Dear ones,
 
Somehow the topic of death just kept coming up in different ways over the last few weeks, and it all came together in this new special event on Facing Death. It still is a taboo topic in our Western societies, and in the news, it comes up in the context of war, crime, or recently that of the refugee crisis in the Middle East and Europe. In those contexts, death tends to be seen from the perspective of survival, as a loss of life that could have been avoided. And for sure the refugees who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea did so because they wanted to escape suffering and death in their native countries, and their deaths could indeed have been prevented.

I do not in any way want to belittle the suffering in these situations, and I hold the people in it and affected by it with much compassion. And yet there is a different aspect to death, a different perspective and understanding of it that highlights the preciousness of it as a human experience. Just like birth, it brings us face to face with the mystery and paradox of human life, arising from the unborn and returning back to it, whilst remaining unborn all along. Experiencing death consciously -- the possibility or reality of one's own death or that of others -- can change our life forever. It tends to point us to what is ultimately real and true. This is what this special event is all about.

As you will see on the Facing Death event page, there are two parts to this event: a pre-recorded conversation with Joan Ruvinsky, a non-dual spiritual teacher who has terminal cancer; and a live panel of speakers (Jane Duncan Rogers, Nishkala Jenney, Susanne Marie, and myself) who have faced death in the passing of loved ones and/or in facing our own mortality through illness. 
 
Joan Ruvinsky's willingness and openness to share with us her experience of her life coming to an end due to terminal cancer is such a gift to all of us. Her clarity in witnessing this consciously, and the 'radical joy' with which she does so, is a rare opportunity to hear the non-dual understanding and perspective on life and death as they are alive and lived in a human being who is facing death. My own teacher Gangaji is fond of saying how we 'catch' truth from one another... well, here's a very special occasion to do so!

Following that, the live panel will give you a sense of the depth of experiences, shifts, and insights that the conscious experience of death has the power to provoke in us. As I see it, it is such a blessing to come in touch with death, even as there may also be major fear, grief, or rage. It is in this spirit that the speakers of the panel will share their experiences. And, as always during live events, you are welcome to ask questions or share and inquire into your own experience by coming onto the hangout.

The links to the conversation with Joan and the live panel will be published on the event page. You will also find more information about the event, including the bios of the teachers and panel participants on the event page. There is no need to register. If you like, you can join the facebook event and invite your friends to it.

I so look forward to sharing this special event with you -- thank you for being here and appreciating these offerings!

In love and gratitude,
grace 

Hello to you all!

I've been working hard (yes, but without straining or pushing myself) to help this new retreat come to life fully. I'm even learning how to do basic graphic design, like the above banner for the facebook event page! It's amazing how things just unfold from one day to the next. There is a sense inside, but not very personal, of an ongoing movement that keeps generating all sorts of activity. It's all part of this unfolding, of the retreat taking shape.

So this is a short report to let you know the information is all out there: 

• the detailed retreat program is up on the program page;
  
• you can invite your friends on facebook to the facebook event, a convenient way of spreading the news;
• or, if you've registered already, you can forward the e-mail that I sent out today to others who may be interested.

I've already done the pre-recorded conversation with Gangaji. Next week, I will speak to Tim Freke for the second pre-recorded session. All  is happening in its own sweet time.

I look forward to sharing this retreat with all of you. 
With love and gratitude,
grace

I just confirmed the date for the conversation with Scott: it's going to be on a Wednesday, September 17th, at the usual time. It's the first time I'm doing a live conversation on a weekday, but when I asked people who've subscribed to the newsletter about this, there were a lot of positive responses. So I just thought I'd give it a try! 
The theme is: Love Gone Practical, and we'll be talking about Scott's experience in running a treatment center and working with people who want to let go of their addictions. He's the only nondual spiritual teacher I know of who has 'gone practical' in this way. It's going to be very interesting to hear his experience and reflections.
Do join me in this conversation if you can. If you can't and have questions for Scott, you can send them in and I'll make sure to ask him.
Looking forward to this,
grace

It's been a joy to set up more conversations for the fall, and to start inviting teachers for the November retreat. 

