September 2024
John Prendergast ~ “How Do You Unenlighten Yourself?” ~ Bay Area Daylong Retreat
Our true nature is inherently open, wakeful, and loving; however, it is veiled by our conscious and subconscious identification with conditioning. In this daylong gathering, we will pointedly explore how our core limiting beliefs and their corresponding subtle somatic contractions sustain the sense of being a separate self. The day will include guided and silent meditation, meditative inquiry, a talk, and experiential conversations.
John 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.
www.listeningfromsilence.com
YouTube channel
The meeting will be from 10:00am to Noon and 2:00pm to 4:30pm, with a break for lunch.
Please bring your own lunch, or feel free to go into town to one of the restaurants or to Good Earth Natural Foods.
Pre-registration required, as space is limited.
Registration closes at 5 pm on Sept. 20th
Suggested donation: $75
(Any amount acceptable. No one turned away for lack of funds.)
PRE-REGISTER HERE & PAY AT DOOR WHEN YOU ARRIVE.
(Cash or Check only)
This event is Co-sponsored by Open Circle & the Schwartz Family Trust.
All proceeds, above covering event costs, will go to the
Schwartz Family Trust to support Rob Schwartz’s vision of retaining
his house and property to be available as an Open Circle retreat facility.
Event donations will go directly to the Schwartz Family Trust, rather than to Open Circle.
If you want to make larger donations for this project, you can do so at the event, or contact us
for more information on how to make larger donations (or loans, or otherwise support this project).
For inquiries contact LocalEvents@opencirclecenter.org
Location:
The meeting will be held at a private home in the Fairfax hills, with views of Mount Tam and hiking trails.
Address and directions will be provided upon registration.
If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, or have had a recent
Covid exposure or positive test, please stay home out of consideration for others.
Louise Kay ~ Embodied Awareness (In-Person & Livestream)
Open Circle is hosting a series of events with Louise Kay in various locations ~
In-Person attendance & Livestream available:
Sebastopol, CA satsang: Sept. 22nd (2-4 pm)
Berkeley, CA satsangs Sept. 24th (7-9 pm)
San Rafael, CA satsang: Sept. 26th (7-9 pm)
Berkeley, CA satsangs Sept. 27th (7-9 pm)
DAYLONG...
Sept. 28th, Location TBA (10:30am-4:30pm)
Click here to access details & registration for ALL events.
Sept. 22nd in Sebastopol....
You're invited to join Louise Kay for a 2 hour meeting in Truth. During this event Louise will share her Embodied Awareness practice with you; a practice which supports the direct recognition of one's true nature through self-inquiry, as well as the integration of unprocessed energies and emotions held in the body. When employed with consistency this practice allows one to live in presence in an integrated way and to become a vessel through which higher consciousness can flow more freely, bringing joy to every aspect of life.
Alongside like-minded community you will be supported to surrender fully into the now, dis-identify from the conceptual self and open up to your true nature, pure consciousness, to discover an ever-present dimension of peace.
Whatever emotions or sensations arise in the body will be met with unconditional love under Louise's gentle guidance, allowing for deep healing and transformation to take place on the level of form.
Louise Kay was born in the UK. After graduating from university she worked as an English teacher for 15 years, and during this time began to question the deeper meaning of life. This led her to the path of spirituality, where she found a strong resonance with the teachings of non-duality.
In her early thirties Louise felt a strong call to visit India, where she experienced a profound spiritual awakening. In the years that followed she experienced a deepening and integration of her initial spiritual awakening and as she opened more to this dimension of being a new form of expression revealed itself from deep within her heart.
Louise is passionate about supporting people to live a life of presence and unconditional love. Her greatest joy is to sit together in presence and gently hold space for all emotions, all sensations and all experiences which arise in the moment in order to support the integration of unresolved energies and allow the unfolding of the divine in all who feel the call.
Explorations are usually focused around self-inquiry, the release of limiting beliefs and the integration of unprocessed emotions and energies.
More about Louise: www.louisekay.net
Satsang: 2-4 pm
Refreshments: until 5
Suggested Donation: $10 - $20
No one turned away for lack of funds.
No pre-registration for In-Person Attendance. Pay at door when you arrive.
In-person attendees will be able to sign up for the recording at the event.
For inquiries contact web@opencirclecenter.org
Location:
8476 Sonoma Ave, Sebastopol, CA. Park on Sonoma Ave.
Note: The address sign says 8474/8476. Park on the street, and walk down the short driveway to the house with the carport.
Please dress mindfully, doors & windows will be open!
If you have covid-like symptoms, or have had a recent Covid exposure or positive test, please stay home out of consideration for others.
