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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260921T180000
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SUMMARY:Pre-Conference Virtual Forum: AI and Our Spiritual Imagination
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a reflective online conversation with Dr. Angel Acosta and the Executive Director of the Garrison Institute Steve Varley\, exploring the deeper human and spiritual questions emerging alongside artificial intelligence. This webinar is a primer for the upcoming two-day virtual conference\, on the same topic October 17-18. Register HERE. \n  \nIn this short session\, we will consider how AI is reshaping our understanding of intelligence\, creativity\, consciousness\, relationship\, and what it means to be human and how this will be presented in the larger conference.  \n  \nDrawing on contemplative practice\, spiritual inquiry\, and the Garrison Institute’s longstanding commitment to human and social transformation\, the conversation will invite participants to look beyond questions of productivity and disruption and toward the wisdom\, discernment\, and imagination this moment requires. \n\n  \nWHAT WE WILL EXPLORE\n  \n\nConsider AI as a human and spiritual inquiry\, not only a technological one.\nExplore what contemplative and wisdom traditions can offer in a period of rapid technological change.\nReflect on how we might shape AI in service of human dignity\, community\, and flourishing.\n\n  \nThis webinar offers an entry point into the questions at the heart of the upcoming Garrison Institute virtual conference\, Artificial Intelligence and Our Spiritual Imagination. Whether you are approaching AI through technology\, spirituality\, leadership\, education\, or creativity\, this conversation will create space to slow down\, reflect\, and consider what kind of future we want to help create. \n\n\nSPEAKERS\n\nImage by Rog Walker\, Paper Monday \n\nDr. Angel Acosta is a visionary educator\, scholar\, and facilitator\, leading efforts at the intersection of healing-centered education\, contemplative practice\, and leadership development. As the director of the Garrison Institute Fellowship\, Dr. Acosta is dedicated to nurturing a global community of change-makers. the intersection of contemplative practice and social change. Since joining Garrison\, he has helped shape and expand initiatives including the Spirituality and Social Change program\, the Bioregional Resilience Project\, and explorations of contemplative and systems-level perspectives in graduate business education. His previous leadership experience includes roles at National Public Radio (NPR) and the University of North Carolina\, where his work focused on institutional strategy\, partnership\, and development.\n \n  \n  \n \nSteve Varley serves as Managing Director of the Garrison Institute\, where he leads strategy\, program development\, and organizational partnerships across the Institute’s work at the intersection of contemplative practice and social change. Since joining the Garrison Institute\, he has helped shape and expand initiatives including the Spirituality and Social Change program\, the Bioregional Resilience Project\, and an exploration of contemplative and systems-level perspectives in graduate business education. Steve’s previous roles include positions at National Public Radio\, Yale University\, and the University of North Carolina\, where his tenure in development was marked by record-breaking fundraising years and a distinctive orientation toward community partnership- including deep engagement with the Lumbee Tribe. He is a practicing member of the Zen Peacemakers\, an interfaith social engagement order. \n  \nPlease contact us for questions and inquiries at events@garrisoninstitute.org.
URL:https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/event/pre-conference-informational-webinar-ai-and-our-spiritual-imagination/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Forum
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260923T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261125T131500
DTSTAMP:20260917T140210
CREATED:20260713T184551Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260916T000903Z
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SUMMARY:Speaker Series on the Living Earth Community
DESCRIPTION:Co-sponsored by the Pathways to Planetary Health initiative at the Garrison Institute and the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology \n\nModerated by Stephen Posner\, PhD and Mary Evelyn Tucker\, PhD\nThe Garrison Institute and the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology are co-hosting a 4-part speaker series on Living Earth Community. This series offers space for participants to deepen their understanding of the living Earth and renew their sense of belonging during times of ecological uncertainty and social fragmentation. \n  \nThe series invites participants to explore the Living Earth Community from multiple perspectives\, including science\, ethics\, law\, and ecological imagination. Together\, these sessions ask what it means to live within an astonishingly diverse community of life\, and how we might respond with greater awareness\, reverence\, responsibility\, and care. Inspired by Thomas Berry’s vision of humanity as part of a “communion of subjects\,” this series explores the Living Earth Community as a knowledge commons and a reason to reflect on the moral and practical implications of human-Earth relationships. Topics include the Intelligences of Nature\, Ecological Worldviews\, and Earth Law and Rights of Nature. \nThis series is a virtual companion to an inaugural Living Earth Community conference to be held on October 17\, 2026 at the Yale Peabody Museum at Yale University (register here). Webinar sessions before the conference will introduce key themes\, and sessions afterwards will help integrate learning and explore future next steps. \nCo-hosted by Stephen Posner\, PhD\, with the Garrison Institute and Mary Evelyn Tucker\, PhD\, with the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology\, this program contributes to a growing community of scholars\, artists\, practitioners\, and organizations seeking to renew deep relationships with Earth and respond to this ecological moment with wisdom\, creativity\, and care. \n  \nWEBINAR AND CONFERENCE DATES\n  \nPre-Conference Webinar 1\nWednesday\, August 26 at 12pm ET\nIntroduction to Living Earth Community knowledge commons and conference \n \nMary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim of the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology will introduce the Living Earth Community as a knowledge commons and a gathering place for multiple ways of understanding Earth’s community of life. This opening session will explore how science\, spiritual and philosophical traditions\, and emerging legal movements invite us to recognize the voices\, agencies\, and relationships of birds\, mushrooms\, trees\, rivers\, mountains\, humans\, and other members of the Earth community. Participants will be invited to consider their own place and responsibilities within the Living Earth Community and to prepare for the themes that will unfold through the October conference and speaker series.\n\nSpeakers: Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim\, Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology  \n  \nPre-Conference Webinar 2\nWednesday\, September 9 at 12pm ET\nLiving Earth Community: Engaging a World of Many Voices \n \nWe dwell within an intricate and evolving community of planetary life. The world speaks—to itself and to us—in a multitude of voices\, each representing a unique way of being and knowing: from the organic lives of birds\, mushrooms\, and trees; to the elemental bodies of stones\, rivers\, and mountains. Yet each of these voices is an integral member of the whole. Since our species emerged around 300\,000 years ago\, we have developed diverse systems of knowledge—spiritual\, philosophical\, and scientific—to understand and respond to the vibrant ecological community in which we live. This session will consider the confluence of these ways of knowing through the Living Earth Community project\, a multimedia knowledge commons exploring the complexity of the living world through multimedia resources on the intelligences of nature\, ecological worldviews\, and Earth Law. Drawing from the insights of cultural historian and “geologian” Thomas Berry (1914-2009)\, we will explore how contemporary science is conversing with ancient spiritual traditions – at a time of polycrisis – to recover our kinship with the Earth community. \nSpeaker: Sam King\, Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology \n  \nPre-Conference Webinar 3\nWednesday\, September 23 at 12pm ET\nEcological Worldviews \n \nLisa Dahill of Hartford International University and Erik Assadorian of the Gaian Way will explore how ecological worldviews shape human responses to a living Earth community. This session will consider ancestral and contemporary traditions\, stories\, rituals\, practices\, and lifeways that affirm interdependence\, kinship\, and belonging within the community of life. Participants will be invited to reflect on how renewing ecological worldviews can help address the objectification of nature and support wiser\, more creative responses to this ecological moment. \nSpeakers: Lisa Dahill\, Hartford International University\, and Erik Assadorian\, Gaian Way \n  \nPre-Conference Webinar 4\nWednesday\, October 7 at 12:00-1:15pm ET\nEarth Law and Rights of Nature \nGrant Wilson of the Earth Law Center\, Raffaele Saposhnik of the Yale School of the Environment\, and Amaya Carrasco-Torrontegui of the University of Vermont Institute for Agroecology will examine the growing awareness of Earth Law and Rights of Nature. This session will explore how rivers\, forests\, mountains\, and other living systems are being recognized through legal theories and practices rooted in Indigenous traditions\, Earth Jurisprudence\, science-law partnerships\, and ecological justice movements. Participants will consider how law and governance can help protect the integrity of the biosphere and support the flourishing of both human and Earth communities. \nSpeakers: Grant Wilson\, Earth Law Center; Raffaele Saposhnik\, Yale School of the Environment; Amaya Carrasco-Torrontegui\, University of Vermont Institute for Agroecology \n  \nThe Living Earth Community Conference \nSaturday\, October 17 at the Yale Peabody Museum at Yale University \nREGISTER HERE \n\n*****Separate Registration Required for this In-Person Gathering**** \n  \nThis conference brings together a community of scientists\, humanists\, writers\, and philosophers to explore the vast intelligences of nature\, following the launch of the Forum’s new website: Living Earth Community. Drawing from novel scientific research and skilled nature writing\, we will explore different ways of knowing and relating with the complex lives of cells\, plants\, and fungi; mammals and birds; trees and forests. In recent years\, the differentiated sentience of nature is rising into popular consciousness–from the migrations of birds and insects to the mating rituals of mammals; from the signaling of plants to the communication networks of trees–an awareness Indigenous peoples and other cultures have recognized for millennia.  Beginning with reflections on The Nature Record–a major scientific report on biodiversity in the United States–this conference will foster a deeper appreciation for the extraordinary complexity of ecosystems and consider emerging pathways of protection–including the Rights of Nature movement. It will also feature a performance of Earth music by the six-time\, Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Paul Winter. The conference is hosted in conjunction with the Yale Peabody Museum. This conference is free and open to the public\, but pre-registration is required.\nFor more information\, to see the full lineup of speakers\, and to register\, go to the registration page. \n  \nPost-Conference Webinar 5\nWednesday\, October 28 at 12pm ET\nIntelligences of Nature \n \nRachel Petersen and Russell Powell of Harvard University will explore the expanding scientific and philosophical conversation about intelligence\, perception\, feeling\, and agency across the more-than-human world. Drawing from their work with Natalia Scott on the Harvard conference Thinking with Plants and Fungi\, this session will consider how plants\, fungi\, animals\, insects\, and other beings challenge inherited assumptions that intelligence belongs only to humans. Together\, participants will reflect on what the diverse intelligences of nature reveal about the living Earth and how this recognition can deepen awareness\, reverence\, responsibility\, and care. \nSpeakers: Rachel Petersen and Russell Powell\, Harvard University\, co-directors with Natalia Scott of the Harvard conference on Thinking with Plants and Fungi \n***A Recording of all Virtual Sessions will be shared after October 28\, 2026***\n\nCO-HOSTS\n  \nMary Evelyn Tucker\, PhD\, co-directs the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology\, which examines cultural and religious values for broadened environmental ethics. This arose from a series of 10 conferences at Harvard on world religions and ecology that she organized with John Grim. She has published several books on Confucianism including The Philosophy of Qi. She co-edited Confucianism and Ecology (Harvard) and two volumes with Tu Weiming on Confucian Spirituality. She is the co-author of Journey of the Universe with Brian Thomas Swimme and the executive producer of the Emmy Award winning Journey film. This was inspired by Thomas Berry whose books she edited and whose biography she wrote with John Grim.They have been traveling in China since 1985 studying Ecological Civilization. \n  \nStephen Posner\, PhD\, is Senior Fellow for Planetary Health at the Garrison Institute and Global Affiliate with the Gund Institute for Environment at the University of Vermont. Stephen integrates science with contemplative practices to build understanding across cultures\, align human systems with nature\, and promote cross-sector collaboration. He has published over 50 technical and non-technical articles on sustainability science and leverage points for systems change. He currently leads initiatives related to nature assessment and ecological stewardship \n  \n  \n  \nPlease contact us for questions and inquiries at events@garrisoninstitute.org.
