BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Open Circle Center - ECPv5.7.0//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Open Circle Center X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://opencirclecenter.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Open Circle Center BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Los_Angeles BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20260308T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20261101T090000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260607T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260607T160000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260528T062747Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260528T062844Z UID:36048-1780840800-1780848000@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Gail Brenner ~ Who Are You? The Essential Question for Healing and Awakening (In-Person) DESCRIPTION:The essential question in nondual inquiry is: “Who am I?” At the root of personal suffering lies the belief that who we are is a person with a history\, story\, preferences\, fears\, and a sense of lack. As long as we identify as this core belief\, we will view ourselves\, others\, and situations through the lens of these limited filters. \nSuffering subsides when our identity disconnects from the contents of our minds. We lose interest in our habits of thinking. We stop going to our familiar stories to know who we are or how to act. And we can feel the emotions in our bodies so they begin to soften their grip. \nThis is a radical shift into freedom\, infinite spaciousness\, and trust—and into the pure aliveness that has always been here and available. \nWe come together in the sacred space of loving community to explore the nature of identity and the freedom that’s possible when you know who you are—and who you’re not. Our gathering includes guided exploration\, insights and dialogue\, and heartfelt conversation. Come with your fears\, doubts\, shame\, and questions—and simply to be together with like-minded friends. All is welcome! I look forward to being with you… \nGail Brenner is a psychologist and author\, who is devoted to the nondual spiritual teaching and embodied conscious living. For over 25 years\, she has worked with individuals and groups on healing from early trauma. She is known for creating safe space for inner exploration and loves witnessing people grow into their full aliveness. She is the author of The End of Self-Help and Suffering Is Optional (available on Amazon.com). Over the years\, her capacity for presence and intimacy in all aspects of life has transformed\, and she loves bringing this possibility to others. \nGail’s website: gailbrenner.com \nBuddha at the Gas pump Interview 1/16/22: https://batgap.com/gail-brenner-2nd-interview/ \nSatsang: 2-4 pm\nRefreshments: until 5\nSuggested Donation: $10- $20\, no one turned away.\nNo reservation needed. Pay at door when you arrive. \nLocation: 8476 Sonoma Ave\, Sebastopol\, CA\, the home of Tomas Phillips.\nNote: The address sign says 8474/8476.  Park on the street\, and walk down the short driveway to the house with the carport.\nPlease dress mindfully (with warm layers)\, doors & windows will be open!\nIf you have Covid like symptoms\, or have had a recent Covid exposure or positive test\, please stay home out of consideration for others. URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/gail-brenner-jun-7-2026/ LOCATION:Sebastopol\, 8476 Sonoma Ave.\, Sebastopol\, CA CATEGORIES:SF Bay Area In-Person Events,Sonoma ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Gail-Brenner-portrait_2025.jpeg GEO:38.4355887;-122.8590972 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Sebastopol 8476 Sonoma Ave. Sebastopol CA;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=8476 Sonoma Ave.:geo:-122.8590972,38.4355887 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260608T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260608T083000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260316T043147Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T043147Z UID:35942-1780905600-1780907400@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Silent Group Meditation (Free\, No Guidance) DESCRIPTION:Mondays: 8:00am – 8:30am Pacific Time\nand Wednesdays: 9:00am – 9:30am Pacific Time\nOngoing every week\, with rare exceptions. Check Full Calendar to verify dates. \nJoin for a group meditation – just us\, without a teacher. Do your own practice silently in the company of others. There will be no talk or guidance – only a bell to start and finish. Let’s be present\, together. \nAfter half an hour of silent sitting\, there will be space for a brief hello in the end\, if we like. \nPlease be seated by the time meditation starts\, so that we can begin together. You are welcome to have your camera and microphone on (unless you have a lot of background noise)\, so that we can feel as if we were in one space. \nThe zoom link remains the same for all the sessions\, so you are welcome to register only once and save the link for future reference. \nREGISTER\nTo check your local time\, use a tool such as: Time Zone Converter URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/group-meditation-ongoing-monday-2026-q2/2026-06-08/ LOCATION:Online Video Meeting (phone access also available) CATEGORIES:Online Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/conscious-design-VsI_74zRzAo-unsplash-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Open%20Circle%20Center%20-%20Online%20Events":MAILTO:web@opencirclecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260610T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260610T093000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260316T043354Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T043354Z UID:35951-1781082000-1781083800@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Silent Group Meditation (Free\, No Guidance) DESCRIPTION:Mondays: 8:00am – 8:30am Pacific Time\nWednesdays : 9:00am – 9:30am Pacific Time\nOngoing every week\, with rare exceptions. Check Full Calendar to verify dates. \nJoin for a group meditation – just us\, without a teacher. Do your own practice silently in the company of others. There will be no talk or guidance – only a bell to start and finish. Let’s be present\, together. \nAfter half an hour of silent sitting\, there will be space for a brief hello in the end\, if we like. \nPlease be seated by the time meditation starts\, so that we can begin together. You are welcome to have your camera and microphone on (unless you have a lot of background noise)\, so that we can feel as if we were in one space. \nThe zoom link remains the same for all the sessions\, so you are welcome to register only once and save the link for future reference. \nREGISTER\nTo check your local time\, use a tool such as: Time Zone Converter URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/group-meditation-ongoing-wednesday-2026-q2/2026-06-10/ LOCATION:Online Video Meeting (phone access also available) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/conscious-design-VsI_74zRzAo-unsplash-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Open%20Circle%20Center%20-%20Online%20Events":MAILTO:web@opencirclecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260613T093000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260613T170000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260116T231802Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260117T173951Z UID:34877-1781343000-1781370000@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Miranda Macpherson ~ Turning Everything Into The Path Of Awakening (In-Person) DESCRIPTION:2026 Bay Area Events with Miranda Macpherson\nJoin us for any or all in this series of In-Person events….\nRegister below for June 13th\nLinks for Info & Registration for each individual date….\nFeb. 7\, 2026\nMay 9\, 2026\nJune 13\, 2026\nNovember 21\, 2026 \nTurning Everything Into The Path Of Awakening \nIf ever there was a time to engage our spiritual practice\, so we can stay present\, open-hearted\, peaceful\, loving and wise\, it’s now. \nThis daylong with Miranda Macpherson is a day for deep spiritual nourishment and community support to connect more substantially to the luminous presence within\, illuminate obstacles one your path\, and explore what timeless Truths have to offer practically for living meaningfully and navigating life from our spiritual depth. \nTogether\, we will embrace all that we grapple with personally and collectively as fuel that ultimately can serve to propel us further on the path of awakening. Miranda will share potent teachings and practices on how we can ground more substantially in the Grace of our True Nature\, Trust the Mystery and come from Loving awareness in all that we face. \nBoth the morning and afternoon sessions will be inspirational and experiential\, with meditation\, mantra\, a rich inquiry practice\, plus time for satsang and sharing. If you life in the Bay Area\, do not miss these affordable opportunities to journey with Miranda in an intimate setting. \nCome join us! \nMiranda Macpherson is a contemporary spiritual teacher who has been guiding others into direct experience of the sacred for over thirty years internationally. In her twenties she founded the OneSpirit Interfaith Foundation in London\, where she trained and ordained over 600 ministers and counsellors. Today Miranda leads the Living Grace Global Sangha\, leads retreats internationally\, broadcasts extensively and serves as core faculty at The Shift Network. \nUnapologetically feminine\, joyful and down to earth in her way of being\, Miranda is dedicated to loving people all the way home into the freedom and wholeness of our true nature. Further\, Miranda invites others to become more graceful human beings\, showing up for creative\, peaceful and wise action that serves our loved ones and the human family in these enormous times. \nMiranda’s books include The Way of Grace: the Transforming Power of Ego Relaxation (Sounds True)\, Boundless Love (Rider) and Meditations on Boundless Love (Sounds True)\, and the Cultivating Grace Card Deck. Miranda is also a kirtan musician and singer with 2 mantra albums – Streams of Grace and The Heart of Being. \nFind out more at www.mirandamacpherson.com \nThere will be a break for lunch.\nYou can bring your own lunch\, or there are plenty of places to eat a short walk or drive away.\nThere’s a nice area to sit outside at the venue. \nPre-registration Required and closes at 6 pm the day before event\nNo one turned away for lack of funds.\nIf you are not able to contribute within the Sliding Scale amount contact us at localevents@opencirclecenter.org \nSliding Scale: $60 – $120 per person\n \nREGISTER for JUNE 13 \nFor inquiries contact LocalEvents@opencirclecenter.org \nIf you have symptoms of a respiratory infection\, or have had a recent\nCovid exposure or positive test\, please stay home out of consideration for others. URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/miranda-macpherson-jun-13-2026/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael\, 1510 Fifth Ave\, San Rafael\, CA\, 94901 CATEGORIES:Marin,SF Bay Area In-Person Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Miranda-Macpherson_2025_Fairfax_crop-tall.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260613T093000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260613T170000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260528T055612Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260529T222520Z UID:36046-1781343000-1781370000@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Miranda Macpherson ~ Turning Everything Into The Path Of Awakening (In-Person) DESCRIPTION:2026 Bay Area Events with Miranda Macpherson\nJoin us for any or all in this series of In-Person events….\nRegister below for June 13th\nLinks for Info & Registration for each individual date….