October 2023
Rupert Spira ~ The Essence of Non-Duality – In-Person & LIVESTREAM Daylong
Registration is now closed for in-person attendance to this event.
Livestream Sliding Scale: $40 to $60 per person.
Link to access recording will be emailed to those registered for Livestream & Recording Access
Since the in-person event is SOLD OUT, we are offering Livestream access to make it available to more people. This “registration” can also be used for people who wish to receive access to the video afterwards.
“Meditation is what we are, not what we do; the separate self is what we do, not what we are.”
In the last few years Rupert Spira has become one of the most respected and sought-after teachers of non-dual wisdom, known for his crystal clear use of language, laser-like intellect, skillful guided inquiries, and powerfully direct pointing to aware presence—all delivered with warmth, wit and an unmatched and distinctive eloquence.
In his meetings, Rupert explores the perennial, non-dual understanding that lies at the heart of all the great religious and spiritual traditions, such as Advaita Vedanta, Kashmir Shaivism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Mystical Christianity, Sufism, Zen etc., and which is also the direct, ever-present reality of our own experience. This is a contemporary, experiential approach involving silent meditation, guided meditation and conversation, and requires no affiliation to any particular religious or spiritual tradition. All that is required is an interest in the essential nature of experience, and in the longing for love, peace and happiness around which most of our lives revolve.
After thirty years of intense seeking, Rupert met his primary teacher Francis Lucille, who introduced him to the direct way taught by his own teacher, Jean Klein. He is the author of several books, including his latest, You are the Happiness You Seek.
www.non-duality.rupertspira.com
Registration is now closed for in-person attendance to this event
Link to access recording will be emailed to those registered for Livestream & Recording Access
Since the in-person event is SOLD OUT, we are offering Livestream access to make it available to more people. This “registration” can also be used for people who wish to receive access to the video afterwards.
Lunch Break: There are places close by to go out for lunch, or you may bring your own lunch, though there is no refrigerator access. There's a nice small yard with lawn, and limited indoor space for eating at the premises.
NOTE: The venue is a kosher-style facility, so no pork or shellfish, and no meat mixed with dairy on premises.
PARKING: There is some limited street parking in the neighborhood, free and without time limit on weekends. There is also parking a few blocks away at the east parking lot of the Ashby Bart station: www.bart.gov/stations/ashb/map
You may also find paid parking just a few blocks away at Alta Bates Parking Garage: Enter on Colby between Ashby and Webster St.
Nearby parking fills up quickly. Plan accordingly.
Shakti Caterina Maggi ~ Embodied non duality ~ In-Person in Berkeley, CA & LIVESTREAM
A direct and compassionate immersion into the field of non duality, an invitation to the conscious embodiment of our true nature. Our daily life itself can then be actively experienced as our most important spiritual practice.
The sharing will be followed by a session of Q&A to integrate the message.
Shakti Caterina Maggi is a spiritual guide who has, since 2003, been sharing a message of non-separation and awakening to our true Self. Her contemporary and heart-centered approach to Advaita and non-dual Tantra has supported thousands of seekers who meet her in retreats and seminars all over the world.
www.shakticaterinamaggi.com
Open Circle is hosting a series of events with Shakti in various locations:
See Shakti's California Tour Page for details.
Berkeley, CA satsangs: Oct. 26th & 31st and Nov. 2nd, 7th & 8th (7-9 pm)
Mount Shasta, CA satsangs: Oct. 27th (7-9 pm) & 28th (3-5 pm)
Sebastopol, CA satsang: Oct. 29th (2-4 pm)
Pre-Retreat satsang, San Rafael, CA: Nov. 3rd (7-9 pm)
(Included when you register for the Retreat and can be attended separately, open to all)
Weekend RETREAT in Berkeley, CA: Nov. 4th & 5th
Suggested donation for this evening In-Person: $10 to $30
No pre-registration. Pay at door when you arrive.
If you have symptoms of a viral infection, or have had a recent
Covid exposure or positive test, please stay home out of consideration for others.
For Nov. 2nd, 7th & 8th, Join us IN-PERSON in Berkeley or by LIVESTREAM...