URL:https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/event/speaker-series-on-the-living-earth-community-2026/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Forum
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260923T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260927T133000
DTSTAMP:20260917T140210
CREATED:20260424T194033Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260916T001028Z
UID:49577-1790182800-1790515800@www.garrisoninstitute.org
SUMMARY:New York Zen Center Contemplative Care Retreat 2026
DESCRIPTION:led by Chodo Robert Campbell Sensei and Koshin Paley Ellison Sensei (founders and guiding teachers of the New York Zen Center) with Pamela Ayo Yetunde\n  \nThe annual Contemplative Care Retreat is an invitation to pause\, reflect\, and reconnect—with yourself\, with others. \nRooted in Zen teachings and the Bodhisattva path\, this retreat offers a space to deepen your meditation practice\,engage in meaningful dialogue\, and cultivate compassionate presence in all aspects of life. The practice of contemplative care offers an exploration of relationship\, courage\, and connection—a way of meeting ourselves and each other with openness and kindness. \nTogether\, we will reflect on how to nurture resilience\, awaken to the fullness of our experience\, and serve with greater wisdom and compassion. \n  \nWHAT TO EXPECT\n  \nThrough meditation\, dharma talks\, experiential learning exercises\, personal meetings with teachers\, shared meals\, periods of noble silence\, and more\, we will create a space of practice\, rest\, and renewal. \n  \nWHO IS THIS RETREAT FOR?\n  \nThis annual retreat is open to all\, whether you are new to meditation or an experienced practitioner seeking to refresh your practice! We welcome anyone who wishes to explore the intersection of contemplative practice and compassionate care. \nFor alumni of our Foundations in Contemplative Care program or our Contemplative Medicine Fellowship\, this retreat serves as an annual reunion—an opportunity to reconnect\, meet other practitioners\, and nourish your practice within a like-minded community. \n  \nJoin us for this transformative retreat\, where we will cultivate presence\, deepen our care\, and walk the path of practice\, together. \n_____\n \nSESSHIN TEACHERS\n  \n \nChodo Robert Campbell Sensei\, GC-C\, NYZC Co-Founder\, Vice President\, & Guiding Teacher is a Zen teacher\, bereavement specialist\, grief counselor and a recognized leader for those suffering with the complexities of death & dying\, aging\, and sobriety. The educational non-profit he co-founded\, the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care\, touches thousands of lives every year through its numerous educational programs\, contemplative retreats\, and Soto Zen Buddhist practices. Chodo has been featured in the New York Times\, PBS\, CBS Sunday Morning and other media outlets. \n  \nKoshin Paley Ellison Sensei\, MFA\, LMSW\, DMIN\, NYZC Co-Founder\, President & Guiding Teacher author\, Zen teacher\, Jungian psychotherapist\, leader in contemplative care\, and co-founder of an educational non-profit called the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. His books\, grounded in Buddhist wisdom and practice\, have gained national attention. Through its numerous educational programs\, contemplative retreats\, and Soto Zen Buddhist practices\, the New York Zen Center touches thousands of lives every year. Koshin has appeared on dozens of podcasts and his work has been featured in the New York Times\, PBS\, CBS Sunday Morning and other media outlets. He is the author of Untangled: Walking the Eightfold Path to Clarity\, Courage\, and Compassion (Balance/Hachette\, 2022); Wholehearted: Slow Down\, Help Out\, Wake Up (Wisdom Publications\, 2019). And the co-editor of Awake at the Bedside: Contemplative Teachings on Palliative and End of Life Care (Wisdom Publications\, 2016). \n  \nPamela Ayo Yetunde\, J.D.\, Th.D. is a pastoral counselor\, educator\, and writer. She is the author of Songbird Birdsong: The Story\, Casting Indra’s Net\, and co-editor of Black and Buddhist. You can learn more about her work at www.pamelaayoyetunde.com. \n  \n  \n  \n\n Please Click here to REGISTER\n  \n  \nACCOMMODATION\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.\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 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/nyzc-contemplative-care-retreat-2026/
LOCATION:In-Person\, 14 Mary’s Way Route 9D\, Garrison\, NY\, 10524\, United States
CATEGORIES:In Person
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260930T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261005T140000
DTSTAMP:20260917T140210
CREATED:20260321T185253Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T213712Z
UID:49045-1790791200-1791208800@www.garrisoninstitute.org
SUMMARY:Becoming Bodhisattvas – Learning To Let Go With The Heart Sutra
DESCRIPTION:A silent meditation retreat with Ethan Nichtern\, Maho Kawachi\, Lou Sharma\, Eric Gerard and Ollie Ledbetter\n  \nMany of us are longing for an in-depth\, in-person meditation retreat. This is a great opportunity to do so. Like last year\, this retreat will focus on practices and teachings related to the path of the Bodhisattva\, a body of teachings all about a compassionate and wise way of being in world in turmoil. \n  \nThis year\, the practice and teaching focus of the retreat is letting go. Learning to let go–without falling into the trap of spiritual bypassing or avoidance– is the hardest of all difficult spiritual practices. In Buddhist practice\, we learn to let go when life situations pull the rug out from under us\, and we also learn to let go of ideas about reality that no longer serve us. Enter the Heart Sutra\, a classic discourse in which the Bodhisattva of Compassion\, Avalokitshvara\, systematically breaks down our assumptions\, and teaches us to live in a space of freedom\, possibility and pre-conceptual intuition. In this year’s Becoming Bodhisattvas retreat\, we will examine the many layers of the practice of letting go of what no longer serves us\, using this discourse as the seed of our shared exploration. Join this supportive retreat community at the Garrison Institute at a lovely time of year for a five-day break from the pace of your life. \n  \nNote: There is no expectation that students are familiar with these concepts before attending retreat!\n  \nWe will observe three and a half days of functional silence outside of lectures and instruction Q & A to nourish our practice. On the last full day of retreat\, we take more time to process the teachings together in an interpersonal and communal way. \n  \nTAKING REFUGE\n  \nAs we do every year\, the retreat will include the opportunity to formally take either the Refuge or Bodhisattva Vow\, or reaffirm your vows if you have already taken them\, on Sunday afternoon\, October 4th. As we will be approaching the vow from the structure of the Tantric (Vajrayana) Buddhist system\, it is required that a student has already taken the Refuge vows in any lineage if they want to formally enter the Bodhisattva Path. \n  \nIf you would like to formally take the Refuge or Bodhisattva Vow for the first time (it is generally not recommended to take both simultaneously\, but to leave 6 months to a year between the two to work with one before moving on to the next)\, please email hello@amindful.world with your intention. If you do not want to formally take either vow\, you are still more than welcome to attend the ceremony and contemplate the intention and practice of making the commitment to awakening in your own way. The vows are fully optional. Buddhist people\, Buddh-ish people\, and those of us who just can’t stand labels are all welcome at this retreat! \n  \nWe hope you can join this growing annual community of practitioners.\n  \nRecommended Reading\n(bring to the retreat\, or we will have copies on site for sale) \nThe Road Home: A Contemporary Exploration of The Buddhist Path by Ethan Nichtern \nThe Other Shore by Thich Nhat Hanh \nInexplicable Joy: On The Heart Sutra by Susan Piver \nFurther “Geek” Readings will be shared prior to the retreat. \n. \n \nTEACHERS\n  \nHead Teacher – Ethan Nichtern \nEthan Nichtern is a Senior Buddhist teacher\, and is the author of the acclaimed book The Road Home: A Contemporary Exploration of the Buddhist Path which was selected as one of Library Journal’s Best Books of 2015\, and one of Tech Insider’s “9 Books That Define 2015.” He is the author of three other books\, and his next book Confidence: Holding Your Seat Through Life’s Eight Wordly Winds. \nEthan founded the Interdependence Project\, a nonprofit organization dedicated to secular Buddhist practice and transformational activism and arts\, and served as executive Director from 2007-2011. \nFor the past 21 years\, Ethan has taught meditation and Buddhist psychology classes and workshops around New York City and North America and Europe\, along with working with students privately. He has primarily studied in the Shambhala and other Tibetan traditions\, but has also studied Theravadan and Soto Zen Buddhism. He is also an avid yoga practitioner. He served as Shastri\, or Senior Teacher-In-Residence\, for the Shambhala Meditation Center of New York\, from 2010-2018. \n  \nAssistant Teacher – Maho Kawachi \nMaho Kawachi was born and raised in Tokyo\, Japan. She landed in NYC in 1992 and decided to make the city her home. She encountered meditation in 2000\, and studied in the lineage of Insight Meditation and Vipassana until she entered Vajrayana Path in 2008. Her training as a meditation teacher includes Interedependence Project\, MMTCP\, etc. She teaches at Open Heart Project and assists teaching for Dharma Moon Year Long Buddhist Study. She also volunteered at Rikers Island/s women’s facility. Her new interest is combining meditation and outdoor experience and leading the experience to students. \n  \n  \nAssistant Teacher – Lou Sharma \nLou Sharma has practiced meditation for over a decade\, and has studied Dharma within Tibetan Buddhist traditions since 2016. In 2021\, she completed Dharma Moon’s Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training. Lou is interested in the ways mindfulness can empower more compassionate cultures of work\, inspired by 10+ years of experience as a corporate researcher and brand strategist. \n  \n  \n  \nAssistant Teacher – Eric Gerard \nEric Gerard has been practicing mindfulness for about nine years and recently graduated from the Spring 2024 MMTT cohort after three years of private study with