Mission and Intention
Our programs cultivate peace, justice, beauty, and balance in our lives and our world. We encourage contemplative reflection on self, meaning, and connection, to nurture awareness of belonging, interdependence, and compassion. And we respond to contemporary problems with creative activities that reflect our love for this small blue planet we all share.
Back Story
In late October 1998, we held a public gathering entitled “Educating for Ecological Sustainability.” The powerful presentation to an overflow crowd by cultural critic and author Chet Bowers, PhD, kindled many sparks. As winter approached, we gathered activists and artists across issues and disciplines to celebrate Winter Solstice, which began an annual tradition.
For the next three years, a like-hearted group gathered for book discussions and workshops exploring climate issues, global and local economics, and social and political problems. We pored over Ram Dass’s “How Can I Help” and Joanna Macy’s “World as Lover, World as Self,” Wendell Berry’s “What are Humans For,” and writings by Starhawk, Rianne Eisler, Trungpa Rinpoche, Barry Lopez and others. The inability of activism across disciplines to stem the rising tide of crises elicited reflection on the commingled roots of those problems – roots buried deep in a stunted view of what it means to be alive and to flourish.
In November 2001, we incorporated as a 501(c)(3) public benefit organization committed to cultivating a deeper view of human capacity, community, and possibility – what it means to be a living, breathing, sentient part of this beautiful living earth.
Our programs encourage reflection on the nature of awareness and the quality of heart that we each bring to our personal, political, and cultural affairs. In doing so, we foster fresh and creative responses to the challenges facing humanity and the planet.
Over the years we have offered:
- Retreats, workshops, and presentations with Ram Dass, Joanna Macy, David Korten, Richard Heinberg, Starhawk, Dale Borglum, and others addressing fundamental challenges we face as humans who love this world;
- Community meditations and retreats for contemplative practice and spiritual reflection, rooted in the wisdom teachings of the world’s enduring spiritual traditions;
- Musical events with Krishna Das, Ty Burhoe, Shubendra Rao, Tribal Caravan, and others;
- Retreats, workshops, and discussions on mortality and impermanence, loss, death, and dying.
- Book discussions and vital conversations examining critical issues of our time: political hegemony, global economics, and militarism; oppression, bigotry, and racism; deep democracy, civil liberties, and Constitutional rights; climate change and environmental crises;
- Community gatherings, seasonal celebrations, hikes, potlucks, and picnics;
- Compassionate action programs to address suffering in our community;
- Approaches to conscious resistance to injustice and creative collaboration for peace, justice, beauty, and balance in our lives and our world.
See our current Program Offerings here.