Link to access recording will be emailed within a week after event,
to those registered for Livestream & Recording Access
November 2023
Embodied Non-Duality ~ RETREAT with Shakti Caterina Maggi ~ in Berkeley, CA
Includes Introductory satsang:
Friday, Nov. 3rd, 7-9 pm, in San Rafael, CA
RETREAT in Berkeley, CA:
Sat. Nov. 4th, 10am to 9pm
and Sun. Nov. 5th, 9am to 1pm
An invitation to realize and rest in the Heart of our being, pure Consciousness.
Immersed in our true nature , the teaching will point to a direct and practical way of making ego patterning conscious. From this perspective, and through an embodied re-connection to them, egoic structures and suffering can be dissolved.
Shakti Caterina Maggi is a spiritual guide who has, since 2003 , been sharing a message of non separation and awakening to our true Self. Her contemporary and heart - centers approach to Advaita and non dual Tantra has supported thousands of seekers who meet her in retreats and seminars all over the world.
www.shakticaterinamaggi.com
Friday evening:
Introductory satsang, 7-9 pm
(Included when you register for the Retreat, but can also be attended separately)
Saturday:
Retreat Check-in, 10:00am - 10:30am
Teaching, 10:30am - 1:00pm
Break, 1:00pm - 2:20pm
Teaching, 2:20pm - 4:30pm
Break, 4:30pm - 7:00pm
Teaching, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Sunday:
Teaching, 9:00am -11:00am
Break, 11:00am - 11:20am
Teaching, 11:20am - 1:00pm
This is a non-residential retreat.
Those coming from afar will need to make their own arrangements for accommodation (Airbnb, etc.)
Meals: You will be responsible for all your meals. There are places close by to go out to eat, or you may bring your own food, though there is no refrigerator access. There's space for eating at the premises.
NOTE: The venue is a kosher-style facility, so no pork or shellfish, and no meat mixed with dairy on premises.
REGISTRATION
Sliding Scale: $250 - $400
Some partial scholarships available. Inquire at LocalEvents@opencirclecenter.org, after you receive the link to register from contacting embodiednonduality23@gmail.com
Pre-Registration is required
Online registration closes at midnight on Thur. Nov. 2nd.
Cancellation Policy
If you have symptoms of a viral infection, or have had a recent Covid exposure or positive test, please stay home out of consideration for others.
To receive link to REGISTRATION, please contact embodiednonduality23@gmail.com.
For those who have not attended a retreat with Shakti in person in the last three years, we kindly request a quick video call. Please send your telephone number or Skype account name and you will be contacted via Skype or WhatsApp.
OTHER EVENTS WITH SHAKTI
Open Circle is hosting a series of events with Shakti in various locations:
(Shakti CA Tour - All events page)
Berkeley, CA satsangs: Oct. 26th & 31st and Nov. 2nd, 7th & 8th (7-9 pm)
Mount Shasta, CA satsangs: Oct. 27th (7-9 pm) & 28th (3-5 pm)
Sebastopol, CA satsang: Oct. 29th (2-4 pm)
Pre-Retreat satsang, San Rafael, CA: Nov. 3rd (7-9 pm)
(Included when you register for the Retreat and can be attended separately, open to all)
Retreat in Berkeley, CA: Nov. 4th & 5th
Lisa Schumacher ~ Your True Nature ~ In-Person Local Event
A meeting with Lisa is an opportunity to step away from your day to day life and devote time for self-inquiry into the heart of the truth. There will be a few moments of silence to start the meeting and then Lisa will speak and invite the community to share reports about their lives and questions.
Lisa Schumacher: Lisa grew up in Colusa, CA, and attended college at San Luis Obispo in the 1980's. After she moved to Southern Oregon in the early 90s, a friend invited her to a video satsang with Gangaji. Upon hearing Gangaji say "Be your Natural Self", Lisa's heart caught on fire and she fell into a deep bow of surrender. That meeting revealed to her the absolute simplicity of the natural, living truth of Love, inseparable from who one is. Lisa moved to Bolinas in 1999 to be closer to Gangaji and the vibrant community around her. In 2006, Lisa was asked by Gangaji to meet with people and share Satsang. She has held meetings in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and North America. She's also a long-time student of Eli Jaxon-Bear, Gangaji's husband, and a founding teacher of the Eli's "Leela School of Awakening". Lisa is the author of "The Stone I Love", a book of poetry inspired by Gangaji, available on her website and for purchase at the gathering.
