April 2024
Silent Group Meditation (Free, No Guidance)
Mondays: 8:00am – 8:30am Pacific Time
Wednesdays : 9:00am – 9:30am Pacific Time
Ongoing every week, with rare exceptions. Check Full Calendar to verify dates.
Join 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.
After half an hour of silent sitting, there will be space for a brief hello in the end, if we like.
Please 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.
The zoom link remains the same for all the sessions, so you are welcome to register only once and save the link for future reference.
To check your local time, use a tool such as: Time Zone Converter
Marlies Myoku Cocheret ~ Women’s Sensual Satsang (for Women Only)
If traditional non dual Satsang is about waking up out of our bodies to our true transcendent nature “to know we are not this thought, not this feeling, etc.”, then Sensual Satsang is about ‘incending’ back into the body, into the senses, – or more accurately – the body ‘incending’ back into our spacious, silent nature until body and silence melt together as one.
During this Women’s Sensual Satsang, we first anchor ourselves as silence and then through guided practice, we awaken our senses. Along the way, we may bump into parts of ourselves that are disconnected and numb. With tenderness and patience – going only as fast as the slowest part – we invite these parts and the rest of the body to melt into the vast silence, until there is no gap between the two, no divide.
Silence & Sensuality are very close to my heart. Hope to see you in Sensual Satsang!
About Marlies:
Marlies Myoku Cocheret brings a potent invitation into the deep silence that we are. She gathers women together to celebrate their sovereignty and the sensual, silent essence within their bodies. She’s been leading women on journeys of intimate connection with themselves and the feminine Divine for 25+ years and has been offering satsang and retreat since 2000 when Adyashanti asked her to teach. She lives in Tennessee and works internationally as a spiritual teacher, psychologist, Hakomi therapist, and tantric educator.
“Marlies is a master at offering practices that help us embody and connect to ourselves. I felt seen and met by her. Her work is deeply still and yet so enlivening. What a gift!” ~ B.E.
Suggested donation: $15 to $40
No one turned away for lack of funds.
Please register early if you can.
The event will be recorded and emailed to participants within a week.
To check your local time, use a tool such as: Time Zone Converter
Stephen Capper ~ The Untouched Within ~ In-Person in Sebastopol
Discover within yourself, what is untouched by conflict. Our days and minds often dwell in conflict: conflict with other people, with various voices and personalities within ourselves, with institutions and authorities, and the political conflicts at home, and in Gaza and the Ukraine. What is untouched by conflict has been called true nature, presence, essence, being, divine, soul... etc. It's through awareness to what we're telling ourselves, and dropping in and embodying our emotions that are arising... that we can open to a deeper truth.
Stephen came to the US from the UK is 1983 to be close to Osho. After Osho left his body he felt the need for a Living Awakened teacher and was introduced to Gangaji and through her the teachings of Papaji, (her teacher) and Ramana, (Papaji’s teacher.) For the last 20+ years he has opened to Gangaji’s message and gone to retreats, weekends, open meetings and has been a volunteer with the Gangaji Foundation. He also went through the one year immersion program at the Leela School of Awakening and the Enneagram mastery program run by Gangaji’s husband Eli Jaxon Bear. Stephen lives with his wife and two cats in Oakland. He is a musician, loves to garden and teaches piano.
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 arrive 10-15 minutes early.
Please dress warmly, doors & windows will be open!
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.
Stephan Bodian ~ Wake Up Now: A 2-Day Journey Through the Stages of Awakening
April 13 & 14, 2024
9:00 am – 12:00 pm, Pacific Time
Time Zone Converter
Recording will be emailed to participants after each meeting.
You're welcome to join even if you can't attend all the live sessions.
Awakenings come in many shapes and sizes and are as diverse as the people who experience them. Yet they tend to follow a similar trajectory, from the initial recognition that you’re not who you thought you were to the full realization of your nondual spiritual nature beyond the mind. Along the way, you may have a range of different experiences and insights that offer motivation and inspiration and deepen and expand your understanding.
