Cynthia Overweg
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 Cynthia Overweg
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"There are moments that something new has entered into us, something unknown. Our feelings grow mute in shy perplexity, everything within us withdraws -- a stillness comes, and the new, which no one knows, stands in the midst of it and is silent."   Rainer Maria Rilke


I'm on retreat and traveling for the next few months, but would love to hear from you!  Send me a note via the Contact Page.


Enjoy your summer!


"An insight that flows from silent awareness is revealed to you directly. It is not the borrowed wisdom of someone else. It's your own."

from Silent Awareness:The Revelation That Changes Everything

2022 Workshops, Retreats & Event Summaries

Making Peace with your Mind: Finding Loving Connection

June 11, 11AM to 12:30 PM Pacific

Making Peace with your Mind: Finding Loving Connection


What is our response to a world that seems to be unraveling? How do we wisely approach the challenges we face? One vitally important way is to make peace with our conflicted, frightened and hyper-critical mind, and to discover that love is actually everywhere, despite the chaos. 


With a quiet mind we can recharge, relax, regenerate and inwardly see what connects us. The central question is: Can we learn to be calm and compassionate in the midst of a raging storm?   


Please join us for a Zoom gathering Making Peace with your Mind on Saturday, June 11 at 11AM Pacific Time, hosted by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada. We'll explore equilibrium and inner peace, along with suggestions to help quiet the mind’s tendency to be a constant critic and incessant story teller. 


This session is the last in our series under the umbrella title, The Only Revolution: Meditations on Interior Change. All are welcome. Join us! 

These sessions are offered on a donation basis to support the work of the Krishnamurti Educational Centre.  

This series has ended

The Only Revolution - Saturday mornings on Zoom

MAKE PEACE WITH YOUR MIND - 11AM to 12:30 PM Pacific

Loneliness and fear are pervasive. Many of us live in the shadow of fear without realizing it, and with no understanding of how loneliness and fear condition our behavior. 


Are fear and loneliness related? If they are, in what way? Is loneliness a companion to fear?  According to Krishnamurti, "fear is always in relation to something -- it does not exist by itself."  In trying to make sense of the world today, how can we better understand the impact that fear and loneliness have on us? 


Join us for an exploration of fear and loneliness on Saturday, May 14 at 11 AM via Zoom, Pacific Time. This is the third session of the series The Only Revolution: Meditations on Interior Change, based on Krishnamurti's book with the same title. Attend one session or all of them.


TWO MORE SESSIONS - Spring 2022 - 11AM - 12:30 PM Pacific, Zoom

 

May 14: Loneliness and Fear. 

What role do loneliness and fear play in our lives?


June 11: Make Peace with your Mind. 

Can we quiet the mind without effort?


11 AM - 12:30 PM Pacific Time, Zoom. Everyone is welcome. This series is hosted by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada. 

This program has ended.

The Only Revolution - Saturday mornings on Zoom

11AM to 12:30 PM Pacific - March through June 2022

The only revolution is the inner revolution that fundamentally changes a human being, and thus, the world. It is a radical transformation of the psyche that frees us from the story of “me” and the divisions that cause violence and damage the natural world.


Is it possible to bring about this inner revolution without creating an authority that tells us what to do and how to do it? Can we learn to be our own teacher? What does it mean to be “a light to oneself?” Our aim is to create a supportive and authentic exchange  about what prevents us from living in freedom and acting from love. 


Each session includes  intervals of quietude, body relaxation and sacred music. What is central to this exploration is the possibility of coming upon the sacred mystery that words can only point to.


MONTHLY SESSIONS - Spring 2022 - 11AM - 12:30 PM Pacific

 

March 12: “Meditation has no beginning and therefore no end,”  

So what is meditation?

April 9: The Boundary of Time. 

Is inner transformation limited by time?

May 14: Loneliness and Fear. 

What role do loneliness and fear play in our lives?

June 11: Make Peace with your Mind. 

Can we quiet the mind without effort?


