GAIA HOUSE TRUST

What GAIA HOUSE TRUST does

Gaia House Trust is an England-registered charity (no. 900339) operating a Buddhist Insight Meditation retreat centre in West Ogwell, Devon, under the direction of Anshin Devin Ashwood. Its core offering is silent meditation retreats in the Theravada tradition, delivered through two primary channels: residential retreats at the Devon centre (group retreats ranging from meditation days to 16-night programmes, plus personal retreats and Dharma Service Retreats), and online retreats, courses, and the Online Dharma Hall delivered via Zoom. The centre is supported by a curated international bench of Dharma teachers bound by a Teacher Code of Ethics, with the Community Dharma Leaders programme formalising leadership development.

The business model combines retreat registration fees, a five-tier sliding-scale pricing architecture (Standard, Basic, Supported, Bursary, Dānanandi Sangha at £0, plus Young Persons and Camping options), and a recurring monthly giving programme (Dānanandi Sangha) supplemented by dāna (voluntary donations). Teachers do not receive fixed fees, relying on student dāna. Operational technology is intentionally lightweight: WooCommerce powers self-service booking and SKU-level product pages, while Zoom streams online sessions and a growing archive of 170+ recorded retreats and Dharma talks. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, drawing retreatants via word-of-mouth, teacher referrals, an affiliated global sangha network, a bi-weekly e-newsletter, and organic social (Facebook, X).

The customer base is a long-tail of individual practitioners ranging from beginners to experienced meditators, explicitly inclusive across age, ethnicity, socio-economic group, sexual orientation and gender identity, with dedicated programmes for LGBTQ+ practitioners (Online Rainbow Sangha), People of Colour (Circle of Colour), and those facing illness or bereavement. The FAB Fund (Financial Assistance and Bursaries) underpins accessibility. With 14 staff plus an 8-person residential coordinator team, the organisation remains a small, mission-driven charity whose primary growth lever is digital extension of its retreat programming rather than physical expansion.

Name

GAIA HOUSE TRUST

Legal name

Gaia House Trust

Website

https://gaiahouse.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gaia House Trust is an England-registered Buddhist charity operating a Devon meditation retreat centre, offering residential and online silent Insight Meditation retreats, courses, and a daily meditation programme, funded through sliding-scale fees, dāna donations, and recurring monthly giving.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Meditation Retreats

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Wellness Retreat Centers (Yoga, Meditation & Mindfulness) (THAGAMAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Meditation Retreats, Workshops & Immersive Programs (HSADAJAF), Wellness & Retreat Stays (Yoga, Spa, Detox) (THAMADAJ), Wellness Retreats & Immersions (Multi-day, Digital Detox, Mind-Body Programs) (THAJAHAB)

Keywords

• Meditation retreats
• Buddhist retreats
• Mindfulness training
• Residential retreats
• Online meditation courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Newton Abbot

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Residential Retreat Fees: Fees charged for multi-night residential retreats at the Devon centre, with sliding scale pricing (Standard, Basic, Supported rates). Includes accommodation and meals.
2. Online Retreat and Course Fees: Fees for livestreamed retreats and online meditation courses, with sliding scale pricing to ensure accessibility. Some offerings provided on a dāna (voluntary donation) basis.
3. Dāna (Voluntary Donations): Traditional Buddhist practice of generous giving. Retreatants offer voluntary donations to support teachers and the centre. Teachers do not receive fees and rely on dāna from students for livelihood.
4. Dānanandi Sangha Monthly Giving: Monthly recurring donations from the Dānanandi Sangha community ('the community that delights in giving'), providing sustainable support for ongoing Dharma teachings.
5. Bursary and Financial Assistance: FAB Fund (Financial Assistance and Bursaries Fund) provides subsidized rates and bursary placements to ensure access for those with financial constraints.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gaia House Trust operates a Buddhist meditation retreat centre in Devon, England, offering silent residential retreats in the Insight Meditation (Vipassana) tradition. It runs multi-night in-person retreats at its Devon facility alongside a comprehensive online programme of livestreamed retreats, daily meditation sessions, structured courses, and specialised community gatherings (e.g., LGBTQ+, People of Colour, illness/loss support) delivered via Zoom.

