny guy.
And yes the location was great! emoticon


Tejananda is great. I have a lot of time for him. He is primarily based in the Vajraloka retreat centre in Wales. I am looking to go on a two week Satipatthana retreat there next Spring.

I am really pleased for you that you had such a positive retreat experience :-)

Damien

RE: London meet up
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10/24/11 11:49 AM as a reply to Charles Portland.
Thanks. Say hi to him for me next time you see him. Come to the next London meet up!

RE: London meet up
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10/24/11 2:02 PM as a reply to carolin varley.
Glad your retreat was good Carolin. I've bookmarked these places. We need a little list of the better UK retreat centres!

RE: London meet up
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9/10/11 10:03 AM as a reply to Liam O'Sullivan.
Hi Liam
I go through my shyness and I write here. I would like meet up others who do a meditation. I am not a buddhist but I do meditation as washing my self inside. I do not like a dhamma talks but I like to meet up friends who do a meditation either.
Take care
Meditator

RE: London meet up
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9/11/11 2:40 PM as a reply to The Meditator.
You're totally welcome, mate, the more perspectives the merrier. Anyone else? emoticon

RE: London meet up
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9/11/11 3:13 PM as a reply to Liam O'Sullivan.
/me rises his hand.

I won't be in London until at least 2 weeks from now, but I'd like to meet up with you. Carolin Varley here on the forum might also be interested. You should bug her with a PM emoticon

RE: London meet up
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9/15/11 3:43 PM as a reply to Stian Gudmundsen Høiland.
Stian Gudmundsen Høiland:
I won't be in London until at least 2 weeks from now, but I'd like to meet up with you. Carolin Varley here on the forum might also be interested. You should bug her with a PM emoticon

Again, the more the merrier emoticon I would pester Carolin Varley, but I can't see her on the members list!

Dan Bartlett:
I'm South West but I occasionally venture to London to catch up with friends so I could hit two birds with one stone. If you arrange a date I'll probably be up for it, and I should be able to drag another dharma dude or two along.

Sure, seems to be a fair few people interested and I'm pestering people on KFD too, so I'll post an open invitation.

What would people like to do? Anyone have a favourite coffee house? emoticon

London meet up 15th October
Answer
9/22/11 7:28 AM as a reply to Liam O'Sullivan.
How would people like to meet up on Saturday 15th October, in the early afternoon? Would central London be the easiest for everyone to get to? My preference would be for a veggie food and smoothies kind of place like Vantra, though if that's a bit hippy for people, the pub always works too ;)

Anyways, first people in get to choose the locale, venue and time of their convenience emoticon

RE: London meet up 15th October
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9/22/11 10:12 AM as a reply to Liam O'Sullivan.
Hey,

While I was keen on the idea it doesn't look like I'm going to be able to make it. I am currently totally penniless and it's my birthday on the Friday so I will probably be out in Bristol on the weekend. I could suggest moving it to another date but the truth is that I'm not going to have the money for a while.

Have a good one!

D.

RE: London meet up 15th October
Answer
9/22/11 4:29 PM as a reply to Liam O'Sullivan.
Hi everybody
I suppose I could come there on 15.th October.
If I can give my suggestion we can meet up at a cheap place, I do not know prices at Vantra.
Take care
Meditator

RE: London meet up 15th October
Answer
9/23/11 9:13 AM as a reply to The Meditator.
Vantra don't give their prices on their website, unfortunately. I don't remember it being particularly cheap or expensive, for central London anyway. We can always wander off somewhere else if the place doesn't suit people.

RE: London meet up 15th October
Answer
9/23/11 9:11 AM as a reply to Liam O'Sullivan.
Stian Gudmundsen Høiland:
I'm in. Never heard of the place, but Vantra sounds like a place I would love emoticon

RE: London meet up 15th October
Answer
10/9/11 2:34 PM as a reply to Liam O'Sullivan.
Could we specify time? Maybe it is somewhere but I see only early afternoon.
Could it be 2 o'clock?

RE: London meet up 15th October
Answer
10/10/11 6:34 AM as a reply to The Meditator.
I am probably able to make it up to meet you all, possibly with my partner who is a meditates too, by 3:30pm.