Ethan Nichtern. He also completed the two-year Year Long Buddhist Studies course\, which has shaped his life and practice in meaningful ways. Originally from Chicago\, Eric is an actor and also serves as the Co-Owner and Artistic Director at Blackbox Acting\, a school that aims to prepare artists for their careers through a holistic approach. Eric is passionate about helping artists foster genuine connections with themselves and their work while encouraging vulnerability and bravery. He hopes to support others in developing a mindful and healthy relationship with their craft\, whether that craft is art or the complex journey of existence. \n  \nMovement Teacher Ollie Ledbetter \nOllie (they/them) is a yoga teacher and licensed massage therapist based in Brooklyn\, NY. They blend yoga philosophy and anatomy/kinesiology to create a layered and safe movement practice for all levels. Their 20+ years as a dancer\, as well as history with injury and chronic pain\, informs their knowledge of shifting bodies – how they move\, and how they heal. As a trans practitioner\, their gender-affirming work is based in a well-informed practice of not making assumptions. Ollie studied under TaraMarie Perri\, completing their 300-hr teacher training in 2016. They have taught extensively at studios\, gyms\, retreats\, and community centers working with many populations including perinatal clients and folks with Parkinson’s disease. They began and led the yoga program at Streetwork LES. Now you can find them at their studio home\, Solid Gold Yogi in Bushwick\, where they teach both anatomy as well as trauma-informed yoga for the 200-hr YTT\, or at their cozy massage practice in Gowanus\, True Bearing Bodywork. Ollie also enjoys bikepacking\, surfing\, and crossword puzzles. \n\n  \n\nSCHOLARSHIPS\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. 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  \n  \nACCOMMODATIONS \nThere are Single\, and Double 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\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 welcome 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/becoming-bodhisattvas-learning-to-let-go-with-the-heart/
LOCATION:In-Person\, 14 Mary’s Way Route 9D\, Garrison\, NY\, 10524\, United States
CATEGORIES:In Person
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Becoming-Bodhisattvas.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261007T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261007T190000
DTSTAMP:20260917T140210
CREATED:20260812T191053Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260916T001505Z
UID:51018-1791396000-1791399600@www.garrisoninstitute.org
SUMMARY:The Forest as Shrine
DESCRIPTION:A Conversation on Shinto\, Sacred Nature\, and Forest Bathing\nwith the Rev. Ann Evans\n  \nWednesday\, October 7\, 6 – 7 p.m. ET\nDonation-based registration ($25 suggested)\n  \nWhat does it mean to treat the forest itself as sacred? In Shinto\, a traditional Japanese religion\, the natural world is alive with kami (the spiritual beings of the universe)\, nature is scripture\, and shrines can be found in sacred groves of trees. Join us for a virtual conversation with Rev. Ann Evans\, Guji (High Priest) of the Shin Mei Spiritual Centre and a certified ANFT Forest Therapy Guide\, as she explores the contemplative heart of Shinto: its acknowledgement of the sacredness of all creation. \nRev. Evans will share how these ancient teachings inform her work as a forest bathing guide\, and how shinrin-yoku (the practice of forest bathing) offers a structured\, sensory path into the same qualities of stillness and connection that Shinto cultivates through ritual. We’ll discuss what it means to let the forest itself be the therapist\, how contemplative traditions and modern nature-connection practices intersect\, and what this convergence might offer those seeking a deeper relationship with the more-than-human world. \nThis live conversation will be held on Zoom; after registering\, you will receive a link to join the session. \n  \n***The Zoom link will be emailed within 24 hours of signing up*****\n  \n  \nSPEAKERS\n  \nRev. Ann Evans is a Shinto priest and is the Guji\, High Priest\, of Shin Mei Spiritual Centre. She is affiliated with Tsubaki Grand Shrine near Suzuka\, Japan and is the founder of Matsuri Foundation of Canada.\nShe has studied for 25 years under the tutelage of the Chief Priests of Tsubaki Grand Shrine in Japan; Guji Yukitaka Yamamato was the 96th generation priest in his family. His son\, Guji Yukiyasu Yamamoto continues the tradition and serves on the Board of Directors of Matsuri Foundation.\nShe teaches Shinto practice and principles as a way of finding joy and brightness in our daily lives. She has authored Shinto Norito: A Book of Prayers which provides western readers with a romanized pronunciation of the Japanese prayers as well as a translation.\nShe is also a certified ANFT Forest Therapy Guide based the tradition of Shinrin Yoku\, or Forest Bathing—a guided practice leading us to awaken our senses. In the setting of the Forest\, we can quiet our mind and find a deepened  connection with Great Nature and our selves. Your guide will take you through a structured experience with a sequence of invitations. Moments of silence\, meditation\, solitude and sharing build a rich experience where the Forest is the therapist\, and the guide opens the door. \nFruzsina (Fru) Molnar is Garrison Institute’s Senior Development and Strategic Projects Manager. At the Institute\, she is engaged at the intersections of growing initiatives and programs\, donor and grant stewardship\, special events\, and executive support. She is also a certified forest bathing guide with ANFT (Association of Nature and Forest Therapy guides)\, leading contemplative\, deeply embodied experiences of nature immersion designed to reawaken our innate sense of belonging and reciprocity with the more-than-human world. She holds a BA in English Literature from Dartmouth College. \n  \n  \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/event/the-forest-as-shrine/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Virtual
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/The-Forest-as-Shrine.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261011T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261018T140000
DTSTAMP:20260917T140210
CREATED:20260407T190527Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260417T195031Z
UID:49105-1791741600-1792332000@www.garrisoninstitute.org
SUMMARY:Seven-Day Retreat at Garrison Institute with Rupert Spira
DESCRIPTION:PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER \nFor those who love to dive deeply into the heart of the non-dual understanding\, retreats offer an unprecedented opportunity: seven days with Rupert and friends\, nestled in a beautiful location in nature\, where we steep together in the peace of our true nature. Retreats gather us in the heart of being\, where we spend our days in self-abidance\, friendship and creativity. \nEach day features a guided meditation in which we rest in being\, as being\, as well as a dialogue in which we discuss the non-dual understanding. Between gatherings\, we enjoy three delicious vegetarian meals\, where the love and understanding effortlessly transmits itself through friendship. In the evenings\, we might relax with friends\, watch a film together or celebrate through poetry and music. \nWhether you seek peace\, happiness\, truth\, love or freedom—or if you would simply like to reunite with old friends—retreats provide the priceless opportunity to taste your true nature in an atmosphere of kindness and beauty. The people you meet on retreat will quickly become your non-dual family\, so please join us as we gather in the spirit of friendship to celebrate the unity of being. \nFor those who cannot attend in person\, you will be able to join from your own home via livestream. Livestream tickets give access to all sessions during the retreat\, plus you can connect with the community around the world in dedicated Q&A sessions. Replays are available for a week after the retreat. This way you can easily watch again or catch up on any missed sessions due to time zone differences. \n  \n  \n  \n  \n \nRupert Spira\, a renowned British spiritual teacher\, has spent 40 years studying non-dual traditions\, including the teachings of P.D. Ouspensky\, Krishnamurti\, Rumi\, Shankaracharya\, Ramana Maharshi\, Nisargadatta\, Robert Adams\, Atmananda Krishnamenon\, Jean Klein\, and his main teacher\, Francis Lucille. He is the author of The Transparency of Things\, Presence\, The Ashes of Love and The Light of Pure Knowing. For more information on Rupert’s work please visit www.rupertspira.com \n\n  \n  \n  \nACCOMMODATIONS \nThere are Single\, and Double 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\nPLEASE REGISTER AT RUPERTSPIRA.COM (follow this link) \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 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/7-day-retreat-at-garrison-institute-with-rupert-spira-october-2026/
LOCATION:In-Person\, 14 Mary’s Way Route 9D\, Garrison\, NY\, 10524\, United States
CATEGORIES:In Person
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Rupert-Spira.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261017T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261018T160000
DTSTAMP:20260917T140210
CREATED:20260806T205642Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260916T004233Z
UID:50944-1792231200-1792339200@www.garrisoninstitute.org
SUMMARY:Artificial Intelligence and Our Spiritual Imagination