Louise Kay ~ Embodied Awareness (In-Person & Livestream)
Open Circle is hosting a series of events with Louise Kay in various locations ~
In-Person attendance & Livestream available:
Sebastopol, CA satsang: Sept. 22nd (2-4 pm)
Berkeley, CA satsangs Sept. 24th (7-9 pm)
San Rafael, CA satsang: Sept. 26th (7-9 pm)
Berkeley, CA satsangs Sept. 27th (7-9 pm)
DAYLONG...
Sept. 28th, Berkeley, CA (10:30am-4:30pm)
Click here to access more details & registration for ALL events.
Sept. 24th in Berkeley....
You're invited to join Louise Kay for a 2 hour meeting in Truth. During this event Louise will share her Embodied Awareness practice with you; a practice which supports the direct recognition of one's true nature through self-inquiry, as well as the integration of unprocessed energies and emotions held in the body. When employed with consistency this practice allows one to live in presence in an integrated way and to become a vessel through which higher consciousness can flow more freely, bringing joy to every aspect of life.
Alongside like-minded community you will be supported to surrender fully into the now, dis-identify from the conceptual self and open up to your true nature, pure consciousness, to discover an ever-present dimension of peace.
Suggested Donation: $15 - $30
No one turned away for lack of funds.
No pre-registration for In-Person Attendance. Pay at door when you arrive.
In-person attendees can sign up for the recording at the event.
If you have covid-like symptoms, or have had a recent Covid exposure or positive test, please stay home out of consideration for others.
Find out more »Louise Kay ~ Embodied Awareness (In-Person & Livestream)
Open Circle is hosting a series of events with Louise Kay in various locations ~
In-Person attendance & Livestream available:
Sebastopol, CA satsang: Sept. 22nd (2-4 pm)
Berkeley, CA satsangs Sept. 24th (7-9 pm)
San Rafael, CA satsang: Sept. 26th (7-9 pm)
Berkeley, CA satsangs Sept. 27th (7-9 pm)
DAYLONG...
Sept. 28th, Berkeley, CA (10:30am-4:30pm)
Click here to access more details & registration for ALL events.
Sept. 26th in San Rafael....
You're invited to join Louise Kay for a 2 hour meeting in Truth. During this event Louise will share her Embodied Awareness practice with you; a practice which supports the direct recognition of one's true nature through self-inquiry, as well as the integration of unprocessed energies and emotions held in the body. When employed with consistency this practice allows one to live in presence in an integrated way and to become a vessel through which higher consciousness can flow more freely, bringing joy to every aspect of life.
Alongside like-minded community you will be supported to surrender fully into the now, dis-identify from the conceptual self and open up to your true nature, pure consciousness, to discover an ever-present dimension of peace.
Suggested Donation: $15 - $30
No one turned away for lack of funds.
No pre-registration for In-Person Attendance. Pay at door when you arrive.
In-person attendees can sign up for the recording at the event.
If you have covid-like symptoms, or have had a recent Covid exposure or positive test, please stay home out of consideration for others.
Find out more »Louise Kay ~ Embodied Awareness (In-Person & Livestream)
Open Circle is hosting a series of events with Louise Kay in various locations ~
In-Person attendance & Livestream available:
Sebastopol, CA satsang: Sept. 22nd (2-4 pm)
Berkeley, CA satsangs Sept. 24th (7-9 pm)
San Rafael, CA satsang: Sept. 26th (7-9 pm)
Berkeley, CA satsangs Sept. 27th (7-9 pm)
DAYLONG...
Sept. 28th, Berkeley, CA (10:30am-4:30pm)
Click here to access details & registration for ALL events.
Sept. 27th in Berkeley....
You're invited to join Louise Kay for a 2 hour meeting in Truth. During this event Louise will share her Embodied Awareness practice with you; a practice which supports the direct recognition of one's true nature through self-inquiry, as well as the integration of unprocessed energies and emotions held in the body. When employed with consistency this practice allows one to live in presence in an integrated way and to become a vessel through which higher consciousness can flow more freely, bringing joy to every aspect of life.
Alongside like-minded community you will be supported to surrender fully into the now, dis-identify from the conceptual self and open up to your true nature, pure consciousness, to discover an ever-present dimension of peace.
Suggested Donation: $15 - $30
No one turned away for lack of funds.
No pre-registration for In-Person Attendance. Pay at door when you arrive.
In-person attendees can sign up for the recording at the event.
If you have covid-like symptoms, or have had a recent Covid exposure or positive test, please stay home out of consideration for others.