\nFeb. 7\, 2026\nMay 9\, 2026\nJune 13\, 2026\nNovember 21\, 2026 \nTurning Everything Into The Path Of Awakening \nIf ever there was a time to engage our spiritual practice\, so we can stay present\, open-hearted\, peaceful\, loving and wise\, it’s now. \nThis daylong with Miranda Macpherson is a day for deep spiritual nourishment and community support to connect more substantially to the luminous presence within\, illuminate obstacles one your path\, and explore what timeless Truths have to offer practically for living meaningfully and navigating life from our spiritual depth. \nTogether\, we will embrace all that we grapple with personally and collectively as fuel that ultimately can serve to propel us further on the path of awakening. Miranda will share potent teachings and practices on how we can ground more substantially in the Grace of our True Nature\, Trust the Mystery and come from Loving awareness in all that we face. \nBoth the morning and afternoon sessions will be inspirational and experiential\, with meditation\, mantra\, a rich inquiry practice\, plus time for satsang and sharing. If you life in the Bay Area\, do not miss these affordable opportunities to journey with Miranda in an intimate setting. \nCome join us! \nMiranda Macpherson is a contemporary spiritual teacher who has been guiding others into direct experience of the sacred for over thirty years internationally. In her twenties she founded the OneSpirit Interfaith Foundation in London\, where she trained and ordained over 600 ministers and counsellors. Today Miranda leads the Living Grace Global Sangha\, leads retreats internationally\, broadcasts extensively and serves as core faculty at The Shift Network. \nUnapologetically feminine\, joyful and down to earth in her way of being\, Miranda is dedicated to loving people all the way home into the freedom and wholeness of our true nature. Further\, Miranda invites others to become more graceful human beings\, showing up for creative\, peaceful and wise action that serves our loved ones and the human family in these enormous times. \nMiranda’s books include The Way of Grace: the Transforming Power of Ego Relaxation (Sounds True)\, Boundless Love (Rider) and Meditations on Boundless Love (Sounds True)\, and the Cultivating Grace Card Deck. Miranda is also a kirtan musician and singer with 2 mantra albums – Streams of Grace and The Heart of Being. \nFind out more at www.mirandamacpherson.com \nThere will be a break for lunch.\nYou can bring your own lunch\, or there are plenty of places to eat a short walk or drive away.\nThere’s a nice area to sit outside at the venue. \nPre-registration Required and closes at 6 pm the day before event\nNo one turned away for lack of funds.\nIf you are not able to contribute within the Sliding Scale amount contact us at localevents@opencirclecenter.org \nSliding Scale: $60 – $120 per person \nREGISTER for JUNE 13 \nFor inquiries contact LocalEvents@opencirclecenter.org \nIf you have symptoms of a respiratory infection\, or have had a recent\nCovid exposure or positive test\, please stay home out of consideration for others. URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/miranda-macpherson-jun-13-2026-2/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael\, 1510 Fifth Ave\, San Rafael\, CA\, 94901 CATEGORIES:Featured ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Miranda-Macpherson_2025_Fairfax_crop-tall.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260615T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260615T083000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260316T043147Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T043147Z UID:35943-1781510400-1781512200@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Silent Group Meditation (Free\, No Guidance) DESCRIPTION:Mondays: 8:00am – 8:30am Pacific Time\nand Wednesdays: 9:00am – 9:30am Pacific Time\nOngoing every week\, with rare exceptions. Check Full Calendar to verify dates. \nJoin for a group meditation – just us\, without a teacher. Do your own practice silently in the company of others. There will be no talk or guidance – only a bell to start and finish. Let’s be present\, together. \nAfter half an hour of silent sitting\, there will be space for a brief hello in the end\, if we like. \nPlease be seated by the time meditation starts\, so that we can begin together. You are welcome to have your camera and microphone on (unless you have a lot of background noise)\, so that we can feel as if we were in one space. \nThe zoom link remains the same for all the sessions\, so you are welcome to register only once and save the link for future reference. \nREGISTER\nTo check your local time\, use a tool such as: Time Zone Converter URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/group-meditation-ongoing-monday-2026-q2/2026-06-15/ LOCATION:Online Video Meeting (phone access also available) CATEGORIES:Online Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/conscious-design-VsI_74zRzAo-unsplash-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Open%20Circle%20Center%20-%20Online%20Events":MAILTO:web@opencirclecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260615T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260615T120000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260523T011117Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260601T232712Z UID:35992-1781517600-1781524800@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Ajaya Sommers ~ Awake Attachment™ - Intimacy as a Path of Embodiment and Awakening ~ 4 Part Online Series DESCRIPTION:June 15\, 17\, 22 & 24\, 2026\n10:00 am – 12:00 pm\, Pacific Daylight Time (PT)\nEvent will be recorded and emailed to participants after each meeting.\nYou’re welcome to join even if you can’t attend all the live sessions. \nSliding Scale: $100 to $200\nSome Partial Scholarships Available\nTo check your local time\, use a tool such as: World Time Buddy \nREGISTER \n  \n\n  \nWhen the separate self dissolves – and awakens to one’s natural being\, in deep meditation\, in nature\, in love – what remains is not emptiness. It is intimacy. With everything. \nThis is not an achievement. It is our original nature. \nAnd yet most of us cannot sustain it. Because the nervous system learned\, early\, that closeness was not always safe. \nWhat we long for most – a holy\, primal intimacy with life itself\, with ourselves\, with other humans\, with the more-than-human world – is also what we fear most. And the very places we feel most broken\, most defended\, most disconnected\, are not obstacles to that intimacy. They are the doorway into it. \nWe humans live inside a paradox. \nThe Buddha taught that attachment is the root of suffering – that freedom comes from loosening our grip\, clinging to nothing. Modern psychology says the opposite: from our first breath\, our survival depends on secure bonds. Our nervous systems\, our capacity to regulate and relate\, our sense of safety in the world – all of it is built on healthy attachment. To ourselves\, to each other\, to the more-than-human world. \nWhat if these two teachings are not in conflict? What if the path is not away from attachment – but through it\, into the embodied realization of being both awake and attached? \nMany people drawn to this work have walked a meaningful inner path. And still\, they sense a gap between what they understand spiritually and what they can sustain in real-time relationship – especially when emotions intensify\, or intimacy calls for something more. \nAwakening to our true nature does not automatically resolve the nervous system patterns organized around protection. This series explores that meeting point – where spiritual realization and the living body learn to move together. \nAt the center of this work is a simple but profound reframe: \nThe opposite of attachment is not detachment. It is intimacy without self-abandonment. \nThe Four Sessions \nSession One – Staying · The intelligence of the gut Learning how not to abandon yourself. We establish the conditions for safety\, regulation\, and embodied presence – and begin to explore what it means to remain connected to ourselves when intensity arises. \nSession Two – Feeling · The intelligence of the heart We turn toward emotional presence and the deeper intelligence within our relational patterns – meeting vulnerability and reactivity with awareness rather than avoidance or collapse. \nSession Three – Opening · The intelligence of awareness As the nervous system settles and the heart opens\, we explore intimacy – not as fusion or dependency\, but as the capacity to remain deeply connected without losing ourselves. \nSession Four – Living · Integration of gut\, heart\, and awareness as one breathing motion. What it means to love\, relate\, and meet life from a more grounded and awake presence – not as an ideal\, but as a living capacity. \nHow we explore:\nEach session combines somatic practice\, guided inquiry\, and relational exploration. We slow down together\, settle the nervous system\, and build – gradually and experientially – the capacity to stay present with what is alive inside. The emphasis throughout is on direct experience rather than concept\, and on the integration of insight into lived relationship. \nThis series is for you if…\nYou have a spiritual practice – and your relationships are still the hardest part. \nYou sense a gap between what you understand and what you can sustain in real-time. \nYou long for a deeper ground within yourself – not through control\, but through presence. \nYou are drawn to how awakening lives in the body\, in intimacy\, in the fullness of a human life. \nAbout Ajaya Sommers\nAjaya Sommers\, RCST\, is the founder of Core Embodiment®\, a somatic practitioner\, teacher\, and speaker with over 30 years of experience guiding people into genuine transformation. \nHer work lives at the intersection of somatic embodiment\, relational intimacy\, and non-dual inquiry\, helping people reclaim presence\, coherence\, and deeper connection to themselves\, others and Life itself. She is a certified Biodynamic Craniosacral Integration Teacher\, NARM practitioner\, and Authorized Continuum Teacher\, and has presented at the SAND Conference\, Esalen Institute\, the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS)\, and the Purpose Summit. \najayasommers.com \nSliding Scale: $100 to $200\nSome Partial Scholarships Available\nAddress inquiries to web@opencirclecenter.org\nPlease Register Early if you can. \nREGISTER URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/ajaya-sommers-jun-series-2026/ LOCATION:Online Video Meeting (phone access also available) CATEGORIES:Online Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ajaya-Sommers_2026.png ORGANIZER;CN="Open%20Circle%20Center%20-%20Online%20Events":MAILTO:web@opencirclecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260617T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260617T093000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260316T043354Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T043354Z UID:35952-1781686800-1781688600@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Silent Group Meditation (Free\, No Guidance) DESCRIPTION:Mondays: 8:00am – 8:30am Pacific Time\nWednesdays : 9:00am – 9:30am Pacific Time\nOngoing every week\, with rare exceptions. Check Full Calendar to verify dates. \nJoin for a group meditation – just us\, without a teacher. Do your own practice silently in the company of others. There will be no talk or guidance – only a bell to start and finish. Let’s be present\, together. \nAfter half an hour of silent sitting\, there will be space for a brief hello in the end\, if we like. \nPlease be seated by the time meditation starts\, so that we can begin together. You are welcome to have your camera and microphone on (unless you have a lot of background noise)\, so that we can feel as if we were in one space. \nThe zoom link remains the same for all the sessions\, so you are welcome to register only once and save the link for future reference. \nREGISTER\nTo check your local time\, use a tool such as: Time Zone Converter URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/group-meditation-ongoing-wednesday-2026-q2/2026-06-17/ LOCATION:Online Video Meeting (phone access also available) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/conscious-design-VsI_74zRzAo-unsplash-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Open%20Circle%20Center%20-%20Online%20Events":MAILTO:web@opencirclecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260617T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260617T120000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260523T011736Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260523T011736Z UID:36003-1781690400-1781697600@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Ajaya Sommers ~ Awake Attachment™ - Intimacy as a Path of Embodiment and Awakening ~ 4 Part Online Series DESCRIPTION:June 15\, 17\, 22 & 24\, 2026\n10:00 am – 12:00 pm\, Pacific Daylight Time (PT)\nEvent will be recorded and emailed to participants after each meeting.