DESCRIPTION:Virtual Conference \nHosted by the Garrison Institute\nOctober 17–18\, 2026\n  \nFor the first time in human history\, we are living alongside technologies that can generate language\, images\, music\, code\, and ideas with startling speed and sophistication. Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping education\, business\, healthcare\, governance\, creativity\, and nearly every domain of human life. \nMuch of the public conversation has focused on questions of productivity\, economic disruption\, existential risk\, environmental impact\, commercial competition\, and geopolitical power. These conversations are necessary\, yet they are not sufficient. \nBeneath the headlines\, market valuations\, policy debates\, and technological breakthroughs lies a deeper set of questions: \n\nWhat is this moment asking of us as human beings?\nHow is artificial intelligence changing the way we think\, create\, learn\, relate\, and imagine?\nWhat happens to our sense of meaning\, purpose\, identity\, and spirituality when intelligence is no longer understood as uniquely human?\nHow do we preserve our humanity while remaining open to transformation?\nWhat new forms of wisdom are needed in an age of artificial intelligence?\n\nThe Garrison Institute invites scholars\, technologists\, contemplatives\, artists\, educators\, spiritual leaders\, researchers\, activists\, and curious citizens to gather for a two-day exploration of one of the defining questions of our time: the relationship between artificial intelligence and our spiritual imagination. \nThis conference emerged from an ongoing dialogue between Dr. Angel Acosta and philosopher Dr. Bayo Akomolafe. Their conversation invited participants to move beyond familiar debates about efficiency and control and toward deeper inquiry into consciousness\, intelligence\, mystery\, relationality\, and what it means to be alive during a period of profound technological transformation. \nAt a time when many institutions are racing to deploy AI as quickly as possible\, this gathering creates space to slow down and make sense of all the rapid change in this field. \nTogether we will explore: \n\nArtificial intelligence and the future of human flourishing\nSpirituality\, contemplation\, and technological transformation\nConsciousness\, intelligence\, and the boundaries of the human\nCreativity\, imagination\, and meaning-making in the age of AI\nAncient wisdom traditions and emerging technologies\nAI\, loneliness\, belonging\, and human connection\nEthics\, responsibility\, and the preservation of human dignity\nIndigenous\, ecological\, and relational perspectives on intelligence\nThe future of education\, leadership\, and community in an AI-shaped world\nPractices for remaining grounded\, compassionate\, and fully alive amid rapid change\n\nAs artificial intelligence continues to evolve at an exponential rate\, humanity faces the profound challenge of relating to intelligent systems\, while also deepening our own capacity for discernment and compassion. \nJoin us for two days of dialogue\, contemplation\, inquiry\, and collective imagination as we explore what it means to remain deeply human in an age of artificial intelligence. Sessions will be recorded and shared with registrants following the conference. \n\n\nDETAILS\nDates: October 17–18\, 2026 \nLocation: Zoom  \nFormat: Keynotes\, dialogues\, contemplative practices\, panels\, workshops\, and community conversations \nAudience: Educators\, technologists\, researchers\, spiritual leaders\, artists\, organizational leaders\, students\, and anyone seeking deeper reflection on the human implications of artificial intelligence. \n  \n\n\nAGENDA\n\n\n\n\n	Artificial Intelligence and Our Spiritual Imagination\n\n\n\n\n	\n\n\n	Saturday\, October 17\, 2026\n\n\n	10:00 AM - 11:30 AM ET Session 1\n\n\n	The Inner Life of the Future: Leadership\, Consciousness\, and Human Flourishing in the Age of AI\n\n\n	With: Dr. Angel Acosta\, Tim Leberecht & Amy Elizabeth Fox\n\n\n	11:30 AM - 12:00 PM ETBreak\n\n\n	12:00 PM - 1:30 PM ETSession 2\n\n\n	Sensuous Knowledge and the Future of Intelligence\n\n\n	With: Minna Salami\, Wakanyl Hoffman & Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz\n\n\n	2:15 PM – 3:45 PM ET Session 3\n\n\n	Technology in Service of Collective Healing and Liberation\n\n\n	With: Dr. Sará King & Samar Younes\n\n\n	3:45 PM – 4:15 PM ETSession 4\n\n\n	The Age of Supraintelligence: An Interactive Journey Exploring Human Connection and Collective Wisdom\n\n\n	With: Vincent Hunt\, Dr. Angel Acosta & Peter Cobabe\n\n\n	\n\n\n	Sunday\, October 18\, 2026\n\n\n	10:00 AM - 11:30 AM ETSession 5\n\n\n	When Intelligence Cracks: Exploring the Edges of Technology\, Consciousness\, and Our Spiritual Imagination(s)\n\n\n	With: Dr. Bayo Akomolafe & Dr. Angel Acosta\n\n\n	11:30 AM - 12:00 PM ETBreak\n\n\n	12:00 PM - 1:30 PM ETSession 6\n\n\n	The Oracle and the Machine: Ancestral Wisdom\, Art\, & Re-Imagining AI\n\n\n	With: Delphine Diallo & Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz\n\n\n	1:30 PM - 2:30 PM ETBreak\n\n\n	2:30 PM – 4:00 PM ETSession 7\n\n\n	The Future We Choose: A Community Dialogue on Responsibility and Collective Action\n\n\n	With: Dr. Angel Acosta & Special Guests\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSPEAKERS\nImage by Rog Walker\, Paper Monday \n\nFor the last decade\, Dr. Angel Acosta has worked to bridge the fields of leadership\, social justice\, and mindfulness. He holds a doctorate in Curriculum and Teaching from Teachers College\, Columbia University\, and develops learning experiences that weave leadership development with conversations about inequality and healing through contemplative and restorative practices. Lately\, he has become curious about the ways technology can be used as a force for advancing racial equity and dismantling structural inequality. \n  \n\n\nBayo Akomolafe is a philosopher\, writer\, public intellectual\, and internationally recognized speaker whose work explores complexity\, posthumanism\, decolonial thought\, and new possibilities for social change. Founder of The Emergence Network\, he challenges conventional ideas about progress and transformation\, inviting individuals and institutions to cultivate deeper relationships with uncertainty\, ecology\, and one another. \n  \n  \n\n\nWakanyi Hoffman is an Ubuntu philosopher\, African Indigenous Knowledge scholar\, author\, and global speaker. Her work explores how Indigenous wisdom\, storytelling\, and Ubuntu ethics can shape education\, human flourishing\, and the future of artificial intelligence through more relational and sustainable approaches. \n  \n  \n  \n\nThomas Hübl is a teacher\, author\, and facilitator internationally recognized for his work on collective trauma healing\, systems transformation\, and conscious leadership. Through his teachings and the Pocket Project\, he integrates contemplative practice\, neuroscience\, and systems thinking to help individuals and communities heal historical and collective wounds. \n  \n\n\nSamar Younes is a Beirut-born\, Brooklyn-based scenographer\, artist-theorist\, and ancestral futurist whose lifelong subject is environment: physical\, spatial\, cultural\, ecological\, institutional\, and computational\, and the forces environments exert on perception and becoming. Through her practice SAMARITUAL\, she developed Quantum Craft™\, a cognitive craft posture that treats all conditions as material\, encountered through their behaviors\, resistances\, and provenance\, then kneaded\, accumulated\, and recomposed through call-and-response rather than prescribed method. Her ongoing Future Ancestors are living artifacts carrying ancestral provenance through continual mutation across image\, textile\, sound\, object\, and spatial form; the series has entered the permanent collection of the Dubai Future Foundation. She has taught\, lectured\, and exhibited internationally. \n  \n\n\nVincent Hunt is an educator\, facilitator\, and leadership practitioner whose work centers healing\, racial equity\, and transformative learning. He helps organizations and communities develop leadership practices rooted in compassion\, belonging\, and human flourishing while navigating complexity and systemic change. \n  \n  \n\nTim Leberecht is a business strategist\, author\, and co-founder of the House of Beautiful Business. His work explores beauty\, belonging\, and human-centered leadership\, challenging organizations to rethink success through purpose\, imagination\, and meaningful human connection. \n  \n\n\nDr. Sará King is a neuroscientist\, educator\, and contemplative practitioner whose work bridges neuroscience\, meditation\, social justice\, and the healing arts. She explores how contemplative practices can transform individual well-being while supporting collective liberation and more compassionate futures. \n  \n  \n\nMinna Salami is a Nigerian-Finnish and Swedish author\, social critic\, and former Senior Fellow and Programme Chair at THE NEW INSTITUTE. She is the author of Can Feminism Be African?: A Most Paradoxical Question (2025) and Sensuous Knowledge: A Black Feminist Approach for Everyone (2020)\, and is a leading voice in contemporary feminism who collaborates internationally as a writer\, lecturer\, advisor\, and keynote speaker. She is also a Full Member of the Club of Rome and a BMW Foundation Responsible Leader. \n  \n  \n\nPeter Cobabe is on a mission to empower people and contribute to our collective evolution through technology. As the Cofounder of RLTM AI\, he combines expertise in artificial intelligence\, organization theory\, cognitive psychology\, and systems thinking to drive transformative growth and innovation while creating technology that shifts our mindset from “Time equals Money” to “Time equals Creativity & Art.” \n  \n  \n\nDelphine Diaw Diallo is a French-Senegalese visual artist whose work explores the relationship between image\, consciousness\, and cultural narrative through photography\, collage\, moving image\, and artificial intelligence. Her work has been exhibited internationally at institutions including the Louvre Abu Dhabi\, the United Nations\, and Somerset House\, and she continues to explore regenerative visual languages through her ongoing artistic research project\, The Oracle Codex. \n  \n  \n  \n\nSince 2005\, Amy Elizabeth Fox has served as one of the founders and Chief Executive Officer of Mobius Executive Leadership\, a global transformational leadership firm. For the last twenty years she has served as a leadership and culture change advisor to eminent professional services firms and Fortune 500 companies and facilitated immersive executive development programs for senior leaders. \n  \n  \n  \nImage by Rog Walker\, Paper Monday \n\nDr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz is an award-winning educator\, poet\, author\, and nationally recognized scholar whose work explores the intersections of race\, literacy\, equity\, and healing in education. A professor at Teachers College\, Columbia University\, she is the creator of the Archaeology of Self™ framework\, which invites educators and leaders to examine their identities\, beliefs\, and experiences as a pathway to greater compassion\, justice\, and transformative leadership. Her work has inspired educators and organizations around the world to cultivate deeper self-awareness and more humanizing approaches to teaching\, learning\, and social change. \n  \n  \n  \nPlease contact us for questions and inquiries at events@garrisoninstitute.org.
