September 2024
John Prendergast and Lisa Ferguson ~ Engaged Nonduality
Engaged Nonduality:
Attending to A World in Crisis with Awakened Heart
with John Prendergast and Lisa Ferguson
This online 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.
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
Suggested Donation: $25 to $45
(any amount acceptable, 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
John Prendergast and Lisa Ferguson ~ Engaged Nonduality
This online 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.
John J. Prendergast studied with the European sage Jean Klein for many years as well as with Adyashanti who gave dharma transmission to John in August, 2023. He is a retired Adjunct Professor of Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies as well as a retired psychotherapist. John is the author of several books, including The Deep Heart: Our Portal to Presence. Lisa Ferguson, Ph.D. is the founder of Climate Compassion, and has focused on supporting planetary well-being as a healing arts practitioner, climate justice activist, organizer and contemplative.
Find out more »Jeannie Zandi ~ True Nature
Who are we really? Join Jeannie to explore the idea and experience of true nature.
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.
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
Jeannie Zandi ~ True Nature
Who are we really? Join Jeannie to explore the idea and experience of true nature.
Jeannie 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 teaching style.
Find out more »Prayers for the Future ~ Satsang & Kirtan
Satsang & Kirtan
with Adam Bauer & Christine Marie
Co-sponsored by Open Circle
Join us for an extraordinary gathering of heart, mind, and spirit as we come together for Prayers for the Future, a special satsang and kirtan featuring global chant artist Adam Bauer and yogini Christine Marie. This event is a call to unite in soulful chanting, deep reflection, and visionary summoning of a world we want to live into.
Highlights:
- Kirtan: Be together in the power of the chant led by Adam Bauer, a renowned kirtan artist who weaves together ancient mantras, soulful melodies, and heartfelt devotion to uplift and connect us all.
- Satsang: Dive into a space of inner exploration and wisdom sharing. Through guided meditation and contemplative dialogue, we wil connect with our clearest hearts to envision our highest possible future.
Come prepared to chant, listen, share, and co-create as we set our intentions and pray for a future that honors the highest potential of humanity and our planet.
Open to all who feel called to join in this sacred work of visioning and manifesting a future filled with light, harmony, and grace.
In community, in love, and in action.
Pre-registration required, as space is limited.
Donation Requested. Pay what you can.
RSVP by REGISTRATION HERE & DONATE AT DOOR WHEN YOU ARRIVE.
.
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.
Louise Kay ~ Embodied Awareness
If you bring your attention fully present into the now and inquire with a genuine, open curiosity into the truth of this moment, what is discovered is that underlying all experiences lies an invisible, potent presence. This presence is often referred to as stillness, being, consciousness or awareness and is the eternal, formless essence of who you are. All else appears in and is perceived by this awareness.
The recognition of this truth through direct experiential knowing is a divine blessing and is followed by a sacred process of integration, which takes place on the level of body and mind. As higher consciousness penetrates the physical body in the surrendered state, unconscious beliefs and conditionings are revealed and released, and unprocessed emotions held in the system rise to the surface to be consciously felt and transmuted. This process of deep healing and maturing takes place over time on the level of form, while one remains anchored in the formlessness of the unending now.
You are invited to join Louise for an exploration of Embodied Awareness comprising a guided meditation and opportunity to ask questions.
About Louise
Louise Kay was born in the north west of 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 deep call in her heart to visit India, where she experienced a profound spiritual awakening. Shortly afterwards Louise began channeling and traveled around the world sharing this gift for several years. During this time she experienced a deepening and integration of her initial spiritual awakening and as she opened more to this non-dual truth a new form of expression revealed itself from deep in 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.
Louise holds group events online and around the world.
More about Louise: www.louisekay.net
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
Louise Kay ~ Embodied Awareness
If you bring your attention fully present into the now and inquire with a genuine, open curiosity into the truth of this moment, what is discovered is that underlying all experiences lies an invisible, potent presence. This presence is often referred to as stillness, being, consciousness or awareness, and is the eternal, formless essence of who you are. All else appears in and is perceived by this awareness.
The recognition of this truth is followed by a sacred process of integration, which takes place on the level of body and mind over time, while one remains anchored in the formlessness of the unending now.
In her early thirties Louise Kay, who is from the UK, felt a deep call in her heart to visit India, where she experienced a profound spiritual awakening. As she opened more to this non-dual truth, a new form of expression revealed itself from deep in her heart. Her greatest joy is to sit together in presence and gently hold space for the integration of unresolved energies, and allow the unfolding of the divine in all who feel the call.
Find out more »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.
John Prendergast, Lisa Ferguson & Jared Michaels ~ Engaged Nonduality ~ InPerson Daylong
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.
John Prendergast studied with the European sage Jean Klein for many years as well as with Adyashanti who gave dharma transmission to John in August, 2023. Lisa Ferguson is the founder of Climate Compassion, and has focused on supporting planetary well-being as a healing arts practitioner, climate justice activist, organizer and contemplative. Jared Michaels is a psychotherapist, a Zen priest, and a longtime student of John Prendergast. For decades, he asked what he could offer humanity that would make a difference. His answer: To invite us to walk a path of personal and systemic transformation.
Find out more »Ishita Sharma ~ Embodiment Lab – Experiments in Embodying Presence
We are not thinking beings who sense; we are sensing beings who think. And re-setting that balance is key to joy, to vibrance, and true liberation!
Join us for Embodiment Lab, an experiential exploration of the body as a doorway to presence and aliveness, returning to the ground of being through our own direct experience.
We will use the fullness of our experience to tune and attune to our bodies, illuminating our deepest healing and freedom. Engaging and transcending our senses, awareness, breath, movement and sound and more, we will use our body's signals to return to sensate presence.
TOGETHER ON OUR CALL WE WILL:
- Explore states of inner coherence in our own experience.
- Engage simple yet profound somatic and energetic practices.
- Experience the healing power of inner and group coherence.
- Have space to share, ask questions and learn from within and together.
- Learn about ways to deepen our access to embodied presence.
All levels of experience are welcom.
BIO
Ishita Sharma serves as a spiritual teacher, healing mirror, embodiment guide, 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.
Growing 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.
Ishita 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.
Ishita’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.
Care 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!
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