\nYou’re welcome to join even if you can’t attend all the live sessions. \nSliding Scale: $100 to $200\nSome Partial Scholarships Available\nTo check your local time\, use a tool such as: World Time Buddy \nREGISTER \nWhen the separate self dissolves – and awakens to one’s natural being\, in deep meditation\, in nature\, in love – what remains is not emptiness. It is intimacy. With everything. \nThis is not an achievement. It is our original nature. \nAnd yet most of us cannot sustain it. Because the nervous system learned\, early\, that closeness was not always safe. \nWhat we long for most – a holy\, primal intimacy with life itself\, with ourselves\, with other humans\, with the more-than-human world – is also what we fear most. And the very places we feel most broken\, most defended\, most disconnected\, are not obstacles to that intimacy. They are the doorway into it. \nWe humans live inside a paradox. \nThe Buddha taught that attachment is the root of suffering – that freedom comes from loosening our grip\, clinging to nothing. Modern psychology says the opposite: from our first breath\, our survival depends on secure bonds. Our nervous systems\, our capacity to regulate and relate\, our sense of safety in the world – all of it is built on healthy attachment. To ourselves\, to each other\, to the more-than-human world. \nWhat if these two teachings are not in conflict? What if the path is not away from attachment – but through it\, into the embodied realization of being both awake and attached? \nMany people drawn to this work have walked a meaningful inner path. And still\, they sense a gap between what they understand spiritually and what they can sustain in real-time relationship – especially when emotions intensify\, or intimacy calls for something more. \nAwakening to our true nature does not automatically resolve the nervous system patterns organized around protection. This series explores that meeting point – where spiritual realization and the living body learn to move together. \nAt the center of this work is a simple but profound reframe: \nThe opposite of attachment is not detachment. It is intimacy without self-abandonment. \nThe Four Sessions \nSession One – Staying · The intelligence of the gut Learning how not to abandon yourself. We establish the conditions for safety\, regulation\, and embodied presence – and begin to explore what it means to remain connected to ourselves when intensity arises. \nSession Two – Feeling · The intelligence of the heart We turn toward emotional presence and the deeper intelligence within our relational patterns – meeting vulnerability and reactivity with awareness rather than avoidance or collapse. \nSession Three – Opening · The intelligence of awareness As the nervous system settles and the heart opens\, we explore intimacy – not as fusion or dependency\, but as the capacity to remain deeply connected without losing ourselves. \nSession Four – Living · Integration of gut\, heart\, and awareness as one breathing motion. What it means to love\, relate\, and meet life from a more grounded and awake presence – not as an ideal\, but as a living capacity. \nHow we explore:\nEach session combines somatic practice\, guided inquiry\, and relational exploration. We slow down together\, settle the nervous system\, and build – gradually and experientially – the capacity to stay present with what is alive inside. The emphasis throughout is on direct experience rather than concept\, and on the integration of insight into lived relationship. \nThis series is for you if…\nYou have a spiritual practice – and your relationships are still the hardest part. \nYou sense a gap between what you understand and what you can sustain in real-time. \nYou long for a deeper ground within yourself – not through control\, but through presence. \nYou are drawn to how awakening lives in the body\, in intimacy\, in the fullness of a human life. \nAbout Ajaya Sommers\nAjaya Sommers\, RCST\, is the founder of Core Embodiment®\, a somatic practitioner\, teacher\, and speaker with over 30 years of experience guiding people into genuine transformation. \nHer work lives at the intersection of somatic embodiment\, relational intimacy\, and non-dual inquiry\, helping people reclaim presence\, coherence\, and deeper connection to themselves\, others and Life itself. She is a certified Biodynamic Craniosacral Integration Teacher\, NARM practitioner\, and Authorized Continuum Teacher\, and has presented at the SAND Conference\, Esalen Institute\, the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS)\, and the Purpose Summit. \najayasommers.com \nSliding Scale: $100 to $200\nSome Partial Scholarships Available\nAddress inquiries to web@opencirclecenter.org\nPlease Register Early if you can. \nREGISTER URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/ajaya-sommers-jun-series-2026-2/2026-06-17/ LOCATION:Online Video Meeting (phone access also available) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ajaya-Sommers_2026.png ORGANIZER;CN="Open%20Circle%20Center%20-%20Online%20Events":MAILTO:web@opencirclecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260618T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260618T113000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260510T044557Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260601T222130Z UID:35909-1781776800-1781782200@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Ishita Sharma ~ The Feminine Mystical Path - Homecoming (women only) DESCRIPTION:The feminine and masculine paths illuminate and engage different aspects of energy\, attention and anatomy in remembering Wholeness. A man’s body and a woman’s body are designed differently\, and that has ramifications on the maturation of our mystical paths. Popular wisdom traditions are skewed by a primarily masculine lens. \nTogether we will explore what embodiment beyond awakening entails uniquely for our feminine incarnations\, learning from and honoring the female mystics who have walked before us\, while mining the gold hidden in our own unique blueprints. \nThis one is just for women\, join us to explore the fullness of your expression with a group that will invite and receive it as such. \nBIO \nIshita Sharma serves as a spiritual teacher\, healing mirror\, embodiment partner\, and Core Energetics Practitioner of body-based psychotherapy. Teaching Universal principles of healing and mysticism\, she is devoted to supporting healing and awakening in all those committed to living a bright and connected life\, sharing their gifts for the good of the Whole. \nGrowing up in India\, asking big questions\, Ishita’s curiosities about the nature of All Things fueled a series of profound openings. Having her relationship to Self\, Life and others re-calibrated\, while learning to honor her own body’s signals as the ultimate path to God\, led her to study various spiritual\, neurological\, relational\, somatic and shamanic modalities\, through the Grace of her teachers and the Book of her Life. \nIshita has coached visionaries and leaders from Google\, Harvard\, MIT\, Silicon Valley\, Broadway artists\, and renowned scientists\, coaches\, teachers\, artists and activists. Clients come to her to grow through their deepest longings and challenges\, held and mirrored in their perfect wholeness. She points every one of them back to center. \nIshita’s teachings\, like her learnings\, support self-study through direct realization. They marry western mind and eastern spirit through the human body and heart to facilitate embodied awakening and authentic connection\, the balm for our tumultuous times. \nCare for our sacred shared world informs all her endeavors. Ishita now uses her skills to help clients connect with their inner signals so they can find rest in minds\, ease in their bodies\, joy in their hearts\, and embody their True Nature in right relation with Life. She brings 15 years of advanced facilitation\, a refined meditation practice\, and a fierce devotion to her own healing to serve. She looks forward to meeting and supporting you! \ncometocenter.com \nIshita speaks on how a lifelong longing for truth and coherence led her to sharing it with others: \n\n  \nSliding Scale: $15 to $40\nHowever\, no one turned away for lack of funds.\nIf you can’t pay within the sliding scale\, contact us to let us know what you can contribute.\nAddress inquiries to web@opencirclecenter.org \nREGISTER \nThe event will be recorded and emailed to participants within a week.\nTo check your local time\, use a tool such as: Time Zone Converter URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/ishita-sharma-jun-18-2026/ LOCATION:Online Video Meeting (phone access also available) CATEGORIES:Online Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Ishita-Sharma-portrait_2026-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Open%20Circle%20Center%20-%20Online%20Events":MAILTO:web@opencirclecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260619T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260619T120000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260516T052244Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260516T052617Z UID:35963-1781863200-1781870400@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Lynn Marie Lumiere\, MFT ~ The Healing Power of Embodied Presence DESCRIPTION:The power to heal lies within the embodied presence of our own Being. That\, and only that\, can transform and free our fixed and distorted identity that causes our mental and physical health issues. The false identity cannot change itself. True healing comes from something beyond that\, but not separate. It is in the meeting of our infinite being and our finite humanness that the alchemy of true healing takes place. \nThis healing can include changing our lifestyle\, relationships\, diet\, taking medication\, therapy\, etc. What is important is we are moved from the infinite wisdom of Presence\, not from the separate identity trying to fix it. We rely on the Presence of Being to inform our body mind and to meet our mental\, emotional and physical pain without resistance. This is how we embody the Presence and heal our human wounding. \nThis webinar will offer a guided meditation focused on recognizing Presence and embodying that\, as well as receiving therapeutic support\, if needed\, with the issues you are struggling with. \nLynn Marie Lumiere\, MFT is a seasoned nondual psychotherapist\, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner\, spiritual mentor\, and author. Her work is a rare blend of deep spiritual wisdom and skilled therapeutic work with a focus on healing psychological trauma/wounding and embodied awakening. Lynn Marie brings a comprehensive depth of understanding achieved through her own extensive experience with both healing trauma and awakening and bringing them together. She also brings a natural empathy\, compassion\, and Presence to her work. She is the author of Awakened Relating: A Guide to Embodying Undivided Love in Intimate Relationships. \nSee www.lynnmarielumiere.com for more information. \nWatch a 6-part video series with Lynn Marie\nwhere she shares about her awakening journey\, her views on nervous system activation on the spiritual path\,\nmain obstacles to awakening\, ways of including all of our human experience\, and more. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \nSliding Scale: $15 to $40\nNo one turned away for lack of funds.\nIf you can’t pay within the sliding scale\, just contact us to let us know what you can contribute.\nAddress inquiries to web@opencirclecenter.org \nREGISTER \nThe event will be recorded and emailed to participants within a week.