URL:https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/event/artificial-intelligence-and-our-spiritual-imagination/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Forum,Virtual
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261027T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261027T190000
DTSTAMP:20260917T140210
CREATED:20260819T193848Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260916T002116Z
UID:51132-1793124000-1793127600@www.garrisoninstitute.org
SUMMARY:Love Letters to the Movement
DESCRIPTION:Spiritual Wisdom for These Times with Isaac Luria\n  \nTuesday\, October 27\, 6-7pm ET\nDonation-based registration ($25 suggested)\n  \nWhat sustains and enlivens you when the world is ending and another is about to be born? \nThat question sits at the heart of Love Letters to the Movement\, a new book of essays curated by Isaac Luria and written by a constellation of movement elders offering spiritual and faith-rooted wisdom for this moment. Contributors include Michelle Alexander\, Báyò Akómoláfé\, Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews\, Rev. Jennifer Butler\, Dr. Rami Nashashibi\, Lisa Anderson\, Uma Viswanathan\, Claudia Horwitz\, and Alexie Torres. Each essay is a field note from leaders rooted deep in lineage\, practice\, and wisdom\, offered as a compass for anyone who may be wondering how to keep going. \nJoin us for a live virtual conversation between Isaac Luria and Garrison Institute Managing Director Steve Varley as they discuss the book’s origins\, the wisdom it gathers\, and what it means to sustain oneself and one’s community through times of profound upheaval and transformation. We’ll explore what it takes to stay rooted rather than merely urgent\, and how spiritual and faith-rooted practice can offer real sustenance to organizers\, healers\, and anyone working for change. \nThis Forum will be held live on Zoom from 6:00–7:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday\, October 27. After registering\, you will receive a link to join the session. \n  \n***The Zoom link will be emailed within 24 hours of signing up*****\n  \n  \nSPEAKERS\n  \nIsaac Luria is a writer\, organizer\, and resource mobilizer for multifaith movements for justice. Rooted in the Jewish tradition\, he has worked at the intersection of American faith and justice movements for two decades. He is the proud father of three wonderful children and proud husband to Sara\, his college sweetheart. He works at the Nathan Cummings Foundation as Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives. \n  \n  \n  \n  \nSteve Varley serves as Managing Director of the Garrison Institute\, where he leads strategy\, program development\, and organizational partnerships across the Institute’s work at the intersection of contemplative practice and social change. Since joining the Garrison Institute\, he has helped shape and expand initiatives including the Spirituality and Social Change program\, the Bioregional Resilience Project\, and an exploration of contemplative and systems-level perspectives in graduate business education. He is a practicing member of the Zen Peacemakers\, an interfaith social engagement order. \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/event/love-letters-to-the-movement/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Virtual
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Spiritual-Wisdom-for-These-Times-with-Isaac-Luria.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261028T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261031T140000
DTSTAMP:20260917T140210
CREATED:20260518T214237Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260909T183629Z
UID:50001-1793210400-1793455200@www.garrisoninstitute.org
SUMMARY:Skymind: Resting in Our Natural State
DESCRIPTION:Buddhist Teachings on Meeting our World with a Vast Mind & Fierce Heart\n  \nA thousand years ago\, Machig Labdrön\, the renowned 11th century Tibetan yogini\, taught that it is only in meeting our fears and shadows that we are able to access the wisdom and peace we so deeply yearn for. We are invited to “go to the places that scare you” – not with armor and aggression but with curiosity and compassion. \nIn this retreat\, Charlotte Rotterdam and Pieter Oosthuizen\, senior teachers at Tara Mandala Retreat Center\, founded by Lama Tsultrim Allione\, will draw on Machig’s direct teachings\, practice open awareness meditation\, and cultivate the warmth of community in order to access the spacious brilliance of our minds and the tenderness of our care. \nThese ancient insights are grounded in the profound understanding of our fundamental\, indestructible wholeness and the recognition that the sky-like vastness of our awareness can hold and embrace whatever arises. They offer refuge and guidance as we engage a world marked by uncertainty\, confusion\, and even despair. \nHow can we draw on the depths of our innate wakefulness to meet this moment of time with clarity and a fiercely loving heart? Our practice is not to effort more\, but to access\, rest into\, and engage from the awakened heart-mind which lies within each of us. \nIn July\, Garrison Institute Managing Director Steve Varley met with Charlotte and Pieter for a virtual discussion and brief practice about these insights\, which are deeply explored in their recently released book Skymind: The Radical Path of Open Awareness. Watch the video \n  \n \n  \n  \nTEACHERS\n  \n Partners in life\, teaching\, and parenting\, Charlotte Rotterdam and Pieter Oosthuizen draw on decades of dedicated study and practice to share the rich teachings of Tibetan Buddhism and their application to modern life. They are senior teachers (Lopöns) at Tara Mandala Retreat Center\, founded by Lama Tsultrim Allione\, and offer retreats worldwide. They have also studied with Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche\, Lama Tharchin Rinpoche\, Lama Wangdu Rinpoche\, and Orgyen Khakhyab Lingpa Rinpoche\, among others. Raised in New York City\, Charlotte received a Masters in Theological Studies at Harvard Divinity School. She is faculty at Naropa University and directs the Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education. Pieter received his Law degree in his native South Africa. His love of people\, places\, and cultures has carried him around the globe. He has served in leadership roles at Naropa University and Tara Mandala\, and currently directs the Feeding your Demons Institute. Their recent book\, Skymind: The Radical Path of Open Awareness (Shambhala\, 2026)\, highlights the nature of mind teachings of the 11th century Tibetan yogini Machig Labdrön and their application to modern life. Together they lead the Skymind Sangha from their home in Boulder\, Colorado\, where they live with their two sons. www.skymind.us \n  \n  \n  \n  \nACCOMMODATIONS \nThere are Single\, and Double 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\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 welcome 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/skymind-meeting-our-world-with-a-vast-mind/
LOCATION:In-Person\, 14 Mary’s Way Route 9D\, Garrison\, NY\, 10524\, United States
CATEGORIES:In Person
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Skymind-A-Buddhist-Retreat.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261101T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261105T120000
DTSTAMP:20260917T140210
CREATED:20260407T195651Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260413T214316Z
UID:49192-1793534400-1793880000@www.garrisoninstitute.org
SUMMARY:Writing A Song That Matters
DESCRIPTION:  \nPLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER\n  \nPlease join songwriter Dar Williams and a team of songwriters and special guest songwriters (TBA)\, to guide and support your songwriting craft in various workshops and song circles. \nDar will offer daily song inspiration\, a daily peek into the songwriting process\, vocal coaching\, songwriting workshops\, your own private song consultation with Dar\, evening song sharing with the whole group\, collaborative songwriting opportunities (the now infamous “So-Fab Collab”) and coffee\, tea and creativity flowing 24/7. \nOnly you know what sort of retreat experience will benefit your songwriting. As a result\, we have designed this retreat so you can structure your days as you see fit\, making space for solo writing and reflecting time and a daily workshop or two\, or hitting all the workshops you can in a day for feedback on a batch of semi-finished songs. We have lots of offerings\, but no advance signups are necessary\, so you can let the muse be your guide daily. And with regards to your musical level\, we will meet you where you are at. \n  \n\nREQUIREMENTS\n  \n\nThe desire to write a song\nSome musical or songwriting background is helpful\, but not required. (Team members and retreaters have collaborated with lyricists before.)\nA kind and open heart – we do our best to communicate with empathetic\, supportive feedback\n\nBoth novice and gigging songwriters sit side by side in our workshops\, united by the desire to keep honing their craft and connecting with others. We’ve had poets connect with musicians struggling for words\, individuals who have one song under their belts and are inspired to keep going\, prolific songwriters who need to get out of their bubble\, and songwriters delving into songwriting again after decades. Wherever you find yourself is perfect and we will meet you wherever you’re at. \n\nSAMPLE DAY\n  \n8 – 9 AM Yoga – all levels (optional)\n8:45 – 9:45 AM Breakfast\n10 – 10:45 AM Dar’s song breakdown & daily themes\n11 AM – 12:30 PM Workshops with (vocals/songwriting/collaboration\n1-2 PM Lunch\n2:30 – 4 PM Workshops (vocals/songwriting/collaboration\n4:30 – 6 PM Workshops (vocals/songwriting/collaboration\n6 – 7 PM Dinner\n8 – 10 PM Evening song circle (Retreaters can share a song with the entire group)\n10 – 10:30 PM Wine and Seltzer\, Savories\, Sweets\n11 PM + After hours song circle \n  \nWe look forward to welcoming back many of our songwriting friends and making new ones in 2026 – we hope you can join us. \nHave lingering questions? Please reach out to darwilliamsretreat@gmail.com \n  \n  \n\nPLEASE REGISTER AT DARWILLIAMSRETREAT.COM (follow this link) \n  \nACCOMMODATIONS \nThere are Single\, and Double 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_____ \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 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/writing-a-song-that-matters-2026/
LOCATION:In-Person\, 14 Mary’s Way Route 9D\, Garrison\, NY\, 10524\, United States
CATEGORIES:In Person
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dar-Williams.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261104T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261216T000000
DTSTAMP:20260917T140210
CREATED:20260730T190559Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260916T004335Z
UID:50901-1793750400-1797379200@www.garrisoninstitute.org
SUMMARY:Changemakers 2026: A Six Week Virtual Training for Non-Profit Agents of Change
