13th August, 2018
We welcome Ruth to join The Barn as Volunteer Coordinator.
Here, she tells us about herself:
"I had an interest in Buddhism since my teenage years but came to practice 14 years ago, when I came on a retreat at The Barn for the first time, and had quite a profound “mystical” experience which set me off onto a new path in life. Over the years The Barn became a second home and refuge to me and I always felt it would be a wonderful experience to be able to volunteer as a coordinator here, in order to deepen my own practice, live in a community with like-minded people, and hold the space for retreatants. I am very grateful to Tasha, Lucy, Ethan and Lynette to put their trust in me and give me this opportunity.
Since my first retreat at The Barn, I attended London Insight Meditation Day Retreats on a monthly basis , and also sometimes went to other retreats such as Amaravati and Heart of London (in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh) I am also committed to practising yoga which complements my Buddhist practice. I am interested in the more traditional ways of teaching, focusing on awareness and spiritual development, using the physical body as a tool to access deeper levels of consciousness.
Although Buddhism and yoga are the spiritual traditions which speak most to me personally, I believe that all spiritual traditions can teach us something and help us to find meaning in life, if practised from the heart.
Before coming here, I have worked as a support worker for the last 18 years, working with people with mental health problems, substance misuse issues, the homeless and disadvantaged young people."
Find out about applying to be a Volunteer Coordinator at The Barn by clicking here