This is a rare opportunity to hear from Ram Dass, former Harvard professor of psychology who introduced many of us to the teachings of Neem Karoli Baba (also known as Maharaj-ji) in the 1960s and 70s. Ram Dass wrote Be Here Now a book that can help lead one to Awakening and taught throughout the world helping others to find the tools and practices that can lead to the end of suffering.

This retreat has such luminaries as Ram Dass and Sharon Salzberg teaching wisdom that can help lead us to enlightenment…learning to be in our hearts rather than in our minds. Knowing and learning that when we are in our hearts, we are in the “now” and able to fully appreciate the moment we are given.

Especially in these tumultuous times, we are ever called to be compassionate to the pain and turmoil swirling around us. Can we stay in our hearts and Remember that we are all the same…we all have the same human mind that tends to go here, there and everywhere, because that is survival. We need to pay attention to survive, but unfortunately our minds also distort what goes on around us and within our psyche. We bring too much of past conditioning to the present moment and keep the past alive in this respect. When we stay attached to our pain, fear, or suffering, we color the experiences we could have had if we could have stayed in the moment, in our center, and in our hearts. Breathing through our hearts, we connect to the universal Aum and others. We stop the habitual mind from its antics and fears because we realize that all of our thoughts, behaviors and actions are transient…”This too shall pass” and we learn to let go and just experience “what is” rather than being disappointed or angry because our expectations were not met. By learning to let our karma burn off, living our dharma, we learn that all the answers to our questions are within. We only need to trust our Self. With hearts open we can walk with spirit and effect change, one by one…Namaste.