An Introduction to Open Dharma

Jaya Ashmore talks about Open Dharma. For more information, go to http://www.opendharma.org

Open Dharma is a non-profit organization that offers teachings and retreats to encourage people from around the world to live a liberated life. Silence, nature, and deep rest are some of the basic human tools we offer to help each person deepen in her or his unique way. Since 1999, facilitators have specialized in adapting meditation instructions to individual needs and in creating an atmosphere of gentleness and self-motivated exploration. Guided meditation; investigation of texts from diverse spiritual traditions; Jin Shin Jyutsu; and connected movement also enrich our retreats. However, we emphasize that the instructions we give are secondary to the instructions of ones own heart.

While each person lights up in a unique way, generosity, patience and courage are symptoms of liberation. To bring about a culture of awakening, we offer teachings on a donation basis and rely on volunteer staff. Breaking the mold of meditation as a competitive sitting practice, we encourage people to try lying down for meditation and to play with meditative singing while in silence. Rather than
promoting short-lived spiritual fireworks, we cultivate long-term friendships. We also continually experiment with different formats for teachings and retreats with the aim of bringing love and wisdom into real life.

Participants on Open Dharma retreats are diverse: from 6 weeks to 80 years in age, from over 30 countries, from all religions and no religion. We encourage each person to notice what brings joy and to approach spiritual practice with creativity—to consider family life, work, healing, communication, or the arts as an integral part of their path.

From three different continents, the facilitators each began to dive into spiritual practice in 1986. Teachings primarily draw on our experience in diverse wisdom traditions—Buddhism, non-dual Advaita, Christian mysticism, yoga, connection with nature—and our own human experience.

We have offered retreats from Mexico to Australia, and from the Pyrenees to the Himalayas, but most events happen in India.

For more information, go to http://www.opendharma.org

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

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• Open Dharma
• meditation
• retreats
• deep rest
• India
• Spain
• spirituality
• open heart
• wide heart
• inquiry
• radical
• generosity
• awakening
• receptive
• awareness
• wisdom