In Lisa's meetings, she invites you to sit close and inquire about your awakening, your spiritual questions, and the unfolding truth. The teaching is in the tradition of Gangaji, who is a student of Papaji, who had his awakening at the feet of Ramana Maharshi.
Lisa's website: satsangwithlisa.org
Suggested Donation: $15- $25, no one turned away.
No pre-registration. Pay at door when you arrive.
If you have symptoms of a viral infection, or have had a recent
Covid exposure or positive test, please stay home out of consideration for others.
December 2023
CANCELED – Jeannie Zandi ~ Everyday Mystic ~ In-Person Local Event
Due to illness, Jeannie will be coming out to California later than planned and will not be able to have events until Thursday, December 7th.
Please join her for the public gathering on Thursday, December 7 in Berkeley and the Friday & Saturday (December 8 & 9) intensive in Sausalito if you are able!
Jeannie Zandi ~ Everyday Mystic ~ In-Person Local Event
Spiritual openings allow us to discover the peace and freedom of our true nature, but it is how we take that discovery into the everyday that illuminates and transforms our lives.
Jeannie’s gift for inviting people to join her in resting and rooted presence evokes a deep meeting with oneself and reality. Within that, Jeannie’s humor and iconoclasm serve to bring people into an understanding that is beyond the intellectual. Through silent and guided meditation, spontaneous talks and exchange with participants, Jeannie will host a space of clarity and warmth where the richness of relating can be explored safely and your innermost questions met fully.
Jeannie Zandi is the director of Living as Love, a nonprofit organization dedicated to seeding a culture of the Heart on the planet, inspiring, teaching and supporting people to live from their essence as Love. A year before the birth of her daughter, Jeannie was plunged into a dark night of the soul that culminated in a radical shift of consciousness. She is known for her fearless clarity, tender mercy toward humanness, and a juicy, poetic and often humorous style that draws from Advaita Vedanta, Sufism, Christian mysticism and the ongoing revelation of fully engaged living.
The satsang includes a meditation, comments by the speaker, then Q&A and discussion.
Suggested Donation: $15- $25, no one turned away.
No pre-registration. Pay at door when you arrive.
If you have symptoms of a viral infection, or have had a recent
Covid exposure or positive test, please stay home out of consideration for others.
Pamela Wilson ~ Peace in the Inner and Outer Kingdom ~ Seasonal Celebration ~ Berkeley Event
Peace in the Inner and Outer Kingdom:
Uncontaining the Potent Peace Within
Join Pamela and your fellow sages in liberating that which limits peace inside and outside in the world. As sages we can transmit balance from a distance, helping humanity return to sanity and love.
Pamela Wilson evokes through dialogue, inquiry and her very presence the qualities of unconditional love and radical acceptance. She endears herself to her audiences with her playful and light-hearted humor, combined with compassion and deep understanding of what it is to be human. She is celebrated for her ability to open the heart, call forth our own inner sage, and create a space in which long-held struggles and notions about one’s identity relax. Pamela is featured in the book Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Wisdom.
2:00 pm to 3:45
~*~ with light refreshments and social nourishment afterwards. ~*~
Suggested donation: $15 to $25
Find out more »February 2024
Christiane Prendergast ~ Exploration in Stillness ~ In-Person Local Event
With gentle movements, we allow the body to be felt as it presents itself, moment to moment. Whether there is constriction or heaviness, we unconditionally welcome it through space-feeling, sensing, as well as with an occasional simple inquiry. With this approach, we experience that there is nothing to do, to change or to achieve. Open Presence allows these movements to free themselves and to be newly sensed at any moment. In this way, we effortlessly become one with welcoming that is our home ground.
We start with a short meditation. At the end of the session there will be a time for sharing and questions.
Please bring a blanket or a mat.
Bio: Originally from France, Christiane was a student of the late European Advaita master Jean Klein for over 20 years. Although rooted in Advaita, Jean incorporated a form of subtle-body yoga from Kashmir Shaivism. It is this approach that he taught to Christiane.
Suggested Donation: $15- $25, no one turned away.
No pre-registration. Pay at door when you arrive.
If you have symptoms of a viral infection, or have had a recent
Covid exposure or positive test, please stay home out of consideration for others.