\nTo check your local time\, use a tool such as: World Time Buddy URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/lynn-marie-jun-19-2026/ LOCATION:Online Video Meeting (phone access also available) CATEGORIES:Online Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Lynn-Marie-Lumiere-Portrait_2025-03.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Open%20Circle%20Center%20-%20Online%20Events":MAILTO:web@opencirclecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260620T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260620T170000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260516T212137Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260603T231543Z UID:35406-1781951400-1781974800@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:John J. Prendergast\, Ph.D. ~ “Being Absolutely No One and No Thing” (In-Person) DESCRIPTION:2026 Bay Area Events with John J. Prendergast\, Ph.D.\nJune 20 ~ San Rafael\, CA ~ Details & Registration below\nSeptember 19 ~ San Rafael\, CA ~ Registration will be available by June 21st\nDecember 5 ~ San Rafael\, CA ~ Registration will be available by Sept. 20th \n“Being Absolutely No One and No Thing” \nWhen we know that we are no thing\, we are free to be as we are – both as spacious\, loving awareness and as unique\, individuated being. Through silent and guided meditations\, a talk\, meditative inquiry\, and experiential conversations in community\, we will explore seeing and feeling through who we have mis-taken our self to be and discovering what remains. \nJohn Prendergast\, Ph.D is a spiritual teacher\, retired psychotherapist\, and retired Adjunct Professor of Psychology at CIIS\, well known for his pioneering work in integrating non-dual wisdom and psychotherapy. He studied with the European sage Jean Klein for many years\, as well as with Adyashanti\, who gave him dharma transmission in 2023. He is the author of The Deep Heart (2019)\, In Touch (2015)\, and a new book\, Your Deepest Ground: A Guide to Embodied Spirituality (March\, 2025) from Sounds True. \nwww.listeningfromsilence.com\nYouTube channel \nPre-registration Required and closes at 6 pm the day before event \n\nSliding Scale: $60 to $120 \nREGISTER for JUNE 20 \nNo one turned away for lack of funds.\nIf you are not able to contribute within the Sliding Scale\, or need other support with payment or registration…\ncontact us at web@opencirclecenter.org\nFor other inquires about the event or venue\, cancellations or to be added to waiting list…\ncontact localevents@opencirclecenter.org\n \nPARKING: There is street parking in the area. \nIf you have symptoms of a respiratory infection\, or have had a recent\nCovid exposure or positive test\, please stay home out of consideration for others. URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/john-prendergast-jun-20-2026/ LOCATION:First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael\, 1510 Fifth Ave\, San Rafael\, CA\, 94901 CATEGORIES:Marin,SF Bay Area In-Person Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/John-Prendergast-2023_2024-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260622T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260622T083000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260316T043147Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T043147Z UID:35944-1782115200-1782117000@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Silent Group Meditation (Free\, No Guidance) DESCRIPTION:Mondays: 8:00am – 8:30am Pacific Time\nand Wednesdays: 9:00am – 9:30am Pacific Time\nOngoing every week\, with rare exceptions. Check Full Calendar to verify dates. \nJoin for a group meditation – just us\, without a teacher. Do your own practice silently in the company of others. There will be no talk or guidance – only a bell to start and finish. Let’s be present\, together. \nAfter half an hour of silent sitting\, there will be space for a brief hello in the end\, if we like. \nPlease be seated by the time meditation starts\, so that we can begin together. You are welcome to have your camera and microphone on (unless you have a lot of background noise)\, so that we can feel as if we were in one space. \nThe zoom link remains the same for all the sessions\, so you are welcome to register only once and save the link for future reference. \nREGISTER\nTo check your local time\, use a tool such as: Time Zone Converter URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/group-meditation-ongoing-monday-2026-q2/2026-06-22/ LOCATION:Online Video Meeting (phone access also available) CATEGORIES:Online Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/conscious-design-VsI_74zRzAo-unsplash-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Open%20Circle%20Center%20-%20Online%20Events":MAILTO:web@opencirclecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260622T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260622T120000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260523T011736Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260523T011736Z UID:36005-1782122400-1782129600@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Ajaya Sommers ~ Awake Attachment™ - Intimacy as a Path of Embodiment and Awakening ~ 4 Part Online Series DESCRIPTION:June 15\, 17\, 22 & 24\, 2026\n10:00 am – 12:00 pm\, Pacific Daylight Time (PT)\nEvent will be recorded and emailed to participants after each meeting.\nYou’re welcome to join even if you can’t attend all the live sessions. \nSliding Scale: $100 to $200\nSome Partial Scholarships Available\nTo check your local time\, use a tool such as: World Time Buddy \nREGISTER \nWhen the separate self dissolves – and awakens to one’s natural being\, in deep meditation\, in nature\, in love – what remains is not emptiness. It is intimacy. With everything. \nThis is not an achievement. It is our original nature. \nAnd yet most of us cannot sustain it. Because the nervous system learned\, early\, that closeness was not always safe. \nWhat we long for most – a holy\, primal intimacy with life itself\, with ourselves\, with other humans\, with the more-than-human world – is also what we fear most. And the very places we feel most broken\, most defended\, most disconnected\, are not obstacles to that intimacy. They are the doorway into it. \nWe humans live inside a paradox. \nThe Buddha taught that attachment is the root of suffering – that freedom comes from loosening our grip\, clinging to nothing. Modern psychology says the opposite: from our first breath\, our survival depends on secure bonds. Our nervous systems\, our capacity to regulate and relate\, our sense of safety in the world – all of it is built on healthy attachment. To ourselves\, to each other\, to the more-than-human world. \nWhat if these two teachings are not in conflict? What if the path is not away from attachment – but through it\, into the embodied realization of being both awake and attached? \nMany people drawn to this work have walked a meaningful inner path. And still\, they sense a gap between what they understand spiritually and what they can sustain in real-time relationship – especially when emotions intensify\, or intimacy calls for something more. \nAwakening to our true nature does not automatically resolve the nervous system patterns organized around protection. This series explores that meeting point – where spiritual realization and the living body learn to move together. \nAt the center of this work is a simple but profound reframe: \nThe opposite of attachment is not detachment. It is intimacy without self-abandonment. \nThe Four Sessions \nSession One – Staying · The intelligence of the gut Learning how not to abandon yourself. We establish the conditions for safety\, regulation\, and embodied presence – and begin to explore what it means to remain connected to ourselves when intensity arises. \nSession Two – Feeling · The intelligence of the heart We turn toward emotional presence and the deeper intelligence within our relational patterns – meeting vulnerability and reactivity with awareness rather than avoidance or collapse. \nSession Three – Opening · The intelligence of awareness As the nervous system settles and the heart opens\, we explore intimacy – not as fusion or dependency\, but as the capacity to remain deeply connected without losing ourselves. \nSession Four – Living · Integration of gut\, heart\, and awareness as one breathing motion. What it means to love\, relate\, and meet life from a more grounded and awake presence – not as an ideal\, but as a living capacity. \nHow we explore:\nEach session combines somatic practice\, guided inquiry\, and relational exploration. We slow down together\, settle the nervous system\, and build – gradually and experientially – the capacity to stay present with what is alive inside. The emphasis throughout is on direct experience rather than concept\, and on the integration of insight into lived relationship. \nThis series is for you if…\nYou have a spiritual practice – and your relationships are still the hardest part. \nYou sense a gap between what you understand and what you can sustain in real-time. \nYou long for a deeper ground within yourself – not through control\, but through presence. \nYou are drawn to how awakening lives in the body\, in intimacy\, in the fullness of a human life. \nAbout Ajaya Sommers\nAjaya Sommers\, RCST\, is the founder of Core Embodiment®\, a somatic practitioner\, teacher\, and speaker with over 30 years of experience guiding people into genuine transformation. \nHer work lives at the intersection of somatic embodiment\, relational intimacy\, and non-dual inquiry\, helping people reclaim presence\, coherence\, and deeper connection to themselves\, others and Life itself. She is a certified Biodynamic Craniosacral Integration Teacher\, NARM practitioner\, and Authorized Continuum Teacher\, and has presented at the SAND Conference\, Esalen Institute\, the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS)\, and the Purpose Summit. \najayasommers.com \nSliding Scale: $100 to $200\nSome Partial Scholarships Available\nAddress inquiries to web@opencirclecenter.org\nPlease Register Early if you can. \nREGISTER URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/ajaya-sommers-jun-series-2026-2/2026-06-22/ LOCATION:Online Video Meeting (phone access also available) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ajaya-Sommers_2026.png ORGANIZER;CN="Open%20Circle%20Center%20-%20Online%20Events":MAILTO:web@opencirclecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260624T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260624T093000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260316T043354Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T043354Z UID:35953-1782291600-1782293400@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Silent Group Meditation (Free\, No Guidance) DESCRIPTION:Mondays: 8:00am – 8:30am Pacific Time\nWednesdays : 9:00am – 9:30am Pacific Time\nOngoing every week\, with rare exceptions. Check Full Calendar to verify dates. \nJoin for a group meditation – just us\, without a teacher. Do your own practice silently in the company of others. There will be no talk or guidance – only a bell to start and finish. Let’s be present\, together. \nAfter half an hour of silent sitting\, there will be space for a brief hello in the end\, if we like. \nPlease be seated by the time meditation starts\, so that we can begin together. You are welcome to have your camera and microphone on (unless you have a lot of background noise)\, so that we can feel as if we were in one space. \nThe zoom link remains the same for all the sessions\, so you are welcome to register only once and save the link for future reference. \nREGISTER\nTo check your local time\, use a tool such as: Time Zone Converter URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/group-meditation-ongoing-wednesday-2026-q2/2026-06-24/ LOCATION:Online Video Meeting (phone access also available) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/conscious-design-VsI_74zRzAo-unsplash-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Open%20Circle%20Center%20-%20Online%20Events":MAILTO:web@opencirclecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260624T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260624T120000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260523T011736Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260523T011736Z UID:36006-1782295200-1782302400@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Ajaya Sommers ~ Awake Attachment™ - Intimacy as a Path of Embodiment and Awakening ~ 4 Part Online Series DESCRIPTION:June 15\, 17\, 22 & 24\, 2026\n10:00 am – 12:00 pm\, Pacific Daylight Time (PT)\nEvent will be recorded and emailed to participants after each meeting.