RE: London meet up 15th October
Answer
10/11/11 10:24 AM as a reply to The Meditator.
The Meditator:
Could we specify time? Maybe it is somewhere but I see only early afternoon.
Could it be 2 o'clock?


Very early afternoon please! I don't live in london and have trouble getting about once it gets dark.. .

RE: London meet up
Answer
9/23/11 5:01 PM as a reply to Liam O'Sullivan.
Hey I am definitely up for that. Great idea! emoticon There´s a pretty cheap place in Covent Garden called food for thought but its a bit crowded so depends how many people are coming. I´d def. like to try somewhere new like Vantra though.

RE: London meet up
Answer
9/29/11 7:11 PM as a reply to carolin varley.
Cool - I must have missed you when I searched for your name on the members' list previously! Glad to have you emoticon

Food For Thought looks great and I'll definitely be sticking my head around the door, but I'm not sure it's the right place for a laid-back chat - it looks more like formal dinner territory. I thought of Vantra because it's roomy and not hugely formal, but again, if someone can think of a better place, lemme know emoticon

RE: London meet up
Answer
10/11/11 10:34 AM as a reply to Liam O'Sullivan.
Think I googles the wrong restuarant :/ But yeh have we decided a time and place yet? Looking forward to it!

RE: London meet up
Answer
10/11/11 11:39 AM as a reply to carolin varley.
Shall we say Vantra at midday? Apologies to anyone who can't make this, but it'll be very difficult to get a time that suits everyone, and there's nothing stopping us doing a different time and place next month or summat emoticon

RE: London meet up
Answer
10/11/11 12:02 PM as a reply to Liam O'Sullivan.
ok for me, middayemoticon 12.00

RE: London meet up
Answer
10/11/11 12:13 PM as a reply to The Meditator.
I have just checked Vantra and openig hours
Vantra 11-13 Soho Street
W1D 3DJ, London
Tel: 020-7287-6060
Email: vantra.uk@gmail.com
Opening Hours:
Monday - Saturday 12 pm to 11 pm
Sunday 12 pm to 8 pm


Suggestion time to meet up 12.15

RE: London meet up
Answer
10/11/11 12:49 PM as a reply to The Meditator.
Mostly as a joke I would like to suggest we meet in London not earlier than 16:00. This because of my DSPS which doesn't allow me to wake up and not feel like a walking corpse unless the waking up happens after 15:00. Me and my DSPS have a very disgruntled, personal relationship.

But...

"I will survive!"

RE: London meet up
Answer
10/11/11 12:54 PM as a reply to Liam O'Sullivan.
Even if I am able to cancel and rebook a couple of things, there's little chance of making it down before 2pm. So looks unlikely we will make it in time.

RE: London meet up
Answer
10/11/11 4:47 PM as a reply to Charles Portland.
I rather imagine a good many folks will still be there at 2pm. maybe worth catching the tail end?

RE: London meet up
Answer
10/12/11 11:23 AM as a reply to Charles Portland.
Soz Damien - perhaps you could choose the venue and time next time to make it fair...

EDIT: (But as Nick Wilson says, I imagine we'll still be wittering on long after 2pm...)

RE: London meet up
Answer
10/12/11 1:03 PM as a reply to Liam O'Sullivan.
Hi
maybe we should discuss the time early. But if I read posts. It seems 2pm seems the most convenient time.

Liam please make a decision that it will be clear.

I look forward to seeing you and we need to know time.

Thanks
Meditator

RE: London meet up
Answer
10/12/11 6:59 PM as a reply to The Meditator.
12 midday at Vantra, The Meditator emoticon

RE: London meet up
Answer
10/13/11 1:36 PM as a reply to Liam O'Sullivan.
Ok I will be there at 12, of course a tsunami can change it.
emoticon

RE: London meet up
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10/14/11 4:49 AM as a reply to Liam O'Sullivan.
me and Stian aswellemoticon

RE: London meet up
Answer
10/14/11 8:45 AM as a reply to carolin varley.
Rar emoticon

Anyone who's reading this and going, 'should I, shouldn't I?', whether a poster or a lurker - seriously, come along emoticon

RE: London meet up
Answer
10/15/11 5:39 AM as a reply to Liam O'Sullivan.
To anyone on their way: Vantra is closed temporarily (oh the impermanence) but there is a cheap place next door called Govinda's. I shall wait outside Vantra to catch people who might not get this message, but otherwise we'll be in Govinda's unless we move on emoticon

RE: London meet up
Answer
10/15/11 6:09 AM as a reply to Liam O'Sullivan.
Oh no, the signs lie, it's open now!