July 2024
Lisa Schumacher ~ Open Meeting with Lisa ~ Local IN-PERSON, Berkeley Event
An open meeting with Lisa is an opportunity to step away from your day to day life and devote time for inquiry into the source of who you are. There will be a few moments of silence to start the meeting and then Lisa will speak and invite you to share about your realizations and ask questions about awakening.
Lisa Schumacher: Lisa grew up in Colusa, CA, and attended college at San Luis Obispo in the 1980's. After she moved to Southern Oregon in the early 90s, a friend invited her to a video satsang with Gangaji. Upon hearing Gangaji say "Be your Natural Self", Lisa's heart caught on fire and she fell into a deep bow of surrender. That meeting revealed to her the absolute simplicity of the natural, living truth of Love, inseparable from who one is. Lisa moved to Bolinas in 1999 to be closer to Gangaji and the vibrant community around her. In 2006, Lisa was asked by Gangaji to meet with people and share Satsang. She has held meetings in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and North America. She's also a long-time student of Eli Jaxon-Bear, Gangaji's husband, and a founding teacher of the Eli's "Leela School of Awakening". Lisa is the author of "The Stone I Love", a book of poetry inspired by Gangaji, available on her website and for purchase at the gathering.
In Lisa's meetings, she invites you to sit close and inquire about your awakening, your spiritual questions, and the unfolding truth. The teaching is in the tradition of Gangaji, who is a student of Papaji, who had his awakening at the feet of Ramana Maharshi.
We’ll also have a One Day Retreat with Lisa on July 20 in Fairfax (pre-registration required for the daylong).
Lisa's website: satsangwithlisa.org
Suggested donation: $15 to $30
No pre-registration for this evening event. Just come & join us.
September 2024
John Prendergast, Lisa Ferguson & Jared Michaels ~ Engaged Nonduality ~ InPerson Daylong
Engaged Nonduality: Attending to Our World in Crisis
A Daylong with John Prendergast,
Lisa Ferguson and Jared Michaels
This daylong event is an opportunity to turn toward our world in crisis from an awakened heart. Whatever is touching your heart is welcomed, including climate and ecosystem breakdown, war and conflict, injustice and polarization. How is Being moving through us in response? We will explore through meditation, dyadic inquiry, and group interaction what it means to open to our awakened nature, while also being moved by our deepest knowing to respond to our world in crisis.
Bios
John J. Prendergast, Ph.D. is the author of The Deep Heart: Our Portal to Presence (2019 ) and In Touch: How to Tune In to the Inner Guidance of Your Body and Trust Yourself (2015) and is working on a new book entitled Your Deepest Ground: A Guide to Embodied Spirituality (March 2025). He is a retired Adjunct Professor of Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies as well as a retired psychotherapist. He studied with the European sage Jean Klein for many years as well as with Adyashanti who gave dharma transmission to John in August, 2023. John and his wife Christiane offer residential retreats in the United States and Europe.
www.listeningfromsilence.com
YouTube channel
Lisa Ferguson, Ph.D. is the founder of Climate Compassion, and has focused on supporting planetary wellbeing as a healing arts practitioner, climate justice activist, organizer and contemplative. She offers psychospiritual support to activists through one-one sessions and small groups, weaving together a focus on awakening, healing and wise action.
www.climatecompassion.org
Jared Michaels is a psychotherapist in private practice in Berkeley, a Zen priest in the San Francisco Zen Center lineage, and a longtime student of John Prendergast. For decades, he asked what he could offer humanity that would make a difference. His answer has been consistent for years: To invite us to walk a path of personal and systemic transformation.
JaredMichaels.com
Suggested Donation: $75 per person
(any amount acceptable, no one turned away for lack of funds)
Pre-registration is recommended, through you can pay at door if not pre-registered.
Lunch Break: There are places close by to go out for lunch, or you may bring your own lunch, though there is no refrigerator access.
NOTE: The venue is a kosher-style facility, so no pork or shellfish, and no meat mixed with dairy on premises.
PARKING: There is some limited street parking in the neighborhood, free and without time limit on weekends. There is also parking a few blocks away at the east parking lot of the Ashby Bart station: www.bart.gov/stations/ashb/map
You may also find paid parking just a few blocks away at Alta Bates Parking Garage: Enter on Colby between Ashby and Webster St.
Nearby parking may fill up quickly. Plan accordingly.