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SUMMARY:The School of Cracks: An Online Course Exploration and In-Person Retreat
DESCRIPTION:Hosted by Dr. Bayo Akomolafe & Laura Peña Zanatta\nOnline Course: March 4\, March 10\, March 21\nIn-Person Retreat: March 27- March 31\n  \n  \nIn this gathering of the School of Cracks\, we will explore the idea that societal systems and certainties have inherent fissures (cracks) that serve as potent sites for unexpected transformation and new ways of being. Join Dr. Bayo Akomolafe and Laura Peña Zanatta for this online and in-person exploration of this concept. The online course culminates in the in-person retreat. \nWith rising fires and blood-orange skies inflamed by loss\, genocide\, and the drift of authoritarian winds\, the weather forecast for the futures we hope for doesn’t look too good. In the middle of multidimensional storms\, a singular question – emerging from the anxieties of our days – pierces the spin of things: what do we do? How do we become responsible to these moments of ruin and rule? How do we show up at the end of the world? \nScholar Laura Peña Zanatta and Professor Bayo Akomolafe straddle the liminally bioluminescent beaches between the settled shores and the promiscuous oceanic\, offering not an answer but a ritual\, an invitation\, and a troubling provocation: what if all we can do is an exhausted reinforcement of the trouble? What if the way we respond to the problem is part of the problem? \nAt this retreat\, the School will convene itself once more to explore the cracks\, which are generative sites that mark where systems\, identities\, and worldviews (accommodations) fracture. The crack is not deficiency; rather\, it is a multiplicative hyperpresence and excess that cannot be contained by stable form. It is the sacred breach – an invitation to bleed out of systems that hold us too tightly. The crack is where reality gets rewritten. \nAlong with the times\, we ask\, “how do we show up now?” The School aims to investigate the ethical tremble before it crystallizes into usefulness\, to sit with the unthought in ritual\, and to open up space for sensorial apostasy. \nWe come together not to fix the world\, but to notice its unraveling with care. To gather in assemblages of difference\, to steep in the residues of what no longer works\, and to midwife the unspeakable shapes emerging through collapse. This is not a space for answers; this is a space for apprenticing the disfigurement that marks our bodies and traces out new worlds\, seditiously. This is an attunement to grief\, to wonder\, to refusal\, to silence\, and to the trembling edges of being undone. \nIn this gathering of the School of the Cracks\, we will slow down\, resist the seductions of immediacy\, and wander into the thresholds that blur categories. We will walk with uncertainty\, explore rituals of shared disorientation\, and experiment with gestures of solidarity that do not rush to legibility. Through embodied exercises\, dialogue\, dreaming\, movement\, and ceremonial pause\, we will practice the impossible art of staying with the crack – to listen to what worlds it might already be whispering into existence. \nThis is not a workshop. This is not leadership training. This is not a retreat from the world. \nThis is an arrival into the slippery sacred\, the fugitive terrain where language breaks\, where bodies remember\, and where the end of the world might just be the beginning of something feral and free. \nCome. To become disoriented together. \n  \n \nABOUT\n  \nThe School of the Cracks is co-stewarded by Báyò Akómolafé’s Dancing With Mountains and Laura Peña Zanatta’s MetaMorf. It is their most comprehensive organizational articulation of a posthumanist\, decolonial philosophy. The “School” is defined fundamentally by what it refuses and the fugitive cosmopoetics it seeks to cultivate in the face of civilizational impasse. It is not an institution in the conventional\, pedagogical sense\, offering no degrees\, no certification\, and no curriculum designed to produce competency. Instead\, it is conceptualized as a para-institutional architecture\, a ceremonial field\, an evolving ritual\, and a sanctuary for unlearning. \nPhoto: Stubborn Sculptor by Adeniyi Adewole (b. 1994). Adewole is a Nigerian contemporary sculptor whose figurative works explore the emotional and psychological weight of the human experience. Working primarily with clay and fiberglass\, he transforms everyday encounters into metaphors for healing\, release\, and resilience. His sculptures reflect on mental health\, vulnerability\, and the quiet strength found in letting go\, drawing inspiration from Yoruba philosophies of balance\, endurance\, and renewal.