RE: London meet up
Answer
10/15/11 1:32 PM as a reply to Liam O'Sullivan.
Great afternoon! If you missed this one, do try to come next time. It was great to "talk shop" with a bunch of folks that understand what you're talking about!

Thanks everyone. See attached photo..

RE: London meet up
Answer
10/15/11 1:55 PM as a reply to Nick W.
I look forward to seeing you again and I hope you look forward to seeing me either.
Really a nice afternoon, special thanks to Liam to organize it.
Meditator

RE: London meet up
Answer
10/15/11 9:24 PM as a reply to The Meditator.
Looks like you guys had fun!

A flesh-and-blood sangha...what a peculiar thing. emoticon

RE: London meet up
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10/16/11 2:20 PM as a reply to End in Sight.
I really enjoyed our meeting. Thanks to everyone who showed up emoticon Let's do it again!

RE: London meet up
Answer
10/16/11 11:50 PM as a reply to Stian Gudmundsen Høiland.
*gently prods towards November meet thread* ;)

RE: London meet up
Answer
10/15/11 1:42 PM as a reply to Liam O'Sullivan.
Thanks to everyone who turned up, including Carolin, The Meditator, Stian, and Nick - I really enjoyed meeting you all and had a really pleasant and beneficial afternoon.

After some excellent veggie food and smoothies at Vantra we headed out to St James's Park for more conversation on practice experiences, motivations, techniques, applications and a lot more- really ambitious practices and aims, yet down-to-earth stuff without taking it all too seriously.

We've decided to make this a monthly event. I think we'll be rotating around parts of London to make the meetups fair and accessible. There was talk of making it a fixed day of the month, though in organising it I'll be asking for people's suggestions as to what particular day of the month would be best for people. I'll start a new thread forthwith!

We'd also like to open up the group to friends of DhO practitioners who might be Dhamma-curious, contemplatives of various enlightenment traditions beyond just Buddhism, and generally those who would be interested in seeing what we're about. Lurkers on the forum who don't post are also very welcome without prior announcement.

RE: London meet up
Answer
10/11/11 4:45 PM as a reply to Liam O'Sullivan.
[quote=Liam O'Sullivan]Shall we say Vantra at midday? Apologies to anyone who can't make this, but it'll be very difficult to get a time that suits everyone, and there's nothing stopping us doing a different time and place next month or summat emoticon

I'll be there.

RE: London meet up
Answer
9/11/11 4:10 PM as a reply to Liam O'Sullivan.
I'm South West but I occasionally venture to London to catch up with friends so I could hit two birds with one stone. If you arrange a date I'll probably be up for it, and I should be able to drag another dharma dude or two along.

RE: London meet up -15th October?
Answer
10/4/11 5:39 AM as a reply to Liam O'Sullivan.
I am based near Wimbledon. I would love to come along too, if that is ok? I am new to this site but have been practicing for a number of years, most of that cushion time having been spent on retreats. I really like the approach of this site and it has really re-inspired my practice. I would value a real time meet with fellow meditators. emoticon
Damien

RE: London meet up -15th October?
Answer
10/4/11 5:15 PM as a reply to Charles Portland.
The more the merrier emoticon

RE: London meet up -15th October?
Answer
10/9/11 5:12 AM as a reply to Liam O'Sullivan.
I wish I could make it, but alas i already have a date!

Hopefully I'll make the next one...probably accompanied by a toddler!

Have fun.

RE: London meet up -15th October?
Answer
10/9/11 2:30 PM as a reply to Dodge E Knees.
Dale, I think you can come with your partneremoticon