What is Frome Insight?

Frome insight offers a monthly day retreat in Frome, with teachers from Gaia House and the insight tradition. Frome Insight also offers other events such as a monthly street meditation.
Insight Meditation (Or Vipassana: literally translated as ‘seeing deeply or clearly‘) is the practice of developing a calm and mindful investigation into the nature of experience, leading to wisdom, compassion and the end of suffering.

Whats next?

A big part of the future of Frome insight is in reaching out to the community to help support its existence.
We have recently been joined by two volunteers Nic and Di, who have taken on holding and running the day retreats, which means Matt and I can do the organising remotely without needing to be there on the day retreat. The street meditations haven't been happening over the summer as we have both been away. We are looking for a volunteer to hold these.
Right now me and Matt have a low capacity to create more projects and focus on the future of Frome Insight.

Perhaps something of a spark is missing for me, and there is a certain blindness to problems around diversity in the Insight tradition, which seems to be being questioned in the states at least. Although my love of the dharma is totally alive thanks to my incredible teachers, one of whom is Catherine Mcgee who I feel is actively addressing these problems.

my part in Frome Insight

I am a co-founder of Frome Insight along side Matt Thacker.
So far my roles have been:

• Organising and holding day retreats
  
• Facilitating market meditations
• Website building, branding & graphic design
• Photography
• Social media and communications

Frome Insight so far

Frome Insight has been running for a year and a half.
Our main events are day retreats and street meditations.

1. Day retreats
We started by organising day retreats, we have anywhere between 12-40 people joining on the days. The days run from 9.30 am to 4.30pm, and are mostly held in silence. So far there has always been a teacher who offers teachings and practices throughout the day.

2. Street meditation
We did the first street meditation at the Frome independent market in August 2017. Since then we have sat at most of the markets in 2017 and some in 2018. Our participation in the market started as a way to get involved in the market that didn't revolve around consumerism. We originally went with the question "How much is enough" laid out on a big piece of paper in front of us as we sat. Generally we sit for 30-45 minutes, and take time to share our experiences afterwards in a circle.
These meditations are a way to build community by meditating together, a way to interact with people, build curiosity, start conversations and bring meditation visibly into the world.

My intentions for Frome Insight

• Building Sangha in Frome: There are quite a few people who practice Buddhist meditation in Frome, but there seems to be a lack of connection between different groups, and only a few people practicing in the Insight tradition. Totnes in Devon for example is a place where people move to because of the sangha, which revolves around Gaia House and the teachers there.
  What would make insight meditation more accessible? How would this look in Frome?
• Activism: How can we bring more activism into our work as Buddhists and meditators, especially in Frome. How can we bring awareness of the resistance that sitting and meditating is? What part does meditation and resourcing play in activism?
• A regular sitting group: it would be great to set this up at some point, although right now I am not in Frome regularly enough, and soon to be off walking for a year. Again coming back to what's next for Frome Insight and reaching out.
• Teaching: as a part of my CDL training, I will be teaching a meditation course for beginners, this is something I will think about offering through Frome Insight.
  
• Church: exploring spiritual meetings as 'church' rather than ' a day retreat'.
• A building/Community/Solitary retreat space: What would this look like, do people want it?