\n  \nSESSIONS\n  \n***You will be emailed a link to the course materials on Kajabi a week before the course begins ***\n  \nWednesday March 4\, 2026 (11:30 a.m. EST to 1:00 p.m. EST) \nTuesday March 10\, 2026 (11:30 a.m. EDT to 1:00 p.m. EDT) \nSaturday March 21\, 2026 (11:30 a.m. EDT to 2:00 p.m. EDT) \nMarch 27 – March 31 \n  \n  \nSCHOLARSHIPS\n  \nPlease note that we are no longer accepting scholarship applications for this gathering. We thank you for your interest and overwhelming response; we are still reviewing the applications we have received. Please do not sign up if you have already submitted an application\, wait to hear from us. We regret that we are not able to assist as we had more applicants than our funding can underwrite. For more information on our scholarship funds\, please visit this page. \n  \n\nTEACHERS\n  \nBayo Akomolafe (Ph.D.)\, rooted with the Yoruba people in a more-than-human world\, is the father to Alethea Aanya and Kyah Jayden Abayomi\, the grateful life-partner to Ije\, son and brother. A widely celebrated international speaker\, posthumanist thinker\, poet\, teacher\, public intellectual\, essayist\, and author of two books\, These Wilds Beyond our Fences: Letters to My Daughter on Humanity’s Search for Home (North Atlantic Books) and We Will Tell our Own Story: The Lions of Africa Speak\, Bayo Akomolafe is the Founder of The Emergence Network\, a planet-wide initiative that seeks to convene communities in new ways in response to the critical\, civilizational challenges we face as a species. He is host of the postactivist course/festival/event\, ‘We Will Dance with Mountains’. He currently lectures at Pacifica Graduate Institute\, California. He sits on the Board of many organizations including Science and Non-Duality (US) and Ancient Futures (Australia). \nIn July 2022\, Dr. Akomolafe was appointed the inaugural Global Senior Fellow of University of California’s (Berkeley) Othering and Belonging Institute. He is also the inaugural Special Fellow of the Schumacher Centre for New Economics\, the Inaugural Scholar in Residence for the Aspen Institute\, the inaugural Special Fellow for the Council of an Uncertain Human Future\, as well as Visiting Scholar to Clark University\, Massachusetts\, USA (2024). He has been Fellow for The New Institute in Hamburg\, Germany\, and Visiting Critic-in-Residence for the Otis College of Art and Design\, Los Angeles (2023). \nHe is the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) and has been Commencement Speaker in two universities convocation events. He is also the recipient of the New Thought Leadership Award 2021 and the Excellence in Ethnocultural Psychotherapy Award by the African Mental Health Summit 2022. In a ceremony in July 2023\, the City of Portland (Maine\, USA) awarded Dr. Akomolafe with the symbolic ‘Key to the City’ in recognition of his planet-wide work and achievements. \nDr. Akomolafe is a Member of the Club of Rome\, a Fellow for the Royal Society of Arts in the UK\, and an Ambassador for the Wellbeing Economy Alliance. To learn more about Dr. Akomolafe’s work\, please visit www.bayoakomolafe.net and www.emergencenetwork.org. \n  \nLaura Peña Zanatta is an organizational consultant\, facilitator\, experience designer\, artist\, and theorist-enthusiast exploring the conceptualization of rituals and their significance in contemporary times. \nShe has worked extensively as a consultant\, helping companies gain awareness of their organizational culture\, uncover underlying structures\, and foster transformation from within. Some of her clients include Google\, Nubank\, KPMG\, and Embraer. \nThe metacrisis was a major catalyst for her expanding her work to investigate how rituals can serve as bridges between systemic crises and regenerative futures. \nShe sees ritual\, art\, and performance as powerful mediums for constructing new affective landscapes and expanding relational possibilities. Her work is also deeply informed by her background in dance — over ten years of experience — and her studies in performance art with La Fura dels Baus in 2023. \nCurrently\, she is an innovation professor at Fundação Dom Cabral. Alongside her corporate consultancy projects\, she is also working with the J Randle Museum in Nigeria\, a project dedicated to co-creating contemporary breathing spaces and pathways inspired by the richness and vitality of Yoruba culture. For more about Laura’s work\, please visit metamorf.me. \n  \nACCOMMODATIONS \nThere are Single\, Double and Dorm rooms available. Please note\, there is no available guest elevator and all rooms are accessible by stairs—except for those reserved for the mobility-impaired on the first floor. There are two communal bathrooms on each residential floor as well as a comfortable lounge with sofas and easy chairs\, where tea and instant coffee are available. The lounges also are equipped with wireless\, high-speed internet connection. There are several local hotels within driving distance from the Institute\, for those who wish to stay off-site\, as commuters. Onsite meals are included with commuter registrations.