In this weekend mini-retreat, we’ll explore the journey of awakening through teachings, guided meditations, self-inquiry, dialogue, discussion, and ample time to rest in the silence and stillness of Being. In the process you’ll discover that awakening is not a noun, but a verb, not a state but an endless unfolding into the Mystery of what is.
Stephan Bodian is a teacher in the nondual wisdom tradition of Zen, Dzogchen, and Advaita Vedanta. He's been offering the School for Awakening, an annual multi-month intensive program in spiritual unfolding and awakened living, since 2007. As a licensed psychotherapist, he brings a deep understanding of the impact of trauma and early conditioning on the process of spiritual realization and offers individual counseling and mentoring in psychospiritual integration. Stephan studied for many years with Advaita master Jean Klein and received Dharma transmission from Adyashanti in 2001. His books include Wake Up Now and Beyond Mindfulness. For more information, visit : www.stephanbodian.org
Sliding Scale: $60 to $90
Some Partial Scholarships Available
Please Register Early if you can.
Stephan Bodian ~ Wake Up Now: A 2-Day Journey Through the Stages of Awakening
April 13 & 14, 2024
9:00 am – 12:00 pm, Pacific Time
Time Zone Converter
Recording will be emailed to participants after each meeting.
You're welcome to join even if you can't attend all the live sessions.
Awakenings come in many shapes and sizes and are as diverse as the people who experience them. Yet they tend to follow a similar trajectory, from the initial recognition that you’re not who you thought you were to the full realization of your nondual spiritual nature beyond the mind. Along the way, you may have a range of different experiences and insights that offer motivation and inspiration and deepen and expand your understanding.
In this weekend mini-retreat, we’ll explore the journey of awakening through teachings, guided meditations, self-inquiry, dialogue, discussion, and ample time to rest in the silence and stillness of Being. In the process you’ll discover that awakening is not a noun, but a verb, not a state but an endless unfolding into the Mystery of what is.
Stephan Bodian is a teacher in the nondual wisdom tradition of Zen, Dzogchen, and Advaita Vedanta. He's been offering the School for Awakening, an annual multi-month intensive program in spiritual unfolding and awakened living, since 2007. As a licensed psychotherapist, he brings a deep understanding of the impact of trauma and early conditioning on the process of spiritual realization and offers individual counseling and mentoring in psychospiritual integration. Stephan studied for many years with Advaita master Jean Klein and received Dharma transmission from Adyashanti in 2001. His books include Wake Up Now and Beyond Mindfulness. For more information, visit : www.stephanbodian.org
Sliding Scale: $60 to $90
Some Partial Scholarships Available
Please Register Early if you can.
CANCELED Lynn Marie Lumiere, MFT ~ Being Present with What Is: Deepen Your Ability to be Still in the Midst of Challenges ~ Weekend Retreat
A Weekend Retreat: Saturday and Sunday, April 20-21, 2024:
9:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific Time, each day
Time Zone Converter
Recording will be emailed to participants after each meeting.
You're welcome to join even if you can't attend all the live sessions.
Life is full of challenges. This is how we evolve and awaken. What is important is how we meet them.
The key to being with challenges in a way that allows for more freedom and transformation is to stop, be still, and feel our discomfort without avoiding or engaging it. This is possible because we all have a built-in ability to do this. It is natural to us; we’ve just forgotten how. We can re-discover this ability and see that no matter what is arising, it is not wrong. It is just what is, and inner support and guidance is always available. Lynn Marie will offer her assistance with the somatic, emotional and psychological issues that are interfering with your capacity to be present.
You are encouraged to attend the 3-hour sessions for this retreat live so you can benefit from sharing your experience and processing with Lynn Marie. However, you are also welcome to attend at your convenience by listening to the recording.