DESCRIPTION:RESILIENCE & COMMUNITY FOR SOCIAL IMPACT LEADERS\n\nNovember 4 – December 16\, 2026 \n  \nLive on Zoom\nWednesdays 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. ET\nIntegration Sessions Fridays 12:30-1:30 p.m. ET\n  \n \n  \nThe work is worthy. And often\, the pace is not sustainable. \nThe people who hold the front lines of social change – caseworkers\, advocates\, organizers\, legal aid attorneys\, youth workers\, crisis responders – are navigating enormous external pressure while being asked to show up fully for the people they serve. The cost is familiar to anyone in this work: chronic stress\, secondary trauma\, and burnout that drives experienced\, deeply committed people out of the field – and leaves communities without their most experienced and committed champions. \nResilience is not a personality trait\, and it is not one more thing to feel behind on. It is a set of learnable skills. For more than two decades\, the Garrison Institute’s Contemplative-Based Resilience (CBR) Project has taught cutting-edge evidence-based skills to humanitarian aid workers\, service providers\, and caregivers around the world\, on a simple premise: be well to serve well.\n \nSession one opens Wednesday\, November 4\, the evening after the midterms. After this tumultuous period\, Changemakers will spend the following six weeks holding their clients\, communities\, and colleagues through exhaustion or uncertainty. This course is where you come to resource yourself to sustain and expand your capacity to serve\, lead\, and build the future those communities need. \n  \n\nTHE STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE\n  \nSix weeks\, structured around our Contemplative Based Resilience Project  the “ABCs of resilience”: Awareness\, Balance\, and Connection. Every 90-minute session includes a brief guided practice\, a teaching from an internationally recognized contemplative teacher\, small-group discussion with your own colleagues and peers\, and a closing integration and application session where leaders from across the social impact world answer the question at the heart of the program: how do you resource yourself? Each week ends with one small\, concrete practice to try in your real life and work –  and each new session begins by asking how it went. \nYou’ll learn with faculty including Sharon Salzberg\, Kaira Jewel Lingo\, Oneika Mays\, Atman Smith\, Ali Smith and Andres Gonzalez\, alongside CBR teaching faculty and guest leaders from frontline organizations. \n\n\nWHAT YOU’LL LEAVE WITH \n  \nA working understanding of the science of stress\, secondary trauma\, and burnout; a toolkit of brief\, portable practices tested in your actual workweek – not on a retreat cushion; a personal and team resilience plan; a cohort of colleagues who share the practices and the language; and continued access to session recordings\, a guided practice library\, and the program community after the course ends. \n\n  \n\nWHO IT’S FOR\n  \nThis program is for the people others turn to: the advocates\, organizers\, caregivers\, and community leaders carrying complex challenges while working toward a more just and compassionate world. Changemakers attend together because resilience grows in community. Organizations enroll teams of 10–20 colleagues\, allowing these practices to spread through the communities and teams doing the work every day. \n  \nTESTIMONIALS\n  \n“Our staff are tasked with caring for the most vulnerable individuals and groups in our communities. Working during this time has increased staff feeling of vicarious trauma\, burnout\, COVID-19 fatigue and racial stress and trauma. One of the hallmarks of this time is disruption access to the things and people that help staff remain well and able to serve our clients. The partnership with the Garrison institute to allow staff access to the course [Changemakers] is key to helping our workforce continue their lifesaving work.” – CBR Participant (Safe Horizon) \n“Our staff work directly with low-wage and immigrant workers across New York State who are experiencing trauma every day. From sexual assault\, abuse\, workplace violence\, racial discrimination\, and the constant fear of deportation\, our clients are in the process of overcoming many traumas. The secondary trauma our staff experience does not go unnoticed. Not only are many of our staff from the communities they serve\, they are also experiencing their own personal issues on top of being a source of strength and support for their clients. Being able to provide this critical training to staff will help provide mindful coping techniques\, decrease burnout\, and strengthen our organization’s ability to help other.” – Organization Leader (Worker Justice Center) \n\n\nHOW TO REGISTER\n  \n  \nIf you’d like to express interest as a sponsor or as a participant organization\, please email lily@garrisoninstitute.org. A limited number of individual seats opens October 5. \n\n\nLIVE COURSE SESSIONS\n\n\n\n\n	November 46 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. ET\n\n\n	Integration SessionNovember 6 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET\n\n\n	November 116 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. ET\n\n\n	Integration SessionNovember 1312:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET\n\n\n	November 186 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. ET\n\n\n	Integration SessionNovember 2012:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET\n\n\n	December 26 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. ET\n\n\n	Integration SessionDecember 412:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET\n\n\n	December 96 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. ET\n\n\n	Integration SessionDecember 1112:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET\n\n\n	December 166 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. ET\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\nFACULTY\n  \n\nSharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer\, world-renowned teacher\, and New York Times bestselling author. She is one of the first to bring mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation to mainstream American culture over 45 years ago\, inspiring generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers. Sharon is co-founder of The Insight Meditation Society in Barre\, MA\, and the author of twelve books\, including the New York Times bestseller\, Real Happiness\, now in its second edition\, and her seminal work\, Lovingkindness. Her latest release is a children’s book\, Kind Karl\, is from Shambhala Publications. Her podcast\, The Metta Hour\, has amassed seven million downloads and features interviews with thought leaders from the mindfulness movement and beyond www.sharonsalzberg.com \n  \n  \nKaira Jewel Lingo is a Dharma teacher with a lifelong interest in spirituality and social justice. Her work continues the Engaged Buddhism developed by Thich Nhat Hanh\, and she draws inspiration from her parents’ lives of service and her dad’s work with Martin Luther King\, Jr. After living as an ordained nun for 15 years in Thich Nhat Hanh’s monastic community\, Kaira Jewel now teaches internationally in the Zen lineage and the Vipassana tradition\, as well as in secular mindfulness\, at the intersection of racial\, climate and social justice with a focus on activists\, Black\, Indigenous\, and People of Color\, artists\, educators\, families\, and youth. Based in New York\, she offers spiritual mentoring to groups and is author of We Were Made for These Times: Ten Lessons in Moving through Change\, Loss and Disruption and co-author of the forthcoming\, Healing Our Way Home: Black Buddhist Teachings on Ancestors\, Joy and Liberation (Feb 2024) from Parallax Press. Kaira Jewel is also the co-facilitator of the Garrison Institute BIPOC Meditation Sangha. Her teachings and writings can be found at www.kairajewel.com. \n  \n  \nOneika Mays (CMT-P\, E-RYT\, LMT) is a multi-hyphenate facilitator who leads with joy\, passion\, and wisdom.  As a Black\, queer feminist she brings a poignant lens to building a world that is more compassionate and understanding. With deep roots and knowledge in Buddhist and yogic teachings\, Oneika delivers practical application and authentic connection through her facilitation.\nOneika has been practicing yoga for more than 20 years\, and guiding yoga and meditation for more than a decade. Since then\, she has used her knowledge to support social justice nonprofits and historically excluded communities. She served as the Mindfulness Coach at Rikers Island Correctional Facility for 4 years and is currently a teacher for Yoga International\, an inclusive and accessible online studio with classes designed for every level of practice. She is your teacher\, your auntie\, your friend\, and an intuitive soul here for the work of personal and collective liberation. You can see Oneika on the docuseries Lost Resort on TBS. Oneika’s memoir You Can Sit With Me was published by Harper One in April 2026. Learn more at oneikamays.com. \n  \n  \nAli Smith was born and raised in Baltimore\, Maryland. He is a graduate of the Friends School of Baltimore and the University of Maryland\, College Park. Ali started his journey with contemplative practices as a small child\, learning meditation from his father and attending the Divine Life Church of Absolute Oneness\, run by Swami Shankarananda. He deepened his practice and learned the art of teaching as a young adult\, studying many forms of yoga\, meditation\, mindfulness\, and breathwork from his teacher and godfather Will Joyner. Ali has almost 20 years’ experience teaching these practices to a broad demographic spectrum\, internationally. He is a published author\, and is a pioneer in the fields of yoga and mindfulness in education\, as well as trauma informed yoga and mindfulness\, developing best practices that are used around the world. He co-founded the Holistic Life Foundation in 2001 and The Involution Group in 2019. Ali is also a co-host of the Look Again Podcast which you can find at www.theinvolutiongroup.com \n  \n  \nAtman Smith is a Co-founder of the Holistic Life Foundation\, where he served as Director of Youth Programming for ten years Director of Fundraising for five years and currently serves as the Director of Development. Since 2001\, he has been teaching yoga and mindfulness to a diverse population including underserved and high-risk youth in Baltimore City Public Schools\, drug treatment centers\, wellness centers\, and colleges. A native of Baltimore\, Atman attended the University of Maryland\, College Park where he was a letter award winner for the University’s men’s basketball team. He graduated with a B.