\n\n \nThe health and safety of our guests and staff is a top priority for the Garrison Institute. All guests\, teachers\, and staff are strongly encouraged to self-test (at home antigen test is acceptable) within the 48-hour window prior to arriving for a retreat on site\, and to bring a 2nd self-test kit when coming on site. We encourage everyone to self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and other illnesses before your visit. If you experience symptoms or have a positive diagnosis\, please notify us immediately at events@garrisoninstitute.org We will continue to follow any COVID-19 guidelines set forth by our local officials\, New York State and the CDC.
URL:https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/event/the-school-of-cracks-an-online-course-exploration-and-in-person-retreat/
LOCATION:Hybrid
CATEGORIES:Hybrid
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UID:46852-1772816400-1773403200@www.garrisoninstitute.org
SUMMARY:The Three Pillars of Wakefulness: Stability\, Openness and Kindness
DESCRIPTION:Westchester Meditation Center’s 13th Annual Retreat\nIncluding guest teacher Judy Lief\nAt the Garrison Institute\, March 6-13\, 2026\n\nWinter is a natural time to deepen our practice \nPlease join us for our annual retreat \nPractitioners of all levels are warmly welcomed\nThis retreat includes a separate track for vajrayana practitioners\n  \n\nMany people are drawn to meditation as a means to develop more serenity and clarity. But a deeper transformation of our experience is possible. A well-established meditation practice grounds us deeply in an openness that is also clear\, flexible and resilient. We are then better able to rise to life’s challenges with the kindness of an open heart. \nA week-long immersive retreat is a powerful way to deepen our relationship to meditation and see its benefits. With a settled mind\, we can tune into our innate wellbeing and our open heart. Mindfulness-awareness meditation\, fully understood\, can directly support overcoming our fixed\, inflexible patterns\, and allow the emergence of a more stable attitude of acceptance and kindness. We hope you can join us in exploring and fine-tuning these qualities that our world needs more than ever. \nSurrounded by natural beauty and far from the clamor of our busy lives\, Garrison Institute offers the ideal environment for deep contemplative practice. We welcome both new and experienced practitioners to attend this retreat. \nThe retreat will be jointly led by Judy Lief\, a senior teacher in the tradition of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and master editor of his works\, and the senior teachers of the Westchester Meditation Center\, Derek and Jane Kolleeny and Gene Bobker. \nThis mostly silent retreat will be primarily focused on sitting meditation\, but the daily schedule will also include walking meditation\, dharma talks\, discussion groups\, two individual meetings with a meditation instructor\, yoga\, and free time. \nA separate vajrayana track* will include talks on the Experiential Song of The View of Luminous Mahamudra Called ‘The Music of Great Bliss’ by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. \n*Separate shrine rooms for prostrators\, ngondro and sadhana practitioners will be available. \n\nSCHOLARSHIPS\n  \nPlease note that scholarship applications are now closed. If you have a question about your application\, please reach out directly to the Westchester Meditation Center team\, as they are handling all scholarships. \n\n\nABOUT US\n  \nFor more information about WMC visit the website\, westchestermeditationcenter.org and for more information about Judy Lief\, visit her website at https://judylief.com/ \n  \n\nTEACHERS\n  \nJudy Lief is a Buddhist teacher who trained under the Tibetan meditation master\, Ven. Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. She has been a teacher and practitioner for over 35 years\, and she continues to teach throughout the world. Judy is known for offering insights and practices stemming from the Buddhist tradition as a support for ordinary people facing the difficulties and challenges of modern life. Judy leads retreats and workshops as well as presenting online teachings. In her teaching\, Judy prefers questions to answers\, humor to earnestness\, delight to solemnity. Judy teaches with clarity and empathy\, with deep respect for the wisdom of the Buddhist teachings and the power of Buddhist practice. She especially enjoys sharing insights drawn from her Buddhist training with people simply looking for a way to develop more mindfulness and kindness in their lives. Judy’s teaching is marked by gentleness\, humility\, and an occasional poke of insight. \n  \nJane Kolleeny\, Westchester Meditation Center Senior Teacher\, has been studying and practicing Buddhism since the early seventies when her teacher Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche arrived in Boulder\, Colorado. A native Coloradan\, she moved to New York in 1990 and taught classes at the New York Shambhala Center for many years\, organizing and teaching at the Tuesday dharma gatherings for nine years. She serves as volunteer retreats and business development director at Garrison Institute.  \n  \n  \nGene Bobker\, Westchester Meditation Center Senior Teacher\, met Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche as a student at University of Colorado the summer of 1971. She attended the 1974 Seminary and became a meditation instructor in 1976. In the late seventies she became a teacher at the New York Shambhala Center and also served as director of the center from 1977 to 1982. In 1982 she staffed the Bedford Springs Seminary\, and later served as Practice Department coordinator in New York. She has been teaching at Westchester Meditation Center for ten years. Genie is an educator in the Westchester public school system. She has led mindfulness/awareness training for educators in school and camps\, and has taught meditation to students in classroom settings. Gene is a mother and grandmother. \n  \n  \nDerek Kolleeny\, Westchester Meditation Center Senior Teacher\, became a student of Chögyam Trunpga\, Rinpoche\, in 1976. He earned a B.A. from Harvard College in the Comparative Study of World Religions focusing in Buddhism in 1982\, and a MBA from Columbia Business School in 1989. He served as CFO for various companies and not-for-profit organizations for 25 years and is now a consultant for non-profit organizations specializing in organizational development and financial management.  He currently teaches meditation and Buddhist philosophy at Westchester Meditation  Center and Rime Shedra NYC to provide practitioners access to the core classical texts of the Buddhist tradition and in 2009 he co-founded WMC (initially called WBC). He teaches a wide range of weekly courses and programs on Buddhist meditation and philosophy with insight\, joy and humor. \n  \n  \nACCOMMODATIONS \nThere are Single\, Double and Dorm (3 people) rooms available. Please note\, there is no available guest elevator and all rooms are accessible by stairs—except for those reserved for the mobility-impaired on the first floor. Dorm rooms are located exclusively on the fourth floor. There are two communal bathrooms on each residential floor as well as a comfortable lounge with sofas and easy chairs\, where tea and instant coffee are available. The lounges also are equipped with wireless\, high-speed internet connection. There are several local hotels within driving distance from the Institute\, for those who wish to stay off-site\, as commuters. Onsite meals are included with commuter registrations.\n\n\n \n  \nIf you are experiencing issues with our check-out cart loading\, please click here to complete your transaction. We apologize for the inconvenience. \n  \nCOVID-19\nThe health and safety of our guests and staff is a top priority for the Garrison Institute. To attend a retreat or event all guests\, teachers\, and staff are strongly encouraged to self-test (at home antigen test is acceptable) within the 48-hour window prior to arriving for a retreat on site\, and to bring a 2nd self-test kit when coming on site. We ask everyone to self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and other illnesses before your visit. If you experience symptoms or have a positive diagnosis\, please notify us immediately at events@garrisoninstitute.org We will continue to follow any COVID-19 guidelines set forth by our local officials\, New York State and the CDC.
URL:https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/event/the-three-pillars-of-wakefulness-wmc-2026/
LOCATION:In-Person\, 14 Mary’s Way Route 9D\, Garrison\, NY\, 10524\, United States
CATEGORIES:In Person
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