Find out more »Louise Kay ~ Embodied Awareness (In-Person & Livestream)
Open Circle is hosting a series of events with Louise Kay in various locations ~
In-Person attendance & Livestream available:
Sebastopol, CA satsang: Sept. 22nd (2-4 pm)
Berkeley, CA satsangs Sept. 24th (7-9 pm)
San Rafael, CA satsang: Sept. 26th (7-9 pm)
Berkeley, CA satsangs Sept. 27th (7-9 pm)
DAYLONG...
Sept. 28th, Berkeley, CA (10:30am-4:30pm)
Click here to access details & registration for ALL events.
Sept. 28th Daylong....
You're invited to join Louise Kay for a full day retreat. This event is an invitation to dedicate a whole day to deepening into the stillness of being in a field of pure, unconditional love alongside like-minded community. The day will consist of guided and silent meditations as well as Q&A sessions where you will have the opportunity to explore whatever arises for you in the moment.
Louise will support you to rest your attention as the aware witness while consciously including and feeling the experience of the body as alive sensations. This practice, which Louise calls 'Embodied Awareness,' supports the direct recognition of one's true nature through self-inquiry as well as the integration of unprocessed energies and emotions held in the body. When employed with consistency this practice allows one to live fully in presence in an integrated way and to become a vessel through which higher consciousness can flow more freely, bringing joy to every aspect of life.
You will be supported to surrender fully into the now, dis-identify from the conceptual self and open up to your true nature, pure consciousness, to discover an ever-present dimension of peace.
Whatever emotions or sensations arise in the body will be met with unconditional love under Louise's gentle guidance, allowing for deep healing and transformation to take place on the level of form.
Louise Kay was born in the UK. After graduating from university she worked as an English teacher for 15 years, and during this time began to question the deeper meaning of life. This led her to the path of spirituality, where she found a strong resonance with the teachings of non-duality.
In her early thirties Louise felt a strong call to visit India, where she experienced a profound spiritual awakening. In the years that followed she experienced a deepening and integration of her initial spiritual awakening and as she opened more to this dimension of being a new form of expression revealed itself from deep within her heart.
Louise is passionate about supporting people to live a life of presence and unconditional love. Her greatest joy is to sit together in presence and gently hold space for all emotions, all sensations and all experiences which arise in the moment in order to support the integration of unresolved energies and allow the unfolding of the divine in all who feel the call.
Explorations are usually focused around self-inquiry, the release of limiting beliefs and the integration of unprocessed emotions and energies.
More about Louise: www.louisekay.net
The meeting will be from 10:30am to 4:30pm, with a break for lunch.
Bring your own lunch, or feel free to eat out or pickup prepared food (various places nearby).
Sliding Scale: $60 to $120
No one turned away for lack of funds
Pre-Registration for In-Person attendance is Not necessary,
but encouraged to help us in planning.
Plenty of space at this venue. You can show up and pay at the door.
For those who can register in advance,
pre-registration for In-Person attendance Closes at 11 pm on Sept. 27th
.
For inquiries about IN-PERSON attendance, contact LocalEvents@opencirclecenter.org
For inquiries about LIVESTREAM access, contact web@opencirclecenter.org
The In-person event will be in the Gallery room upstairs.
Parking is unrestricted on Los Angeles Avenue.
Lunch break:
For In-person attendees, there are a variety of places to eat out or pick up prepared food within a few blocks. You can also bring your own food, though there is no kitchen or refrigerator access. People are welcome to eat outside on the lawn. No eating is allowed indoors at the venue. List of Nearby Solano Ave. Food Places
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.
October 2024
Rupert Spira ~ The Essence of Non-Duality ~ In-Person & Livestream ~ Berkeley, CA
“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.
The meeting will start with a contemplation led by Rupert followed by a Question and Answer session.
Open Circle events are typically recorded and made available to others, including, but not limited to use in our Library, YouTube, social media, etc. No participant faces are recorded, only their voices. Your participation implies consent for us to use your shares, so please share accordingly.
Suggested Donation: $25 - $40
No one turned away to lack of funds.
No pre-registration for In-Person Attendance.
Just pay at the door.
Cash Preferred. Check or Venmo OK.
Card payment may be an option.
PARKING: There is some street parking in the neighborhood, free and without time limit.
Nearby parking fills up quickly. Plan accordingly.
For inquiries contact LocalEvents@opencirclecenter.org
If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, or have had a recent
Covid exposure or positive test, please stay home out of consideration for others.
Richard Miller ~ This Which We are Above All Else (In-Person Event)
This Which We are Above All Else
The belief that we are a separate “me-I-self” who is in control is simply that, an illusory captivating narrative where we're the main character in a movie constructed by our thoughts, feelings, actions, and experiences. A first step toward awakening entails recognizing that the separate self has never existed and that its dissolutions isn't a death or a loss. It's a freeing of an illusion that we had to constantly defend and maintain. An important step in releasing this illusion entails realigning with and embodying our intrinsic Essential Essence.