\nYou’re welcome to join even if you can’t attend all the live sessions. \nSliding Scale: $100 to $200\nSome Partial Scholarships Available\nTo check your local time\, use a tool such as: World Time Buddy \nREGISTER \nWhen the separate self dissolves – and awakens to one’s natural being\, in deep meditation\, in nature\, in love – what remains is not emptiness. It is intimacy. With everything. \nThis is not an achievement. It is our original nature. \nAnd yet most of us cannot sustain it. Because the nervous system learned\, early\, that closeness was not always safe. \nWhat we long for most – a holy\, primal intimacy with life itself\, with ourselves\, with other humans\, with the more-than-human world – is also what we fear most. And the very places we feel most broken\, most defended\, most disconnected\, are not obstacles to that intimacy. They are the doorway into it. \nWe humans live inside a paradox. \nThe Buddha taught that attachment is the root of suffering – that freedom comes from loosening our grip\, clinging to nothing. Modern psychology says the opposite: from our first breath\, our survival depends on secure bonds. Our nervous systems\, our capacity to regulate and relate\, our sense of safety in the world – all of it is built on healthy attachment. To ourselves\, to each other\, to the more-than-human world. \nWhat if these two teachings are not in conflict? What if the path is not away from attachment – but through it\, into the embodied realization of being both awake and attached? \nMany people drawn to this work have walked a meaningful inner path. And still\, they sense a gap between what they understand spiritually and what they can sustain in real-time relationship – especially when emotions intensify\, or intimacy calls for something more. \nAwakening to our true nature does not automatically resolve the nervous system patterns organized around protection. This series explores that meeting point – where spiritual realization and the living body learn to move together. \nAt the center of this work is a simple but profound reframe: \nThe opposite of attachment is not detachment. It is intimacy without self-abandonment. \nThe Four Sessions \nSession One – Staying · The intelligence of the gut Learning how not to abandon yourself. We establish the conditions for safety\, regulation\, and embodied presence – and begin to explore what it means to remain connected to ourselves when intensity arises. \nSession Two – Feeling · The intelligence of the heart We turn toward emotional presence and the deeper intelligence within our relational patterns – meeting vulnerability and reactivity with awareness rather than avoidance or collapse. \nSession Three – Opening · The intelligence of awareness As the nervous system settles and the heart opens\, we explore intimacy – not as fusion or dependency\, but as the capacity to remain deeply connected without losing ourselves. \nSession Four – Living · Integration of gut\, heart\, and awareness as one breathing motion. What it means to love\, relate\, and meet life from a more grounded and awake presence – not as an ideal\, but as a living capacity. \nHow we explore:\nEach session combines somatic practice\, guided inquiry\, and relational exploration. We slow down together\, settle the nervous system\, and build – gradually and experientially – the capacity to stay present with what is alive inside. The emphasis throughout is on direct experience rather than concept\, and on the integration of insight into lived relationship. \nThis series is for you if…\nYou have a spiritual practice – and your relationships are still the hardest part. \nYou sense a gap between what you understand and what you can sustain in real-time. \nYou long for a deeper ground within yourself – not through control\, but through presence. \nYou are drawn to how awakening lives in the body\, in intimacy\, in the fullness of a human life. \nAbout Ajaya Sommers\nAjaya Sommers\, RCST\, is the founder of Core Embodiment®\, a somatic practitioner\, teacher\, and speaker with over 30 years of experience guiding people into genuine transformation. \nHer work lives at the intersection of somatic embodiment\, relational intimacy\, and non-dual inquiry\, helping people reclaim presence\, coherence\, and deeper connection to themselves\, others and Life itself. She is a certified Biodynamic Craniosacral Integration Teacher\, NARM practitioner\, and Authorized Continuum Teacher\, and has presented at the SAND Conference\, Esalen Institute\, the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS)\, and the Purpose Summit. \najayasommers.com \nSliding Scale: $100 to $200\nSome Partial Scholarships Available\nAddress inquiries to web@opencirclecenter.org\nPlease Register Early if you can. \nREGISTER URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/ajaya-sommers-jun-series-2026-2/2026-06-24/ LOCATION:Online Video Meeting (phone access also available) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ajaya-Sommers_2026.png ORGANIZER;CN="Open%20Circle%20Center%20-%20Online%20Events":MAILTO:web@opencirclecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260628T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260628T120000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260523T055700Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260523T055751Z UID:36029-1782640800-1782648000@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Jeannie Zandi ~ Living Practice: A Spiritual Life That Is Actually Yours DESCRIPTION:Spiritual practice is not meant to be something we force ourselves into\, or another way of feeling that we are failing to measure up. Real practice is alive. It is intimate. It’s driven by devotion and works best when we find the forms\, rhythms\, and ways of returning that genuinely open us to truth\, presence\, and love. \nFor some\, practice may look like meditation or prayer. For others\, it may arise through movement\, service\, beauty\, study\, chanting\, time in nature\, self-inquiry\, relating\, or the daily effort to meet ordinary life with presence. There are countless doors into the sacred\, and part of spiritual maturity is learning to recognize what truly nourishes and deepens your own unique connection to the sacred. \nIn this gathering\, we will explore the value and purpose of spiritual practice\, the many ways practice can take shape\, and what helps us remain connected over time amidst distraction\, resistance\, doubt\, and the demands of modern life. We will look at the difference between living practice and empty ritual\, between authentic devotion and inherited obligation\, and the importance of crafting a spiritual life that is not merely prescribed but deeply lived. \nTogether we will explore how practice can become a way of inhabiting our actual lives with sincerity\, steadiness\, openness\, and heart. \nAbout Jeannie Zandi\nJeannie Zandi is a nondual spiritual teacher and guide for embodied awakening\, inviting students to fully inhabit their human lives with presence\, clarity\, and love. Known for her fierce tenderness\, irreverent wisdom\, and unwavering presence\, she creates powerful spaces for transformation\, where truth is met in the raw\, and awakening moves beyond concept into lived reality. \nHer work bridges the mystical and the practical\, inviting students to embrace every aspect of experience—joy\, challenge\, and the mundane—as fuel for awakening. Rather than transcending life\, she calls us to root in it\, maturing into authentic expressions of love\, serving the whole with wisdom and heart. \nwww.jeanniezandi.com \nSliding Scale: $15 to $40\nNo one turned away for lack of funds.\nIf you can’t pay within the sliding scale\, just contact us to let us know what you can contribute.\nAddress inquiries to web@opencirclecenter.org \nREGISTER \nThe event will be recorded and emailed to participants within a week.\nTo check your local time\, use a tool such as: Time Zone Converter URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/jeannie-zandi-jun-28-2026/ LOCATION:Online Video Meeting (phone access also available) CATEGORIES:Online Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Jeannie-Zandi-2025-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Open%20Circle%20Center%20-%20Online%20Events":MAILTO:web@opencirclecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260628T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260628T170000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260523T031423Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260529T222023Z UID:36008-1782658800-1782666000@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Sarah Taylor ~ The Heart of Awakening (In-Person) DESCRIPTION:The heart holds a doorway that can help us to embody truth\, know the deeper intimacy of non-separation\, and open into a clarity that is felt as much as it is seen. \nWhat the traditions call divine love is not merely a feeling that arises in awakening. It is the welcoming aliveness of our very nature. \nIn this gathering\, Sarah Taylor explores the heart as fulcrum: the place where insight can be found\, deepened\, and lived. Where loving awareness\, brought openly to what is here\, completes something that clear seeing alone leaves unfinished. \nThrough meditation\, inquiry\, and transmission\, we will rest together in the field of this living\, loving presence\, where the heart is revealed as one of its most direct portals. \nWatch a short video with Sarah: Awakening\, Healing & Aligning with Truth \n\n  \nAbout Sarah:\nSarah is an awakening trail guide\, intuitive energy healer\, and mystic whose work explores awakening\, embodiment\, and the fullness of being. Rooted in Buddhist practice and her own direct experience of awakening\, she offers grounded and compassionate support for realization\, integration\, and authentic living. As a former stand-up comedian\, Sarah brings warmth\, relatability\, and a touch of irreverence to the spiritual path. Through meditation\, dialogue\, intuitive guidance\, and energetic transmission\, she helps people soften conditioning and deepen into greater coherence and aliveness\, with a particular attunement to fellow neurodivergent and highly sensitive people. \nFind our more at www.lightofyourbeing.com\nYouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@sarahtaylor-lightofyourbeing \nNo pre-registration required\n*** Just show up & pay at the door ***\nSuggested donation: $15 to $30\nNo one turned away for lack of funds \n***Connie Barbour Room***\nBerkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists (BFUU)\nUpstairs\, behind the main BFUU building at the corner of Cedar and Bonita.\nPlease enter through the courtyard gate at 1606 Bonita.\nThen enter the building through the first entrance on the left.