Lynn Marie Lumiere is a seasoned psychotherapist, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, spiritual mentor, and author. She offers a rare blend of embodied spiritual wisdom with a skilled therapeutic approach that facilitates healing of psychological trauma/wounding and the embodiment of awakening. Her depth of experience, rooted in her own healing and awakening journey, spans decades of expertly guiding individuals in the resolution of their trauma and into connection with their true nature. She is the author of Awakened Relating: A Guide to Embodying More Love in Relationships.
For more information see: www.lynnmarielumiere.com
Sliding Scale: $60 to $90
Some Partial Scholarships Available
Please Register Early if you can.
Pamela Wilson ~ Love’s Own Strength and Wisdom is Who We Are ~ Bay Area Daylong Retreat
Join with Pamela and your fellow sages to liberate any containment or reluctance to shine and live what we love.
Pamela Wilson evokes through dialogue, inquiry and her very presence the qualities of unconditional love and radical acceptance. She is celebrated for her ability to open the heart and create a space in which long-cherished struggles and notions about one’s identity relax. Featured in the book Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Wisdom, Pamela is at her best in heart-felt dialogue, so please bring your questions!
More about Pamela: www.pamelasatsang.com
The meeting will be from 10:30am to 4:30pm, with a break for lunch.
Feel free to bring your own lunch and a sun hat and walking shoes for enjoying a walk during our lunch break.
See you there!
You also have option 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 April 19th
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.
Pamela Wilson ~ Love’s Own Strength and Wisdom is Who We Are ~ Bay Area Daylong Retreat
Join with Pamela and your fellow sages to liberate any containment or reluctance to shine and live what we love.
Pamela Wilson evokes through dialogue, inquiry and her very presence the qualities of unconditional love and radical acceptance. She is celebrated for her ability to open the heart and create a space in which long-cherished struggles and notions about one’s identity relax. Featured in the book Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Wisdom, Pamela is at her best in heart-felt dialogue, so please bring your questions!
**Pre-registration required, as space is limited.**..............
Find out more »CANCELED Lynn Marie Lumiere, MFT ~ Being Present with What Is: Deepen Your Ability to be Still in the Midst of Challenges ~ Weekend Retreat
A Weekend Retreat: Saturday and Sunday, April 20-21, 2024:
9:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific Time, each day
Time Zone Converter
Recording will be emailed to participants after each meeting.
You're welcome to join even if you can't attend all the live sessions.
Life is full of challenges. This is how we evolve and awaken. What is important is how we meet them.
The key to being with challenges in a way that allows for more freedom and transformation is to stop, be still, and feel our discomfort without avoiding or engaging it. This is possible because we all have a built-in ability to do this. It is natural to us; we’ve just forgotten how. We can re-discover this ability and see that no matter what is arising, it is not wrong. It is just what is, and inner support and guidance is always available. Lynn Marie will offer her assistance with the somatic, emotional and psychological issues that are interfering with your capacity to be present.
You are encouraged to attend the 3-hour sessions for this retreat live so you can benefit from sharing your experience and processing with Lynn Marie. However, you are also welcome to attend at your convenience by listening to the recording.
Lynn Marie Lumiere is a seasoned psychotherapist, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, spiritual mentor, and author. She offers a rare blend of embodied spiritual wisdom with a skilled therapeutic approach that facilitates healing of psychological trauma/wounding and the embodiment of awakening. Her depth of experience, rooted in her own healing and awakening journey, spans decades of expertly guiding individuals in the resolution of their trauma and into connection with their true nature. She is the author of Awakened Relating: A Guide to Embodying More Love in Relationships.
For more information see: www.lynnmarielumiere.com
Sliding Scale: $60 to $90
Some Partial Scholarships Available
Please Register Early if you can.
Silent Group Meditation (Free, No Guidance)
Join us for a silent group meditation. Do your own practice quietly in the company of others. Let’s be present, together. .... more details
Mon.: 8:00am – 8:30am (PT) and Wed.: 9:00am – 9:30am (PT)
Ongoing drop-in group – attend as often as you like.
Weekly, with rare exceptions. Verify dates on Full Calendar.