March 2019
Pamela Wilson ~ Back to True Nature
A Rustic Weekend Retreat with Pamela Wilson
Saturday March 30th and Sunday March 31st
10:00am to 5:00pm, Fairfax, CA
This weekend retreat with Pamela Wilson will take place on private property in Fairfax, on 50 acres of ridgetop land, with beautiful views of Mount Tam and the surrounding area, with many trails for walking and savoring the beautiful spring wildflowers.
Pamela Wilson has been sharing satsang for twenty years around the world, honoring the sage within everyone, and the absolute oneness of All That Is. She 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. Pamela 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. She is featured in the book Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Wisdom, and is the author of the forthcoming A Golden Retriever’s Guide to Joy,
“Here we are, benevolent rooted space wearing a remarkably sensitive instrument called the body. Most sages report the body-mind insists on being included and permeated by presence, so it too, can know and live its naturalness. The body is the five elements, already free with no history, though it has born witness to all. As compassion we will be instantly aware of any suffering and answer its call; as stillness we will be aware of remaining restlessness. To be with what is in the moment, this is our function and is at the heart of all longing. Join with your fellow sages in satsang, sharing what you are noticing is an act of love.”
We will savor the stillness, inquire, share and walk together. A light organic vegetarian lunch, and tea and cookies at tea time will be provided free of charge, or you may bring your own food, or head out for lunch to Good Earth Natural Foods or a number of local restaurants.
Satsang meetings will be held outdoors, in the shade, weather permitting. If it rains, we will meet inside.
It is expected that most attendees will commute; however, shared dormitory-style overnight accommodation is available for those who want to spend the whole weekend at the property, though space is very limited.
Pre-registration is required, as the retreat will be limited to 30 people. Priority will be given to those who can attend both days.
For more information or to register, email robmschwartz@yahoo.com
Directions and logistical details will be provided upon registration.
Suggested donation:
$75 for a single day
$130 for the weekend
No one turned away for lack of funds.
April 2019
John Prendergast ~ Taking Refuge in Not Knowing
A Rustic Weekend Retreat with John Prendergast
Saturday April 27th and Sunday April 28th
10:00am to 5:00pm, Fairfax, Marin County
Join us for a weekend retreat on beautiful private property in Fairfax for a two-day deep dive into true nature. Through dialogues, meditation, and dyadic inquiry we will explore what it means to experientially take refuge in not knowing, and to allow attention to fall into the heart and the ground.
We will also enjoy the 50 acres of ridgetop land, with glorious views of Mount Tam and the surrounding area, with many trails for walking and savoring the spring wildflowers. Weather permitting, meetings will be held outdoors in a shaded oak grove. Otherwise, we will meet inside.
John is a spiritual teacher, psychotherapist and retired adjunct professor of psychology at CIIS, known for his pioneering work in integrating nondual wisdom and psychotherapy. A long-time student of both Jean Klein and Adyashanti, he was asked to share the dharma by Dorothy Hunt. John brings a depth of experience, insight, warmth, and compassion to his teaching work, and is especially skillful in guided meditative inquiries and one-on-one dialogues. He is the author of In Touch (Sounds True, 2015) and a forthcoming new book called The Deep Heart: Our Portal to Presence (Sounds True, Nov. 2019). He offers quarterly daylong intensives in the Bay Area, and residential retreats and seminars around the U.S.
"Once we get over the initial shock, it is a huge relief to see and feel that we are not who, where, or when we have taken our self to be. The truth is that we don’t know and can’t know any of this – at least not with our ordinary strategic, goal-oriented mind. We discover that we can rest in not knowing. This is not the same as being ignorant. We are not ignoring anything. In fact, we are facing an important truth – the limits of the conditioned mind. There is a great deal in life that we don’t know, can’t know, and perhaps most importantly, don’t need to know. This insight frees attention to move from its temporary residence in the forehead to the depths of the heart area. Acknowledging that we don’t know, opens us to a different type of knowing."
Meals
A light organic vegetarian lunch, and tea and cookies at tea time, will be provided free of charge, or you may bring your own food, or head out for lunch at Good Earth Natural Foods or a number of local restaurants.
Accommodation
It is expected that most attendees will commute; however, limited shared dormitory-style accommodation is available if you want to spend the night.
Registration
Pre-registration is required, as attendance is limited to 30 people.
For more information or to register, email robmschwartz@yahoo.com.
Directions and logistical details will be provided upon registration.
Suggested donation: $150
No one turned away for lack of funds.
Find out more »