Meditation at the Dhamma Centre | Guided & Silent Practice in Colchester
A golden Buddha statue illuminated in the shrine room at the Dhamma Centre, Colchester
Colchester · Meditation in the Eastern tradition

Come and sit
with us

Meditation taught in the old way, by a teacher shaped in the forest monasteries of the East — and offered with a clear eye on what the practice does for the body and the mind, as well as the heart. Beginners and long-standing practitioners, in the same room.

All welcome, no experience needed Offered on Dāna Free on-site parking
Explore the sessions

You do not have to be good at sitting still. You only have to arrive, and let the practice do the rest.

Meditation has a long reputation for being difficult. It need not be. You sit down; you bring a gentle attention to the breath, or the body, or the quiet space in which thoughts come and go; and each time the mind wanders off — which it will, a hundred times over — you notice, and come back. That returning is the practice. The methods below are old and well-worn, drawn from the insight traditions of the East, and no two sittings are quite alike — rest your attention on any one to see what it involves.

When we sit

Our meditation sessions

Choose guidance or quiet independence. The morning, evening and OM sessions are led from beginning to end; Silent Meditation is an unled space for your own practice.

Select a session to open its full details, then move between sessions in the lightbox.

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Gatherings & visiting teachers

Meditation events at the Centre

Alongside the weekly and monthly sittings, we host longer days of practice, evenings of deeper meditation, and visits from teachers whose presence is a gift to the whole community.

Dates and details are added as they are confirmed. To be the first to hear of retreats, visiting teachers and days of practice, do join our mailing list.

Why we sit

An old practice, and a new science catching up with it

For two and a half thousand years these practices were passed on as a path of the heart. In recent decades, laboratories in the West have begun — in their own careful language — to describe some of what the contemplatives were pointing to all along. We hold both together. Tap a card to read more.

The shrine room at the Dhamma Centre
Who holds the space

Guided by Eran

The morning, evening and OM Circle sessions are guided by Eran, whose training was formed over many years in the forest monasteries of the East, under some of the most eminent meditation masters of the tradition. He has since taught widely across three continents — and, above all, holds a space that is safe, warm and unhurried, meeting each person exactly where they are.

"The aim is simple: a little peace in the mind and body, and the letting go of whatever weighs on them."

Forest-trained Insight lineage Taught across three continents Meets you where you are
Beyond the cushion

Caring for the mind means caring for the body

The mind does not sit in a jar. It rides in a body — and the two are far more one thing than we tend to imagine. If you would like your sitting to deepen, the most useful step is often to move: to keep the body supple, strong and well, in a way that brings no harm to it or to any other living thing. These are the practices we hold alongside the meditation, for exactly that reason.

A yoga class in progress at the Dhamma Centre
Movement & breath

Yoga

Strength, suppleness and steadiness of breath — and a way of coming home to the body that prepares it beautifully for sitting. Four teachers, a range of styles, and a welcome for every level from the first-timer onward.

Explore yoga
Tai Chi practice, slow flowing movement
Gentle & flowing

Tai Chi

Often called meditation in motion: slow, flowing movement that quietly builds balance, strength and calm. Gentle enough for nearly any age or condition, and a natural companion to a sitting practice.

Explore Tai Chi
Qigong energy work practice
Energy work

Qigong

Translated simply as "energy work": a few unhurried minutes of gentle breathing and soft movement to relax the mind and let the body's energy move freely. It can be practised standing, seated, or however the body prefers.

Explore Qigong
दान
In the Eastern tradition

Offered on Dāna

There is no set fee to sit with us. In keeping with the tradition these teachings come from, the practice is offered freely and sustained by Dāna — generosity given from the heart, as each is able.

Those who can give help keep the space warm and open; those who cannot are just as welcome. Give as feels right to you.

Offer Dāna
Practical details

Before you come

I've never meditated — is that alright?
More than alright. The morning, evening and OM Circle sessions are guided throughout and designed for exactly this. Come as you are; there's nothing to know beforehand. Silent Meditation is the self-guided option for those who already have a practice.
Is this a religion, or a wellness class?
Neither, quite. No belief or affiliation is required, and there's no ritual to take part in — yet this is more than a relaxation technique, too. We draw openly and gratefully on the contemplative traditions of the East, offering the practice as its teachers always did: as a path of the heart, whose calm and clarity happen to be very good for body and mind as well. You are welcome to take from it whatever meets your need.
Will meditation actually help my health?
It may well, though we're careful not to overpromise. A growing body of research links steady practice with lower stress, better sleep, and real help with anxiety and low mood, and there are hints of benefit for blood pressure too. Much of this work is still early, results vary from person to person, and meditation is a companion to good medical care, never a replacement for it. If you're managing a health condition, please keep your doctor in the picture.
Do I need to book?
Please do reserve your place online so we know to expect you — it takes under a minute. Use the booking link on the session that suits you above.
What should I bring?
  • Comfortable clothing you can sit in easily
  • A cushion, if you prefer the floor — ours are limited, so bring your own if you can
  • A blanket or warm layer, and a bottle of water
Plenty of chairs are provided.
Where are you, and is there parking?
175–181 Maldon Road, Colchester, CO3 3BL — the former church building. On-site parking for up to 20 cars, free of charge. Please park mindfully, and if you live close by, walking to the Centre is warmly encouraged.
175–181 Maldon Road, Colchester

There's a seat for you

Whether it's your first sitting or your five-hundredth, the door is the same one and the practice is waiting.

Book a sitting