Product overview

Gaia House is a meditation retreat centre and registered charity offering silent meditation retreats in the Buddhist tradition. The organisation provides both residential retreats at its Devon location and a comprehensive range of online offerings. Residential options include group retreats, personal retreats, Dharma Service Retreats, and meditation days. Online offerings encompass livestreamed retreats, self-guided daily meditation (Awakening Together), the Online Dharma Hall, Online Rainbow Sangha, Circle of Colour community sessions, Meetings with Illness & Loss, themed courses, and access to recorded Dharma talks. The organisation operates on a dāna (generosity) model where teachers do not receive fees and retreatants make voluntary contributions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Retreats In-person silent Buddhist meditation retreats held at the Gaia House centre in Devon, England, offering multi-night group retreats with accommodation and meals for individual practitioners seeking immersive meditation practice.
• Online Retreats Remote meditation retreats and themed programmes livestreamed via Zoom from the Devon centre, accessible globally, including multi-night retreats and single-day meditation sessions.
• Awakening Together Daily Meditation Daily 30-minute silent meditation sessions held at 7am via Zoom with optional teacher-led sharing, offered as a continuous practice supporting participants across time zones.
• Online Dharma Hall Weekly livestreamed meditation sessions broadcast live from Gaia House, allowing remote participants to join teachers and practitioners in the Meditation Hall in real time.
• Online Rainbow Sangha Online meditation sessions designed as a welcoming space for LGBTQ+ practitioners within the Buddhist Insight Meditation tradition.
• Circle of Colour Online community meditation sessions specifically for People of Colour, offering a dedicated practice space within Gaia House's online offerings.
• Meetings with Illness & Loss Online gatherings providing meditation practice and compassionate community support for individuals facing illness, loss, or bereavement.
• Online Courses Structured multi-session online courses covering Buddhist meditation themes such as MBCT/MBSR foundations, inner critic work, and compassion practices.
• Personal Retreats Self-guided individual meditation retreats at the Devon centre with accommodation and meal support, for practitioners seeking solo practice time.
• Dharma Service Retreats Work retreats where participants contribute service to the Gaia House centre while maintaining their meditation practice, combining practice with operational support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Accessible pricing ensures participation regardless of financial circumstances through sliding scale and bursary options
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Dhamma Giri (Vipassana): Large Vipassana retreat centre near Mumbai offering 10-day silent residential courses on a dāna basis. Comparable as a non-profit meditation retreat centre reliant on donations and volunteer service.
• Shambhala Mountain Center: Colorado-based Buddhist retreat centre offering residential meditation retreats, online programmes, and dharma teachings. Direct peer in the western retreat-centre model with hybrid online and in-person offerings.
• Spirit Rock Meditation Center: California-based Insight Meditation retreat centre offering residential silent retreats, online courses, and a teacher training pathway. Closest analog to Gaia House by tradition, programme structure, and residential-plus-online model.
• Barre Center for Buddhist Studies: Affiliated with IMS, offers multi-day residential retreats, online courses, and a study programme in the Insight Meditation tradition. Comparable in scale, charity structure, and online/residential hybrid delivery.
• Cloud Mountain Retreat Center: Non-profit Buddhist retreat centre in Washington State offering residential silent retreats and a community programme. Direct peer in the small, charity-run, Insight-tradition retreat centre segment.
• Insight Meditation Society (IMS): Pioneering Insight Meditation retreat centre in Massachusetts offering multi-night residential retreats, online programmes, and a teacher council. Highly comparable in lineage, audience, and retreat length offerings.
• Plum Village: Global Zen (Thich Nhat Hanh) retreat community with monastery retreats, online mindfulness sessions, and a large sangha network. Comparable in operating residential retreat centres alongside a global online practice community.

Broad incumbents

• Calm: Mainstream meditation and sleep app with a large content catalogue and celebrity-narrated programmes. Broad incumbent that competes for the secular mindfulness audience Gaia House may attract.
• Headspace: Mainstream consumer mindfulness and meditation platform with a broad content library and B2B wellness benefits. Adjacent incumbent in the daily meditation and guided practice category.
• Insight Timer: Largest free meditation app with thousands of teachers, live sessions, and a global community. Competes for the same mindfulness practitioner audience, particularly at the online/daily practice end of Gaia House's offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GaiaHouseUK
• Facebookfacebook.com/Gaia.House.UK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gaia-house-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GAIA HOUSE TRUST