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice. His work with the Holistic Life Foundation has been featured on Making a Difference on the NBC Nightly News\, CNN\, and CBS\, as well as O the Oprah Magazine\, The Washington Post\, Upworthy\, Mindful Magazine\, Yoga Journal\, Shambala Sun\, and many other publications. https://www.theinvolutiongroup.com/ \n  \nAndres Gonzalez is one of the Co-Founders of the Holistic Life Foundation. For eighteen years\, Andres has taught yoga to diverse populations throughout the world\, including Baltimore City Public School students\, drug treatment centers\, mental crisis facilities\, homeless shelters\, wellness centers\, colleges\, private schools and other various venues throughout the nation and throughout the world. He has partnered with John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Health and the Penn State’s Prevention Research Center on a Stress and Relaxation Study and is a published author in the Journal of Children’s Services. His work with the Holistic Life Foundation has been featured on Making a Difference on the NBC Nightly News\, CNN\, and CBS\, as well as O the Oprah Magazine\, The Washington Post\, Upworthy\, Mindful Magazine\, Yoga Journal\, Shambala Sun\, and many other publications. He is a certified Health Coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition\, maintains a B.S. in Marketing from University of Maryland\, College Park and an MBA from the University of Maryland\, University College. https://holisticlifefoundation.org/  \nIsabel Saez\, LCSW\, is a bilingual Latina\, first generation born in New York City\, unceded Native Lenape lands.  A graduate of New York University in clinical social work\, she has practiced for over 20 years with adults\, couples\, and families on a range of life challenges from abuse\, family\, marital & other relational conflicts\, anxiety\, depression\, grief\, trauma\, and the impacts of systemic injustice. \n  \n  \nChia-Ti Chiu has over 23 years of experience teaching movement\, mindfulness\, meditation and resilience building\, leading domestic and international yoga retreats through her business onelovewellness. Her movement modalities include yoga\, qigong\, fascia release\, and somatics\, and her passion is making connections between wellness and social justice through a trauma-conscious\, strengths-based lens. \n  \nJennifer Winther\, PhD\, specializes in creating the conditions for you to nourish a practice of mindful\, embodied movement\, stillness\, and contemplation that can create powerful ripples in your life. In her work as teacher and facilitator\, Jennifer focuses on the real\, the accessible\, and the simply profound benefits of regular practice. Proudly mixed race. Japanese American. Breast cancer survivor. Motherless mother. LGBTQIA+ parent ally. Teacher. Writer. Buddhist. \n  \n  \nReggie Hubbard is the founder/Chief Serving Officer of Active Peace LLC.  He has done many things\, but is most proud of being a caring human\, a stroke survivor\, teacher/wisdom steward\, strategist\, organizer\, spiritual advisor\, minister of sound and devoted seeker of truth\, compassion\, health\, well-being and justice for all.  Through Active Peace\, he teaches all walks of life through wisdom\, movement\, meditation and sound\, ways to cultivate well-being as a foundation rather than an afterthought.  https://activepeaceyoga.com/ \n  \n\n  \n\n\nHOW TO REGISTER\nIf you’d like to express interest as a sponsor or as a participant organization\, please email lily@garrisoninstitute.org. A limited number of individual seats opens October 5. \n  \n 
URL:https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/event/changemakers-2026/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Contemplative-Based Resilience,Virtual
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261111T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261114T110000
DTSTAMP:20260917T140210
CREATED:20260219T153033Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260914T211147Z
UID:48451-1794420000-1794654000@www.garrisoninstitute.org
SUMMARY:Opening the Wisdom Within: The Art of Analytical Meditation
DESCRIPTION:A Retreat with Khandro Rinpoche\n  \nJoin us for this gathering with:\nRanjung Neljorma Khandro Tseringma Rinpoche\n  \nThrough careful\, directed investigation\, we begin to open the wisdom that has always resided within — the extraordinary Khandro Rinpoche introduces analytical meditation\, the ancient art of turning the inquiring mind toward the deepest question of existence. \n  \nLIVESTREAMING\n  \nThe Khandro Ling organization is offering a livestream of Khandro Rinpoche’s talks during this retreat. There will be streams on Thursday\, Friday\, Saturday. Please visit the event page on Khandroling.org to register. \n  \n  \n  \nTEACHER\n  \n  \nRangjung Neljorma Khandro Namsel Dolma (‘Khandrola Rinpoche’) is a revered Tibetan Buddhist master whose profound presence illuminates the path of exceptional insight and boundless compassion. \n  \n  \n  \nOFFSITE ACCOMMODATION\n  \nIf you are interested in registering as a commuter\, please explore these suggested off-site options. \nFor questions\, please contact us at: events@garrisoninstitute.org  or visit this page of our most frequently asked questions. \n  \nACCOMMODATION\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 \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 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/opening-the-wisdom-within/
LOCATION:In-Person\, 14 Mary’s Way Route 9D\, Garrison\, NY\, 10524\, United States
CATEGORIES:In Person
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Khandro-Rinpoche-header.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261114T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261114T163000
DTSTAMP:20260917T140210
CREATED:20260910T191310Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260916T002744Z
UID:51367-1794648600-1794673800@www.garrisoninstitute.org
SUMMARY:The Experience of Genuine Happiness: A Daylong Gathering with Khandro Rinpoche\,  Dr. Richard Davidson. Dr. Daniel Goleman & other Leading Scientists
DESCRIPTION:  \nJoin us for this gathering with:\nRanjung Neljorma Khandro Tseringma Rinpoche\,\nRichard J. Davidson\, PhD\,\n& Daniel Goleman\, PhD\n  \nWhat does science reveal about happiness — and what does it look like to actually live it? \nJoin Khandro Tseringma Rinpoche\, Daniel Goleman\, Richard Davidson\, and leading scientists for a special conversation that brings together contemplative wisdom and modern science. \nThe gathering will explore how Buddhist traditions and scientific research can deepen our understanding of genuine happiness – not simply as an idea\, but as something that can be cultivated and experienced in our lives. \n\n\nTIMING \nThis is a day-long event at the Garrison Institute. It will begin at 9:30 a.m. ET and run until 4:30 p.m. ET. Lunch will be provided. \n  \n  \nOPENING THE WISDOM WITHIN RETREAT\nIf you are registered for this retreat with Khandro Rinpoche from November 11-14\, your registration for this conference will be complimentary. Otherwise please register below. \n  \n  \n  \nTEACHERS\n  \n  \nRangjung Neljorma Khandro Namsel Dolma (‘Khandrola Rinpoche’) is a revered Tibetan Buddhist master whose profound presence illuminates the path of exceptional insight and boundless compassion. \n  \n  \n  \n \nDr. Richard Davidson received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in Psychology in 1976. Davidson’s research is broadly focused on the neural bases of emotion and emotional style and methods to promote human flourishing including meditation and related contemplative practices. He has published over 600 papers\, numerous chapters and reviews\, and edited over 20 books. Davidson released his newest book\, “Born to Flourish” with Cortland Dahl in March 2026. Davidson and Dahl bring together neuroscience and contemplative science to cultivate well-being and meaning amid the ever-increasing challenges of modern life. The book focuses on small\, evidence-based practices while also grappling with the broader societal conditions shaping attention\, emotion\, and human connection. Davidson is also author with Sharon Begley of “The Emotional Life of Your Brain” published in 2012\, and co-author with Daniel Goleman of “Altered Traits” published in 2017. Davidson was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine in 2006. He was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2017 and appointed to the Governing Board of UNESCO’s Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) in 2018. In 2014\, Davidson founded Humin (formerly Healthy Minds Innovations)\, a global nonprofit on a mission to make wellbeing real by translating science into action. https://www.richardjdavidson.com/\nRichard \n \nDaniel Goleman\, PhD\, is a psychologist\, science journalist\, and internationally renowned author best known for pioneering the concept of emotional intelligence. His groundbreaking book Emotional Intelligence transformed how leadership\, education\, and personal wellbeing are understood worldwide. A former science writer for The New York Times\, Goleman has authored numerous bestselling books exploring emotional intelligence\, mindfulness\, compassion\, ethics\, and ecological responsibility. \n  \nFor questions\, please contact us at: events@garrisoninstitute.org  or visit this page of our most frequently asked questions. \n  \n\n\n \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 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-experience-of-genuine-happiness/
LOCATION:In-Person\, 14 Mary’s Way Route 9D\, Garrison\, NY\, 10524\, United States
CATEGORIES:In Person
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Khandro-la_Richie-Davidson_Daniel-Goleman.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261120T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261122T140000
DTSTAMP:20260917T140210
CREATED:20260609T160835Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260910T205757Z
UID:50328-1795197600-1795356000@www.garrisoninstitute.org
SUMMARY:Healing Our Way Home: A Retreat for Women of Color