\nProceed up the stairs to the Connie Barbour Room. \nPARKING: There is street parking in the neighborhood. \nFor inquiries contact LocalEvents@opencirclecenter.org \nIf you have symptoms of a respiratory infection\, or have had a recent\nCovid exposure or positive test\, please stay home out of consideration for others URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/sarah-taylor-jun-28-2026/ LOCATION:Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists\, 1606 Bonita Ave\, Berkeley\, CA\, United States CATEGORIES:East Bay,SF Bay Area In-Person Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sarah-Taylor-1_2026_crop-scaled.jpg GEO:37.8774766;-122.2727694 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists 1606 Bonita Ave Berkeley CA United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1606 Bonita Ave:geo:-122.2727694,37.8774766 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260629T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260629T083000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260316T043147Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T043147Z UID:35945-1782720000-1782721800@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Silent Group Meditation (Free\, No Guidance) DESCRIPTION:Mondays: 8:00am – 8:30am Pacific Time\nand Wednesdays: 9:00am – 9:30am Pacific Time\nOngoing every week\, with rare exceptions. Check Full Calendar to verify dates. \nJoin for a group meditation – just us\, without a teacher. Do your own practice silently in the company of others. There will be no talk or guidance – only a bell to start and finish. Let’s be present\, together. \nAfter half an hour of silent sitting\, there will be space for a brief hello in the end\, if we like. \nPlease be seated by the time meditation starts\, so that we can begin together. You are welcome to have your camera and microphone on (unless you have a lot of background noise)\, so that we can feel as if we were in one space. \nThe zoom link remains the same for all the sessions\, so you are welcome to register only once and save the link for future reference. \nREGISTER\nTo check your local time\, use a tool such as: Time Zone Converter URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/group-meditation-ongoing-monday-2026-q2/2026-06-29/ LOCATION:Online Video Meeting (phone access also available) CATEGORIES:Online Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/conscious-design-VsI_74zRzAo-unsplash-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Open%20Circle%20Center%20-%20Online%20Events":MAILTO:web@opencirclecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260629T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260629T120000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260523T035729Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260523T040000Z UID:36015-1782727200-1782734400@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Pamela Wilson ~ The Magic in the Heart Liberates Our Inherent Worth ~ 4 Part Online Retreat DESCRIPTION:June 29\, July 2\, 6 & 9\, 2026\n10:00 am – 12:00 pm\, Pacific Daylight Time (PT)\nTime Zone Converter\nEvent will be recorded and emailed to participants after each meeting.\nYou’re welcome to join even if you can’t attend all the live sessions. \nWe have been trained to suppress our wisdom\, strength and love. Trained into smallness\, told we are less than\, and cannot make a difference. And yet\, we long to give our gifts\, to return to the fullness of presence and the constancy of peace\, to live that! There is only one idea in the way\, the idea that self-respect is not okay\, and that self-pride is ugly. When naturalness or presence honors itself\, there is a healthy pride\, unlike when the deficient sense of self puffs itself up from inferiority to superiority. Most of us notice\, as we uncover the dignity of our being\, as we rise and root into being from doing\, that the depressant habit of making ourselves small returns us to some form of human imbalance. \nWhen the inclusive magic of the heart starts to honor itself\, its being and even its form and unique journey\, there can be a contraction as we encounter the “Thou shall not honor thyself” taboo. This is the suppression that artificial authority has imposed on the tribe. Luckily\, as elemental naturalness\, we are also rebellious and frustrated by old fashioned ideas and harmful impositions! A true freedom includes everything and allows us to flow artfully. \nBeing is neither superior nor inferior\, but equal\, and enjoys a natural confidence in life and its own uniqueness and worth. How relaxing to return to this original embodied peace and strength! \nMay uncontained presence root\, transmit and live its natural confidence and certainty! \nAbout Pamela Wilson:\nPamela has been a messenger for Truth and Heart wisdom worldwide for over 30 years. Like many of us\, she was originally motivated by a passionate curiosity fueled by despair and sorrow about humanity and her own struggles. She started meditating in 1976 after her mother died\, and was lucky enough to find true teachers. Chance meetings with Dilgo Khentse Rinpoche in a garden\, shaktipat from Muktananda\, private spontaneous encounters with Rabbi Zalman Schachter\, and alone time with Lester Levenson and Robert Adams nourished her en route. Merging in Neelam and Prem’s satsang back into the original river of love\, dissolved the sense of self and much history. What a relief to return to aware naturalness! There were enough clues that kept her marinating in satsang\, especially that of Yudishtara! His whisper\, “Don’t let anyone tell you\, you are anything but love!” No one ever tells you that! An ongoing passion for liberation and light-heartedness kept inquiry into the nature of mind\, the emotions and the body ongoing. Oh\, and what treasures were found in the essence of all that! Confirming Lao Tzu’s invitation to be a kind-hearted grandparent within\, and Papaji’s “Look within\, approach everything with devotion and gratitude\, stay as heart!” And Ramana Maharshi’s “Nothing is what it appears to be!” \nHow could any form resist all the warm compassion meeting it?\nAnd so it unwinds from defense back into relaxation\, renewed by respect and surprised to be met with gratitude. The original invitation is Know Thyself! As modern sages we return for every form and function so it All can know itself!\nAs compassion we all notice harmful ignorance and suffering\, enough is enough!\nA quiet revolution from the inside out. Each sage is required to do the inner work. \n“Pamela shares something she calls “Inner satsang.” It is quite simple and direct\, and although it requires a clear intention\, it is not hard to learn. In my recent reading of Carl Jung’s essays and lectures\, I came upon Jung’s description of his own inner exploration method which he called “active imagination.” It became clear that Jung’s practice and Pamela’s are identical. This method of going within is most likely something ancient which has been passed down through the ages by saints and sages of all traditions. I feel extremely fortunate that in my friendship with Pamela she has passed on to me this beautiful way of fulfilling my long held and deepest heart’s desire.”\n~ Lawrence Homolka \n“Thank you for bringing the Heart back to Advaita!”\n~ Rabbi Ravi Shapiro \nMore about Pamela: www.pamelasatsang.com \nSliding Scale: $100 to $200\nSome Partial Scholarships Available\nPlease Register Early if you can. \nREGISTER URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/pamela-wilson-retreat-jun-jul-2026/ LOCATION:Online Video Meeting (phone access also available) CATEGORIES:Online Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Pamela-2026-portrait_2.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Open%20Circle%20Online%20Retreats":MAILTO:web@opencirclecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260701T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260701T093000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260603T212042Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260603T212042Z UID:36169-1782896400-1782898200@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Silent Group Meditation (Free\, No Guidance) DESCRIPTION:Mondays: 8:00am – 8:30am Pacific Time\nWednesdays : 9:00am – 9:30am Pacific Time\nOngoing every week\, with rare exceptions. Check Full Calendar to verify dates. \nJoin for a group meditation – just us\, without a teacher. Do your own practice silently in the company of others. There will be no talk or guidance – only a bell to start and finish. Let’s be present\, together. \nAfter half an hour of silent sitting\, there will be space for a brief hello in the end\, if we like. \nPlease be seated by the time meditation starts\, so that we can begin together. You are welcome to have your camera and microphone on (unless you have a lot of background noise)\, so that we can feel as if we were in one space. \nThe zoom link remains the same for all the sessions\, so you are welcome to register only once and save the link for future reference. \nREGISTER\nTo check your local time\, use a tool such as: Time Zone Converter URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/group-meditation-ongoing-wednesday-2026-q3/2026-07-01/ LOCATION:Online Video Meeting (phone access also available) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/conscious-design-VsI_74zRzAo-unsplash-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Open%20Circle%20Center%20-%20Online%20Events":MAILTO:web@opencirclecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260702T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260702T120000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260523T040613Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260523T040613Z UID:36021-1782986400-1782993600@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Pamela Wilson ~ The Magic in the Heart Liberates Our Inherent Worth ~ 4 Part Online Retreat DESCRIPTION:June 29\, July 2\, 6 & 9\, 2026\n10:00 am – 12:00 pm\, Pacific Daylight Time (PT)\nTime Zone Converter\nEvent will be recorded and emailed to participants after each meeting.\nYou’re welcome to join even if you can’t attend all the live sessions. \nWe have been trained to suppress our wisdom\, strength and love. Trained into smallness\, told we are less than\, and cannot make a difference. And yet\, we long to give our gifts\, to return to the fullness of presence and the constancy of peace\, to live that! There is only one idea in the way\, the idea that self-respect is not okay\, and that self-pride is ugly. When naturalness or presence honors itself\, there is a healthy pride\, unlike when the deficient sense of self puffs itself up from inferiority to superiority. Most of us notice\, as we uncover the dignity of our being\, as we rise and root into being from doing\, that the depressant habit of making ourselves small returns us to some form of human imbalance. \nWhen the inclusive magic of the heart starts to honor itself\, its being and even its form and unique journey\, there can be a contraction as we encounter the “Thou shall not honor thyself” taboo. This is the suppression that artificial authority has imposed on the tribe. Luckily\, as elemental naturalness\, we are also rebellious and frustrated by old fashioned ideas and harmful impositions! A true freedom includes everything and allows us to flow artfully. \nBeing is neither superior nor inferior\, but equal\, and enjoys a natural confidence in life and its own uniqueness and worth. How relaxing to return to this original embodied peace and strength! \nMay uncontained presence root\, transmit and live its natural confidence and certainty! \nAbout Pamela Wilson:\nPamela has been a messenger for Truth and Heart wisdom worldwide for over 30 years. Like many of us\, she was originally motivated by a passionate curiosity fueled by despair and sorrow about humanity and her own struggles. She started meditating in 1976 after her mother died\, and was lucky enough to find true teachers. Chance meetings with Dilgo Khentse Rinpoche in a garden\, shaktipat from Muktananda\, private spontaneous encounters with Rabbi Zalman Schachter\, and alone time with Lester Levenson and Robert Adams nourished her en route. Merging in Neelam and Prem’s satsang back into the original river of love\, dissolved the sense of self and much history. What a relief to return to aware naturalness! There were enough clues that kept her marinating in satsang\, especially that of Yudishtara! His whisper\, “Don’t let anyone tell you\, you are anything but love!” No one ever tells you that! An ongoing passion for liberation and light-heartedness kept inquiry into the nature of mind\, the emotions and the body ongoing. Oh\, and what treasures were found in the essence of all that! Confirming Lao Tzu’s invitation to be a kind-hearted grandparent within\, and Papaji’s “Look within\, approach everything with devotion and gratitude\, stay as heart!” And Ramana Maharshi’s “Nothing is what it appears to be!” \nHow could any form resist all the warm compassion meeting it?