Here are the four conversations coming up, all taking place on Sundays at 11 am PDT, 2 pm EDT, 7 pm UK, 8 pm MEST:

• 24 August: Michael Damian: Meeting the Mind, Freeing the Mind
• 7 September: Pernilla Lillarose: Self Love
• 14 September: Brian Piergrossi: True Intimacy
• 28 September: Jeannie Zandi: Living as Love.

For more details about the teachers and themes please go to the home page or click HERE. There is no need to register for the conversations, the links for the live broadcast will be on the home page of the website. If you're on the mailing list, you'll receive a reminder in the week leading up to each of the conversations. (To sign up for the mailing list click HERE.)

Conversation with Scott Kiloby:
This conversation has been announced for some time now, but I haven't scheduled it yet because Scott is working every weekend in his new center, and this is not going to change any time soon. He is off on Wednesdays and Thursdays. So I decided to just ask all of you: Would you be able to participate live on a Wednesday or Thursday, and would this be of interest to you? If so, I'd be very happy to hear from you; thank you so much for taking the time to let me know (CLICK HERE to send me a message)! 

November retreat:
I will send more information as and when more details are settled, but for now you can note the time: 1 - 2 November 2014, and the theme: The place of the heart in non-dual teachings. If you have friends who may be interested, please tell them about it and suggest they sign up for the newsletter to find out more as and when the information comes out.

I look forward to sharing the conversations and retreat with you!

With love and gratitude,

grace

Dear all,

I'm on a summer break, enjoying swimming in the beautiful lake close to my home, and many other things.

I'll be back in August and September with more conversations, and I'm planning another retreat -- on the theme of: The place of the heart in nondual teachings -- for November.

If you'd like to make sure you get the news as they come out, please sign up for the Living from Love online newsletter (CLICK HERE or go to the Subscribe page).

And here's wishing you all a beautiful summer (or winter for those 'down under')!
With love and gratitude,

grace

Dear all,

We're at the half way point with the current series of live conversations on the theme of 'Living form Love': those with Unmani and Amoda Maa Jeevan have already happened, both very interesting in very different ways. 

You'll find the YouTube videos of them on the Conversations tab underneath the retreats tab on this website (or CLICK HERE).

Still to come: conversations with Prajna Ginty (1 June) and Neelam (8 June, more details on the home page). ... And then I'm off to Germany to visit family and friends!

I'm not sure yet whether I will continue the conversations over the summer, I'll see about that once I'm back from Germany. But I'm definitely already thinking of a whole-weekend retreat in the fall, very likely on the theme of 'The place of the heart in nondual teachings'.

Sign up to the newsletter to make sure you get all the news! CLICK HERE to subscribe.

Wishing you a beautiful spring and summer,
with much love to all of you,

grace

Unfortunately, David Alsobrook is not well enough to participate in the retreat. He's been dealing with health problems for some time, and they've recently taken a turn for the worse. He will get treatment soon, but while he is waiting for it, he is not able to do very much. 
So here's wishing you well, David!

As for the program, the last two sessions will both start an hour earlier. Please check the Retreats page for the revised times.

Dear all,

There has been a real pull into silence for me these days that slows things down quite considerably. It's one of the challenges of a Western spiritual life to find balance between outward activities and inner deepening, and no doubt this balance also keeps changing over time. At times we are quite happily immersed in doing, at other times being becomes more important... So: in the midst of being, this is what's been happening:

What's up now?

• Videos and mp3s: I've edited the videos of all the retreat sessions to cut out the meditation periods. They are now embedded on the revised program page to make them more easily accessible. For those who prefer audios, there are also mp3s to listen to or download. You'll find all of this on what is now the retreat page.
• Comments page: You will also find a new page on the website with the spontaneous comments and gratitude that some of you expressed about the retreat. Have a look HERE.   
• More live conversations with other nondual teachers to come: This is one of the projects that got slowed down by my 'being pulled inside', but that I will start following up more actively now. I had to postpone the conversation with Unmani because she is in Australia at the moment, which didn't allow us to find a time that was suitable for both Europeans and North Americans. So here are the dates that are settled:
• Unmani: May 4th;
• Neelam: June 8th. 
• Also coming up: Scott Kiloby and other speakers.
• ... and hot off the inner press: It's also just occurred to me to organize something for Easter Sunday (April 20th). I'd love to explore the connections between Jesus's teachings of Love and nondual teachings. The question that comes is: What cannot die nor be resurrected because it has always been?