Join Richard as he introduces you to five simple inquiries designed to offer you a glimpse of your Essential Essence, and practical approaches for helping your mind break free of its preoccupation with the illusion of separation and control.
Richard C. Miller, PhD After decades of searching Richard met his spiritual mentor, Jean Klein in 1983, who guided him through the non-path, non-method, and nondual realization of Essential Nature. Founder of iRest Institute, and a co-founder of the International Association of Yoga Therapists and the Institute for Spirituality and Psychology, Richard teaches nondual inquiry and the realization of Essential Nature internationally, as well as serves as a consultant researching and teaching the meditation protocol he’s developed, Integrative Restoration ~ iRest, a modern-day secular adaptation of an ancient nondual practice of self-inquiry and awakening.
Richard's website: shop.irest.org
Satsang: 2-4 pm
Refreshments: until 5
Suggested Donation: $10- $20, no one turned away.
No pre-registration. Pay at door when you arrive.
Location: 8476 Sonoma Ave, Sebastopol, CA. Park on Sonoma Ave.
Note: The address sign says 8474/8476. Park on the street, and walk down the short driveway to the house with the carport.
Please dress mindfully, doors & windows will be open!
If you have covid-like symptoms, or have had a recent Covid exposure or positive test, please stay home out of consideration for others.
Grace & Gratitude: an Evening of Sacred Chant ~ Adam Bauer & Christine Mason
In strange and turbulent times, we remember to breathe and seek connection and healing in the sacred vessel of community. Join Christine and Adam in this heartfelt celebration of the natural devotional practice of gathering and singing mantra together.
Open to all, no experience necessary.
Adam
A kirtan and satsang with sacred chant artist Adam Bauer is a deep immersion in bhakti—the yoga of devotion, a blissful union of hearts and voices carried on a current of music and love. With his warm baritone voice and sonorous harmonium accompaniment, Adam leads his chanting sessions with a gentle, grounded energy, guiding participants to profound levels of conscious awareness.
Adam Bauer travels the globe sharing the heart-expanding beauty of kirtan, healing touch, the I Ching, and transformational conversation. Adam spent years playing bass with kirtan pioneer Krishna Das, and later with Bhakti Yoga legend Shyamdas, both of whom nourished his love of sacred sound and the yoga of devotion. He has released three critically-acclaimed records.
iamadambauer.com
Christine
Christine is a 20+ year yogi and practitioner of bhakti tantra, among other things which all point in the direction of love and liberation. She’s a mother, an author, the host of the rose woman podcast, the founder of Rosebud Woman, Radiant Farms and Sundari Gardens, and her essays can be found at
christinemariemason.com
@christinemariemason on IG
Suggested donation: $15 to $30
No one turned away for lack of funds.
Pre-registration for In-Person attandance closes at 12 noon on Oct. 30
Pre-registration is encouraged, but you can also just show up & pay at door. Come & join us!
OR
Find out more »November 2024
Adam Chacksfield ~ Awareness, Love, Desire ~ Bay Area Daylong Retreat
We get to put down the burden of trying to be someone, or pushing ourselves along to some imagined destination. We’re already whole, and every part of us deserves love. We’re invited to allow the juicy flow of our authentic desire to enrich, inspire, and create our life. This immersion in the potent field of loving awareness will include explorations that organically deepen our connection to the vitality and energy of our desire.
Adam Chacksfield is devoted to empowering people to thrive inside awareness, love, and desire rather suffering inside shame and fear. He leads retreats and workshops in North America and Europe, and coaches individuals and couples. Adam is the creator of several courses including Falling Open, Erotic Embodiment & Intimacy, and Transforming Conflict into Deeper Intimacy. He started his spiritual teaching and coaching in 2010 with the support and encouragement of nondual teacher, Peter Fenner. Adam also trained with the Somatica Institute, and now offers experiential erotic embodiment and intimacy coaching using the Somatica Method.
More about Adam: www.adamchacksfield.com
The meeting will be from 10:30am to 4:30pm, with a break for lunch.
Bring your own lunch, or drive 5 minutes into town where there are restaurants, as well as the Good Earth Natural Foods Store that has a full hot and salad bar, plus deli.
Pre-registration required, as space is limited.
Registration closes at 5 pm on Nov. 8th
Sliding Scale: $60 to $120
No one turned away for lack of funds.
For inquiries contact LocalEvents@opencirclecenter.org
Location:
The meeting will be held at a private home in the Fairfax hills, with views of Mount Tam and hiking trails.
Address and directions will be provided upon registration.
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.