\nAnd so it unwinds from defense back into relaxation\, renewed by respect and surprised to be met with gratitude. The original invitation is Know Thyself! As modern sages we return for every form and function so it All can know itself!\nAs compassion we all notice harmful ignorance and suffering\, enough is enough!\nA quiet revolution from the inside out. Each sage is required to do the inner work. \n“Pamela shares something she calls “Inner satsang.” It is quite simple and direct\, and although it requires a clear intention\, it is not hard to learn. In my recent reading of Carl Jung’s essays and lectures\, I came upon Jung’s description of his own inner exploration method which he called “active imagination.” It became clear that Jung’s practice and Pamela’s are identical. This method of going within is most likely something ancient which has been passed down through the ages by saints and sages of all traditions. I feel extremely fortunate that in my friendship with Pamela she has passed on to me this beautiful way of fulfilling my long held and deepest heart’s desire.”\n~ Lawrence Homolka \n“Thank you for bringing the Heart back to Advaita!”\n~ Rabbi Ravi Shapiro \nMore about Pamela: www.pamelasatsang.com \nSliding Scale: $100 to $200\nSome Partial Scholarships Available\nPlease Register Early if you can. \nREGISTER URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/pamela-wilson-retreat-jun-jul-2026-2/2026-07-02/ LOCATION:Online Video Meeting (phone access also available) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Pamela-2026-portrait_2.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Open%20Circle%20Online%20Retreats":MAILTO:web@opencirclecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260704T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260704T110000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260603T051447Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260603T051447Z UID:36162-1783155600-1783162800@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Satsang with Stephen D'Amico: Presence and Direct Inquiry DESCRIPTION:Join author and spiritual teacher Stephen D’Amico for Satsang—a gathering dedicated to the shared recognition of our true nature. \nIn this session\, Stephen will energetically shift you out of the narrative of the seeker and draw you into the silent presence that is already here. \nFollowing a brief meditation and a reflection on the mechanics of awakening\, the floor will open for personalized guidance and deep inquiry. \nWhether you’d like the opportunity to ask your most pressing spiritual questions\, or simply wish to resonate in a palpable field of heightened awareness\, this space will help clarify the way things are. \nStephen D’Amico spent much of his early life connected to the enlightened state of being and attained full self-realization at age 22. For nearly three decades\, he has been teaching and guiding others on the path. Based in Toronto\, he runs an urban ashram where he hosts Satsang and offers spiritual direction. His books include Heaven On Earth: A Guide to Enlightenment & Human Unity (2005)\, The Incredible State of Absolute Nothingness: A Personal Account of Spiritual Enlightenment (2013)\, and The Lost Book of Mystical Insights: Pointers & Reminders (2023). \nTo learn more and connect with Stephen D’Amico\, please visit his website: stephendamico.com \n  \nWatch Stephen share about The Four Cardinal Movements To Awaken Our True Nature: \n\n  \nSliding Scale: $15 to $40\nNo one turned away for lack of funds.\nIf you can’t pay within the sliding scale\, just contact us to let us know what you can contribute.\nAddress inquiries to web@opencirclecenter.org\nREGISTER \nTo check your local time\, use a tool such as: Time Zone Converter URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/stephen-damico-july-4-2026/ LOCATION:Online Video Meeting (phone access also available) CATEGORIES:Online Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Stephen-DAmico-Open-Circle_2025.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Open%20Circle%20Center%20-%20Online%20Events":MAILTO:web@opencirclecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260706T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260706T083000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260603T212454Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260603T212454Z UID:36175-1783324800-1783326600@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Silent Group Meditation (Free\, No Guidance) DESCRIPTION:Mondays: 8:00am – 8:30am Pacific Time\nand Wednesdays: 9:00am – 9:30am Pacific Time\nOngoing every week\, with rare exceptions. Check Full Calendar to verify dates. \nJoin for a group meditation – just us\, without a teacher. Do your own practice silently in the company of others. There will be no talk or guidance – only a bell to start and finish. Let’s be present\, together. \nAfter half an hour of silent sitting\, there will be space for a brief hello in the end\, if we like. \nPlease be seated by the time meditation starts\, so that we can begin together. You are welcome to have your camera and microphone on (unless you have a lot of background noise)\, so that we can feel as if we were in one space. \nThe zoom link remains the same for all the sessions\, so you are welcome to register only once and save the link for future reference. \nREGISTER\nTo check your local time\, use a tool such as: Time Zone Converter URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/group-meditation-ongoing-monday-2026-q3/2026-07-06/ LOCATION:Online Video Meeting (phone access also available) CATEGORIES:Online Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/conscious-design-VsI_74zRzAo-unsplash-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Open%20Circle%20Center%20-%20Online%20Events":MAILTO:web@opencirclecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260706T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260706T120000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260523T040613Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260523T040613Z UID:36023-1783332000-1783339200@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Pamela Wilson ~ The Magic in the Heart Liberates Our Inherent Worth ~ 4 Part Online Retreat DESCRIPTION:June 29\, July 2\, 6 & 9\, 2026\n10:00 am – 12:00 pm\, Pacific Daylight Time (PT)\nTime Zone Converter\nEvent will be recorded and emailed to participants after each meeting.\nYou’re welcome to join even if you can’t attend all the live sessions. \nWe have been trained to suppress our wisdom\, strength and love. Trained into smallness\, told we are less than\, and cannot make a difference. And yet\, we long to give our gifts\, to return to the fullness of presence and the constancy of peace\, to live that! There is only one idea in the way\, the idea that self-respect is not okay\, and that self-pride is ugly. When naturalness or presence honors itself\, there is a healthy pride\, unlike when the deficient sense of self puffs itself up from inferiority to superiority. Most of us notice\, as we uncover the dignity of our being\, as we rise and root into being from doing\, that the depressant habit of making ourselves small returns us to some form of human imbalance. \nWhen the inclusive magic of the heart starts to honor itself\, its being and even its form and unique journey\, there can be a contraction as we encounter the “Thou shall not honor thyself” taboo. This is the suppression that artificial authority has imposed on the tribe. Luckily\, as elemental naturalness\, we are also rebellious and frustrated by old fashioned ideas and harmful impositions! A true freedom includes everything and allows us to flow artfully. \nBeing is neither superior nor inferior\, but equal\, and enjoys a natural confidence in life and its own uniqueness and worth. How relaxing to return to this original embodied peace and strength! \nMay uncontained presence root\, transmit and live its natural confidence and certainty! \nAbout Pamela Wilson:\nPamela has been a messenger for Truth and Heart wisdom worldwide for over 30 years. Like many of us\, she was originally motivated by a passionate curiosity fueled by despair and sorrow about humanity and her own struggles. She started meditating in 1976 after her mother died\, and was lucky enough to find true teachers. Chance meetings with Dilgo Khentse Rinpoche in a garden\, shaktipat from Muktananda\, private spontaneous encounters with Rabbi Zalman Schachter\, and alone time with Lester Levenson and Robert Adams nourished her en route. Merging in Neelam and Prem’s satsang back into the original river of love\, dissolved the sense of self and much history. What a relief to return to aware naturalness! There were enough clues that kept her marinating in satsang\, especially that of Yudishtara! His whisper\, “Don’t let anyone tell you\, you are anything but love!” No one ever tells you that! An ongoing passion for liberation and light-heartedness kept inquiry into the nature of mind\, the emotions and the body ongoing. Oh\, and what treasures were found in the essence of all that! Confirming Lao Tzu’s invitation to be a kind-hearted grandparent within\, and Papaji’s “Look within\, approach everything with devotion and gratitude\, stay as heart!” And Ramana Maharshi’s “Nothing is what it appears to be!” \nHow could any form resist all the warm compassion meeting it?\nAnd so it unwinds from defense back into relaxation\, renewed by respect and surprised to be met with gratitude. The original invitation is Know Thyself! As modern sages we return for every form and function so it All can know itself!\nAs compassion we all notice harmful ignorance and suffering\, enough is enough!\nA quiet revolution from the inside out. Each sage is required to do the inner work. \n“Pamela shares something she calls “Inner satsang.” It is quite simple and direct\, and although it requires a clear intention\, it is not hard to learn. In my recent reading of Carl Jung’s essays and lectures\, I came upon Jung’s description of his own inner exploration method which he called “active imagination.” It became clear that Jung’s practice and Pamela’s are identical. This method of going within is most likely something ancient which has been passed down through the ages by saints and sages of all traditions. I feel extremely fortunate that in my friendship with Pamela she has passed on to me this beautiful way of fulfilling my long held and deepest heart’s desire.”\n~ Lawrence Homolka \n“Thank you for bringing the Heart back to Advaita!”\n~ Rabbi Ravi Shapiro \nMore about Pamela: www.pamelasatsang.com \nSliding Scale: $100 to $200\nSome Partial Scholarships Available\nPlease Register Early if you can. \nREGISTER URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/pamela-wilson-retreat-jun-jul-2026-2/2026-07-06/ LOCATION:Online Video Meeting (phone access also available) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Pamela-2026-portrait_2.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Open%20Circle%20Online%20Retreats":MAILTO:web@opencirclecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260708T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260708T093000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260603T212042Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260603T212042Z UID:36171-1783501200-1783503000@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Silent Group Meditation (Free\, No Guidance) DESCRIPTION:Mondays: 8:00am – 8:30am Pacific Time\nWednesdays : 9:00am – 9:30am Pacific Time\nOngoing every week\, with rare exceptions. Check Full Calendar to verify dates. \nJoin for a group meditation – just us\, without a teacher. Do your own practice silently in the company of others. There will be no talk or guidance – only a bell to start and finish. Let’s be present\, together. \nAfter half an hour of silent sitting\, there will be space for a brief hello in the end\, if we like. \nPlease be seated by the time meditation starts\, so that we can begin together. You are welcome to have your camera and microphone on (unless you have a lot of background noise)\, so that we can feel as if we were in one space. \nThe zoom link remains the same for all the sessions\, so you are welcome to register only once and save the link for future reference. \nREGISTER\nTo check your local time\, use a tool such as: Time Zone Converter URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/group-meditation-ongoing-wednesday-2026-q3/2026-07-08/ LOCATION:Online Video Meeting (phone access also available) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/conscious-design-VsI_74zRzAo-unsplash-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Open%20Circle%20Center%20-%20Online%20Events":MAILTO:web@opencirclecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260709T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260709T120000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260523T040613Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260523T040613Z UID:36024-1783591200-1783598400@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Pamela Wilson ~ The Magic in the Heart Liberates Our Inherent Worth ~ 4 Part Online Retreat DESCRIPTION:June 29\, July 2\, 6 & 9\, 2026\n10:00 am – 12:00 pm\, Pacific Daylight Time (PT)\nTime Zone Converter\nEvent will be recorded and emailed to participants after each meeting.