DESCRIPTION:Touching Ancestors\, Joy and Liberation\n\n\nA Retreat for Women of Color\n\nwith Dharma Teachers\nDr. Marisela Gomez\, Kaira Jewel Lingo and Valerie Brown \n  \nThis retreat is a sacred space for cis-gender and trans women of color to come together in community\, honoring the fullness of who we are. Rooted in the themes of the books Healing Our Way Home and Love is Liberation\, we will explore the wisdom of our ancestors\, the power of joy\, and the deep possibilities of liberation. \nTogether\, we will create a refuge of belonging—where our stories\, identities\, and journeys are held with care. Through practices of mindfulness\, we will nurture our collective healing and strengthen our capacity to show up with resilience\, love\, and freedom in our lives and communities. \nEach day will include: \n\nDharma teachings on healing\, joy\, ancestors\, and liberation\nGuided meditation (both sitting and gently moving) to ground and restore us\nMindful walking and movement to connect with the body and the earth\nMindful eating to nourish body and spirit\nSinging and chanting to open the heart\nDharma writing and reflection to deepen insight and creativity\nSmall-group sharing to witness and be witnessed in community\n\n  \n  \nWe encourage participants to read Healing Our Way Home and Love is Liberation (available Sept. 29) before the retreat\, as it will help enrich our time together. \nThis retreat welcomes the full diversity of women of color—including trans women\, gender-expansive people\, and anyone who self-identifies as a woman of color\, regardless of gender role\, expression\, or physiology. \n  \n  \n  \n  \nTEACHERS\n  \n  \n \n  \nMarisela Gomez MD PHD is a mindfulness practitioner in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh’s Order of Interbeing\, public health scholar activist\, preventive/alternative medicine physician. Of Afro-Latina ancestry\, she lives in Baltimore involved in social justice activism and community building/research and co-facilitates mindfulness gatherings with Baltimore and Beyond Mindfulness Community for BIPOC and Social Activists. She is the author of Race\, Class\, Power and Organizing in East Baltimore\, Healing our Way Home\, and numerous book chapters in popular and scholarly publications. She has blogged at Huff Post and mariselgomez.com on the intersection of wisdom justice and mindfulness. Dr. Gomez is also a co-founder of the non-profit Village of Love and Resistance whose mission is to organize for community land control in historically marginalized communities in Baltimore MD. \n  \n  \n \n  \nKaira Jewel Lingo is a Dharma teacher of Black and biracial heritage with a lifelong interest in spirituality and social justice. Her work continues the Engaged Buddhism developed by Thich Nhat Hanh\, and she draws inspiration from her parents’ lives of service and her dad’s work with Martin Luther King\, Jr. After living as an ordained nun for 15 years in Thich Nhat Hanh’s monastic community\, Kaira Jewel now teaches internationally in the Zen lineage and the Vipassana tradition\, as well as in secular mindfulness\, at the intersection of racial\, climate and social justice with a focus on activists\, Black\, Indigenous\, and People of Color\, artists\, educators\, families\, and youth. Based in New York\, she offers spiritual mentoring to groups and is author of We Were Made for These Times: Ten Lessons in Moving through Change\, Loss and Disruption and co-author of Healing Our Way Home: Black Buddhist Teachings on Ancestors\, Joy and Liberation from Parallax Press. Her teachings and writings can be found at www.kairajewel.com. \n  \n  \nPhoto Credit: Allen Dobbins \n  \nValerie Brown is an author\, Buddhist-Quaker Dharma teacher\, facilitator\, and executive coach specializing in leadership development and mindfulness practices with a focus on diversity\, social equity\, inclusion\, and environmental justice. A former lawyer and lobbyist\, Valerie transformed her high-pressure\, twenty-year career into serving leaders and nonprofits to create trustworthy\, authentic\, compassionate\, and connected workspaces. She’s passionate about designing immersive experiences that connect people to the natural world with a sense of joy\, gratitude\, and social responsibility. Her books include Hope Leans Forward\, Braving Your Way Toward Simplicity\, Awakening\, and Peace (Broadleaf Books\, 2022) which received the Nautilus Gold Award for Eastern Spirituality\, co-author of Healing Our Way Home:  Black Buddhist Teachings on Ancestors\, Joy\, and Liberation\,  and Love is Liberation: Five Contemplations for Daily Ethical Living (Parallax Press). www.valeriebrown.us \n  \n  \n  \nSCHOLARSHIPS\n  \nThere are a limited number of partial scholarships available for this retreat. Please visit us here for more information\, and to apply. Please do not sign up for the retreat if you have submitted an application. Please wait to hear from us. For questions\, please contact us at: scholarships@garrisoninstitute.org. \n  \n  \nACCOMMODATIONS \nThere are Single and Double 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\n \n  \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 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/healing-our-way-home-a-retreat-for-women-of-color-2026/
LOCATION:In-Person\, 14 Mary’s Way Route 9D\, Garrison\, NY\, 10524\, United States
CATEGORIES:In Person
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/A-Retreat-for-Women-of-Color-2.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261211T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261214T140000
DTSTAMP:20260917T140210
CREATED:20260529T203623Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260601T183452Z
UID:50257-1797012000-1797256800@www.garrisoninstitute.org
SUMMARY:Voice as Practice with Meredith Monk & Ellen Fisher
DESCRIPTION:  \nMeredith Monk and Ellen Fisher return to the Garrison Institute for this in-person workshop where voice\, movement\, and image intersect to create an opportunity for us each to discover our own personal richness. \nEach session will begin with a short\, guided meditation\, followed by a detailed vocal and movement warm-up. We will explore how the outbreath expands into sound\, tone\, and resonance\, and work with exercises to deepen our listening and awareness of our environment as well as the voices coming through us. The playful aspect of creation and the joy of discovering our unique vocal qualities will be emphasized as a way of connecting us to the healing power of the voice and body. \nDuring the weekend\, Meredith will also give a talk on the relationship she has crafted between her Buddhist practice and her art\, and Ellen will join her for a Q&A. \nThe workshop is open to all experiences and backgrounds.\n  \n\nTEACHERS\n  \nPhoto credit to F. Scott Schafer \n  \nMeredith Monk is a composer\, singer\, director/choreographer\, filmmaker\, and creator of new opera\, music-theater works\, films and installations. Recognized as one of the most unique and influential artists of our time\, she is a pioneer of what is now called “extended vocal technique” and “interdisciplinary performance”. Celebrated internationally\, her work\, workshops\, and lectures on Art as Practice have been presented at major venues throughout the world. \n\n  \n  \n  \nPhoto credit to Ben Stechschulte \n  \nEllen Fisher is a movement-based performance artist whose work integrates gestural actions with visual elements such as film and shadow play. She began performing with Meredith Monk/The House in the 1970s. Ellen also teaches and lectures regularly on dance both domestically and internationally. \n\n  \n  \n  \n  \nTo learn more about their work\, please visit www.meredithmonk.org \n  \n  \n__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ \n  \nACCOMMODATIONS \nThere are Single\, Double and Commuter 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\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 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/voice-as-practice-with-meredith-monk-ellen-fisher-december-2026/
LOCATION:In-Person\, 14 Mary’s Way Route 9D\, Garrison\, NY\, 10524\, United States
CATEGORIES:In Person
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20270113T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20270117T130000
DTSTAMP:20260917T140210
CREATED:20260727T203823Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260916T003134Z
UID:50847-1799863200-1800190800@www.garrisoninstitute.org
SUMMARY:Beginner’s Mind Sesshin: A Winter Silent Retreat of Wholehearted Practice
DESCRIPTION:New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care\nJanuary 13 – January 17\, 2026 \n\n  \nSesshin\, the Japanese term for a Zen meditation retreat\, holds the profound meaning of “touching the heart-mind” and stands as a fundamental pillar of Zen practice. This exceptional occasion offers a precious opportunity for us to delve deeper into our practice alongside a supportive community of fellow practitioners. During our time together\, we will explore the teachings of the Wholehearted Way\, emphasizing the ever-present possibility of intimacy and the sheer delight of experiencing life’s fresh reality. \nThrough the practice of sitting and walking meditation\, engaging dharma talks\, and intimate dokusan sessions with a teacher\, we will immerse ourselves in the transformative power of Noble Silence. Let us come together\, here and now\, embracing this five-day\, four-night journey of discovery and growth. \n  \nRETREAT ACCOMMODATIONS\nRooms are located on the second\, third\, and fourth floors. There are two spacious communal bathrooms on each residential floor. There is no elevator. \n  \n  \nWHAT’S INCLUDED\nAll prices include tuition\, lodging\, and three vegetarian meals a day. Supporter Level and Benefactor Level pricing are available for those who wish to increase their support of NYZC and our work to make the dharma accessible to all. \n  \n  \n  \nTEACHERS\n\nChodo Robert Campbell Sensei\, is a co-founder of the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care – a non-profit organization that focuses on the teaching of Zen and Buddhist practice with the goal to make them more accessible to people all around the world. The center delivers contemplative approaches to care through education\, personal caregiving\, and meditation practice. Chodo is a dynamic\, grounded\, and visionary leader and teacher; he has traveled extensively throughout the U.S instructing in various institutions. Sixty-thousand people listen to his podcasts each year. His passion lies in bereavement counseling and advocating for change in the way our healthcare institutions work with the dying. \nHe is also on the faculty of the University of Arizona Medical School’s Center for Integrative Medicine’s Integrative Medicine Fellowship and the Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine in San Diego. \n  \nKoshin Paley Ellison Sensei\, MFA\, LMSW\, DMIN\, is an author\, Zen teacher\, Jungian psychotherapist\, and Certified Chaplaincy Educator. After many years as a chaplain and psychotherapist\, Koshin co-founded the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care\, which offers contemplative approaches to care through education\, personal caregiving\, and Zen practice. Today\, New York Zen Center’s methodologies are internationally recognized—and have touched the lives of tens of thousands of individuals. Koshin is a world renowned thought leader in contemplative care. He is the author of Untangled: Walking the Eightfold Path to Clarity\, Courage\, and Compassion (Balance/Hachette\, 2022); Wholehearted: Slow Down\, Help Out\, Wake Up (Wisdom Publications\, 2019) and the co-editor of Awake at the Bedside: Contemplative Teachings on Palliative and End of Life Care (Wisdom Publications\, 2016). His work has been featured in the New York Times\, PBS\, CBS Sunday Morning\, Tricycle among other publications. \nHe is currently on the faculty of the University of Arizona Medical School’s Center for Integrative Medicine’s Integrative Medicine Fellowship\, on Faculty of the Integrative Medicine Fellowship of the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine\, and he is a visiting professor at the McGovern Center for Humanities and Ethics\, of the University of Texas Health Science Center of Houston Medical School. \n  \n  \n\nClick here to REGISTER
URL:https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/event/beginners-mind-sesshin-a-winter-silent-retreat-2027/
LOCATION:In-Person\, 14 Mary’s Way Route 9D\, Garrison\, NY\, 10524\, United States
CATEGORIES:In Person
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