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.

(Edited for date, see newest post)

I'd be up for that Liam

Ballocks. I'm just outside of Glasgow!

Hope you get something sorted mate, great idea.

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

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

You're totally welcome, mate, the more perspectives the merrier. Anyone else?

/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

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.

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


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?

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

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.

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

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.

Hey I am definitely up for that. Great idea! 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.

Cool - I must have missed you when I searched for your name on the members' list previously! Glad to have you

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

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.
Damien

The more the merrier

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.

Dale, I think you can come with your partner

Could we specify time? Maybe it is somewhere but I see only early afternoon.
Could it be 2 o'clock?

I am probably able to make it up to meet you all, possibly with my partner who is a meditates too, by 3:30pm.

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

Think I googles the wrong restuarant :/ But yeh have we decided a time and place yet? Looking forward to it!

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

ok for me, midday 12.00

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

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!"

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.

[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

I'll be there.

I rather imagine a good many folks will still be there at 2pm. maybe worth catching the tail end?

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...)

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

12 midday at Vantra, The Meditator

Ok I will be there at 12, of course a tsunami can change it.

me and Stian aswell

Rar

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

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

Oh no, the signs lie, it's open now!

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..

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.

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

Looks like you guys had fun!

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

I really enjoyed our meeting. Thanks to everyone who showed up Let's do it again!

*gently prods towards November meet thread* ;)

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

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!

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

Thanks. Say hi to him for me next time you see him. Come to the next London meet up!

Glad your retreat was good Carolin. I've bookmarked these places. We need a little list of the better UK retreat centres!