\nYou’re welcome to join even if you can’t attend all the live sessions. \nWe have been trained to suppress our wisdom\, strength and love. Trained into smallness\, told we are less than\, and cannot make a difference. And yet\, we long to give our gifts\, to return to the fullness of presence and the constancy of peace\, to live that! There is only one idea in the way\, the idea that self-respect is not okay\, and that self-pride is ugly. When naturalness or presence honors itself\, there is a healthy pride\, unlike when the deficient sense of self puffs itself up from inferiority to superiority. Most of us notice\, as we uncover the dignity of our being\, as we rise and root into being from doing\, that the depressant habit of making ourselves small returns us to some form of human imbalance. \nWhen the inclusive magic of the heart starts to honor itself\, its being and even its form and unique journey\, there can be a contraction as we encounter the “Thou shall not honor thyself” taboo. This is the suppression that artificial authority has imposed on the tribe. Luckily\, as elemental naturalness\, we are also rebellious and frustrated by old fashioned ideas and harmful impositions! A true freedom includes everything and allows us to flow artfully. \nBeing is neither superior nor inferior\, but equal\, and enjoys a natural confidence in life and its own uniqueness and worth. How relaxing to return to this original embodied peace and strength! \nMay uncontained presence root\, transmit and live its natural confidence and certainty! \nAbout Pamela Wilson:\nPamela has been a messenger for Truth and Heart wisdom worldwide for over 30 years. Like many of us\, she was originally motivated by a passionate curiosity fueled by despair and sorrow about humanity and her own struggles. She started meditating in 1976 after her mother died\, and was lucky enough to find true teachers. Chance meetings with Dilgo Khentse Rinpoche in a garden\, shaktipat from Muktananda\, private spontaneous encounters with Rabbi Zalman Schachter\, and alone time with Lester Levenson and Robert Adams nourished her en route. Merging in Neelam and Prem’s satsang back into the original river of love\, dissolved the sense of self and much history. What a relief to return to aware naturalness! There were enough clues that kept her marinating in satsang\, especially that of Yudishtara! His whisper\, “Don’t let anyone tell you\, you are anything but love!” No one ever tells you that! An ongoing passion for liberation and light-heartedness kept inquiry into the nature of mind\, the emotions and the body ongoing. Oh\, and what treasures were found in the essence of all that! Confirming Lao Tzu’s invitation to be a kind-hearted grandparent within\, and Papaji’s “Look within\, approach everything with devotion and gratitude\, stay as heart!” And Ramana Maharshi’s “Nothing is what it appears to be!” \nHow could any form resist all the warm compassion meeting it?\nAnd so it unwinds from defense back into relaxation\, renewed by respect and surprised to be met with gratitude. The original invitation is Know Thyself! As modern sages we return for every form and function so it All can know itself!\nAs compassion we all notice harmful ignorance and suffering\, enough is enough!\nA quiet revolution from the inside out. Each sage is required to do the inner work. \n“Pamela shares something she calls “Inner satsang.” It is quite simple and direct\, and although it requires a clear intention\, it is not hard to learn. In my recent reading of Carl Jung’s essays and lectures\, I came upon Jung’s description of his own inner exploration method which he called “active imagination.” It became clear that Jung’s practice and Pamela’s are identical. This method of going within is most likely something ancient which has been passed down through the ages by saints and sages of all traditions. I feel extremely fortunate that in my friendship with Pamela she has passed on to me this beautiful way of fulfilling my long held and deepest heart’s desire.”\n~ Lawrence Homolka \n“Thank you for bringing the Heart back to Advaita!”\n~ Rabbi Ravi Shapiro \nMore about Pamela: www.pamelasatsang.com \nSliding Scale: $100 to $200\nSome Partial Scholarships Available\nPlease Register Early if you can. \nREGISTER URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/pamela-wilson-retreat-jun-jul-2026-2/2026-07-09/ LOCATION:Online Video Meeting (phone access also available) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Pamela-2026-portrait_2.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Open%20Circle%20Online%20Retreats":MAILTO:web@opencirclecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260712T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260712T120000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260531T035427Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260531T035556Z UID:36090-1783850400-1783857600@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Jeannie Zandi ~ Love’s Homing Device: The Role of Longing in Spirituality DESCRIPTION:Within all our longings lies the greatest longing of all: to know ourselves as whole and divine. \nBeneath the hunger for relationship\, recognition\, comfort\, certainty\, or belonging\, lies the gravitational pull of the heart toward home. It can feel like a homesickness for something we cannot name or define. \nMany spiritual traditions have understood longing not as a problem\, but as part of the path itself. The ache of the heart can become a kind of homing device\, orienting us toward what is most essential and alive. Yet in everyday life\, we can lose touch with this living pull\, or attempt to satisfy it through things that can never fully meet it. \nIn this gathering\, we will explore the sacred role of longing and love in spiritual life. We will look at the ways longing opens us\, motivates us\, and calls us beyond the pleasures of the earthly realm toward something more sublime. We will explore the relationship between longing and devotion\, yearning and surrender\, heartbreak and opening\, and the mysterious way love itself can become a guide. \nAbout Jeannie Zandi\nJeannie Zandi is a nondual spiritual teacher and guide for embodied awakening\, inviting students to fully inhabit their human lives with presence\, clarity\, and love. Known for her fierce tenderness\, irreverent wisdom\, and unwavering presence\, she creates powerful spaces for transformation\, where truth is met in the raw\, and awakening moves beyond concept into lived reality. \nHer work bridges the mystical and the practical\, inviting students to embrace every aspect of experience—joy\, challenge\, and the mundane—as fuel for awakening. Rather than transcending life\, she calls us to root in it\, maturing into authentic expressions of love\, serving the whole with wisdom and heart. \nwww.jeanniezandi.com \nSliding Scale: $15 to $40\nNo one turned away for lack of funds.\nIf you can’t pay within the sliding scale\, just contact us to let us know what you can contribute.\nAddress inquiries to web@opencirclecenter.org \nREGISTER \nThe event will be recorded and emailed to participants within a week.\nTo check your local time\, use a tool such as: Time Zone Converter URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/jeannie-zandi-july-12-2026/ LOCATION:Online Video Meeting (phone access also available) CATEGORIES:Online Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Jeannie-Zandi-2025-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Open%20Circle%20Center%20-%20Online%20Events":MAILTO:web@opencirclecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260713T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260713T083000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260603T212454Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260603T212454Z UID:36177-1783929600-1783931400@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Silent Group Meditation (Free\, No Guidance) DESCRIPTION:Mondays: 8:00am – 8:30am Pacific Time\nand Wednesdays: 9:00am – 9:30am Pacific Time\nOngoing every week\, with rare exceptions. Check Full Calendar to verify dates. \nJoin for a group meditation – just us\, without a teacher. Do your own practice silently in the company of others. There will be no talk or guidance – only a bell to start and finish. Let’s be present\, together. \nAfter half an hour of silent sitting\, there will be space for a brief hello in the end\, if we like. \nPlease be seated by the time meditation starts\, so that we can begin together. You are welcome to have your camera and microphone on (unless you have a lot of background noise)\, so that we can feel as if we were in one space. \nThe zoom link remains the same for all the sessions\, so you are welcome to register only once and save the link for future reference. \nREGISTER\nTo check your local time\, use a tool such as: Time Zone Converter URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/group-meditation-ongoing-monday-2026-q3/2026-07-13/ LOCATION:Online Video Meeting (phone access also available) CATEGORIES:Online Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/conscious-design-VsI_74zRzAo-unsplash-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Open%20Circle%20Center%20-%20Online%20Events":MAILTO:web@opencirclecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260715T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260715T093000 DTSTAMP:20260607T122720 CREATED:20260603T212042Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260603T212042Z UID:36172-1784106000-1784107800@opencirclecenter.org SUMMARY:Silent Group Meditation (Free\, No Guidance) DESCRIPTION:Mondays: 8:00am – 8:30am Pacific Time\nWednesdays : 9:00am – 9:30am Pacific Time\nOngoing every week\, with rare exceptions. Check Full Calendar to verify dates. \nJoin for a group meditation – just us\, without a teacher. Do your own practice silently in the company of others. There will be no talk or guidance – only a bell to start and finish. Let’s be present\, together. \nAfter half an hour of silent sitting\, there will be space for a brief hello in the end\, if we like. \nPlease be seated by the time meditation starts\, so that we can begin together. You are welcome to have your camera and microphone on (unless you have a lot of background noise)\, so that we can feel as if we were in one space. \nThe zoom link remains the same for all the sessions\, so you are welcome to register only once and save the link for future reference. \nREGISTER\nTo check your local time\, use a tool such as: Time Zone Converter URL:https://opencirclecenter.org/event/group-meditation-ongoing-wednesday-2026-q3/2026-07-15/ LOCATION:Online Video Meeting (phone access also available) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://opencirclecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/conscious-design-VsI_74zRzAo-unsplash-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Open%20Circle%20Center%20-%20Online%20Events":MAILTO:web@opencirclecenter.org END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR