The Garrison Institute explores the intersection of contemplation and engaged action in the world. Founded in 2003, our mission is to apply the transformative power of contemplation to today's pressing social and environmental problems, helping build a more compassionate, resilient future.

Our program initiatives - Contemplation and Education, Transformational Ecology, and Transforming Trauma - bring a contemplative dimension to key social change fields, applying relevant techniques to caregiving, teaching and environmental advocacy. We also research and develop new ways of applying those techniques in specific vocational settings, from domestic violence shelters to classrooms.

Our retreat programs bring inspiring teachers and teachings from diverse wisdom traditions to wide audiences, supporting individual growth and communities of practice.

Located on the Hudson River north of New York City, the Institute is housed in a beautifully renovated 77,000 square foot facility on the estate of a former Capuchin monastery. The surrounding forests and fields provide an ideal setting for non-sectarian exploration of contemplative practice within a social context.

"The capability of human life is beyond our imagination. This capability is unique. What counts is the human capacity to investigate and transform our own mind and the world around us in a powerful and positive direction." -Gelek Rimpoche