Sessions are from 11 AM - 12:30 PM Pacific Time. Attend one session or all of them. Everyone is welcome. This series is hosted by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada. 

This program has ended.

Being with the Earth - A Retreat Celebrating Earth Day 2022

April 23 10AM - 4:30 PM Pacific Time - In person Retreat

  “There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature - the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter.”  

Rachel Carson  


To be in harmony with the beauty of the Earth is also to be in harmony with ourselves. If we know how to look and listen, the sacred reveals itself in the whole of creation. This retreat is designed to help us recover and embrace our deep connection with the timeless, pulsating aliveness of the natural world. Our aim is to take a restful pause from the busy activities of daily life to be in a peaceful and beautiful setting where we can relax, de-stress and be in the presence of what unites us with nature and with each other. 


Our day together includes quietude in nature, a gentle practice of listening and seeing with inner awareness, walking mediation, meditative inquiry, sacred music and body/mind relaxation. 


One Day Retreat.  Lunch is available. On site accommodations available. Hosted by the Krotona Institute 

This retreat has ended.

One Earth, One Humanity

April 19, 20, 21 - 10AM - Noon. Pacific Time. Zoom Gathering

 The Earth is our origin, our nourishment, our educator,our healer, our fulfillment.

Thomas Berry


The Earth is not an object ― it is a living being that sustains us and all other life forms. At this time in human history, we are called to love the Earth and care for it -- to recognize and embrace our inter-dependent relationship with the natural world and with each other.  


To better understand this relationship, we’ll explore the perennial wisdom that brings us together with nature, with each other, and with the mystery of creation. We’ll celebrate the wonder of our own existence and the possibility of wholeness in the midst of our apparent fragmentation and divisions. 


The aim of this series is to engage with beauty and the sacred -- the inner wisdom that brings us together in our life’s journey on the Earth.


This is a 3 part series.  Attend one or all. Presented by the Krotona Institute 

This event has concluded.

Is Inner Transformation limited by Time?

Saturday April 9 - 11AM -12:30 PM Pacific Time. Zoom Gathering

As we know all too well, our lives are governed by time. We waste time, save time, lose time, resist time, and try to overcome time as if it is something that we own. What is our relationship with time?  Is inner transformation limited by time? "To realize what is eternal, time must stop," Krishnamurti once said. But can time actually stop?   


Please join us for a Zoom gathering on Saturday, April 9 at 11 AM Pacific  to explore time and inner transformation. All are welcome to this informal inquiry, hosted by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada. It's part of the online series, The Only Revolution.  Attend one session or as many as you wish. I look forward to seeing you soon! 

This program has ended.

2021 Summaries of Workshops & Retreats

2021 workshop & retreat summaries

Oct. 2021 - 3 DAY WORKSHOP

Oct. 2021 - 3 DAY WORKSHOP

Oct. 2021 - 3 DAY WORKSHOP

Sages and mystics throughout the world have emphasized for centuries that the highest intelligence we can encounter is the wisdom of our own heart. The great Indian mystic, Kabir Das, put it this way: “Lift the veil that obscures the heart and there you will find what you are looking for.” What are we really looking for? What is the “veil” that obscures it? How do courage, connection and compassion awaken us to an authentic relationship with our innermost being? 

These are some questions we’ll explore together. 


Each session will include meditative inquiry, body/mind relaxation, intervals of silence, sacred music and insights from the great teachings of East and West. Join us for an exploration of the inner awareness that unites the mind with the wisdom of the heart.

June 2021 - 3 DAY WORKSHOP

Oct. 2021 - 3 DAY WORKSHOP

Oct. 2021 - 3 DAY WORKSHOP

Seeing with the inner perception that transcends the ordinary mind is not common for most of us, but neither is it the exclusive domain of the few. To see without the filter of thought happens of its own accord ― it’s not something that we can do. But there is something we can give: our attention. The quality of our attention determines the quality of our seeing. In order to “see” we need to get out of our own way. 

At the same time, when the mind is completely silent, no-one is there, just the seeing.

The aim of our workshop is to relax into inner quietude and explore what prevents us from being in communion with the seeing awareness that is transformative and timeless. Each of our three sessions includes a presentation, intervals of body relaxation, sacred music, and the inner quietude we need to delve into the art of seeing as directly as we can.

2021 more event summaries

December 2021 - A New Mind and Heart - Living & Dying

December 2021 - A New Mind and Heart - Living & Dying

December 2021 - A New Mind and Heart - Living & Dying

 Inner Freedom & Compassion


 A more harmonious and compassionate world is something we all long for, but what is required of us?  We know the answer intellectually — we need a radical inner transformation. But the intellect is not going to transform us. This monthly series explores what a new mind and heart point to.  Attend one session or all of them. 

Each session is unique. Join us!  


December 18:   Living and Dying:

November 20: Beauty and the Sacred  

October 16:  Compassion & Indifference 

September 18:  The Mirror of Relationship: 

August 21:  Beyond Violence: 


April 2021 - Silent Awareness - 4 Day Workshop

December 2021 - A New Mind and Heart - Living & Dying

December 2021 - A New Mind and Heart - Living & Dying

Silent Awareness 


"There is a silence which predates time. It was there before we were born and will be there when we die. The Buddha called it “empty space, the home of the awakened mind.” 


"This powerful and healing Presence has always been within us and around us, yet  with rare exceptions, it goes unnoticed. Why? What stands in the way?" 


This online series is based on the book 

Silent Awareness: The Revelation That Changes Everything


Selected 2021 & 2020 Summaries of Workshops & Retreats

2021 and 2020 Archived Summaries of Talks & Retreats

Nov 20, 2021 - Beauty and the Sacred

2021- Feb, Mar, April, May - monthly sessions

Oct 30, 2021 Online Retreat - GRATITUDE

  Beauty and the Sacred 


Without the sensitivity to perceive beauty, self-transformation is only an idea. What is the relationship between beauty and the Sacred?

Oct 30, 2021 Online Retreat - GRATITUDE

2021- Feb, Mar, April, May - monthly sessions

Oct 30, 2021 Online Retreat - GRATITUDE

  A Morning of Renewal & Healing


Can we re-imagine our life’s journey with a new perspective that empowers us? In this meditative inquiry, we will explore how the power of gratitude can bring healing and renewal into our lives.

2021- Feb, Mar, April, May - monthly sessions

2021- Feb, Mar, April, May - monthly sessions

2021- Feb, Mar, April, May - monthly sessions

 The Intimacy of Life 

 

 A compassionate world is something we all long for, but what is required of us?  In these 4 sessions, we'll engage with the art of self-transformation.


Nov 20 -22, 2020 Beauty & Sensitivity

Nov 20 -22, 2020 Beauty & Sensitivity

2021- Feb, Mar, April, May - monthly sessions

When Krishnamurti spoke of beauty, he linked it to a heightened level of sensitivity, and to a quality of seeing that transcends the conditioned mind.  In our highly polarized world, burdened by multiple crises on a scale we’ve not seen before, how do we approach living with sensitivity? Can we have an authentic relationship with beauty in such a world?   

Dec 15, 2020 Equanimity in Crisis

Nov 20 -22, 2020 Beauty & Sensitivity

May 2020 Togetherness in Meditation

  As this tumultuous year draws to a close, we are now at the threshold of a great reckoning and a great awakening. This is an extraordinary time. While everything seems to be falling apart, there is also a growing awareness of the urgency for transformational change.  Join us for a sensitive exploration into sacred wholeness at a time of uncertainty and possibility.

May 2020 Togetherness in Meditation

Nov 20 -22, 2020 Beauty & Sensitivity

May 2020 Togetherness in Meditation

  The Stillness beyond Fear


“What does it mean to live with something which you don’t know?”

J. Krishnamurti


Join me in a breath meditation that relaxes body and mind. There is a stillness that is always available because it resides within you.

Together in Troubled Times A Breath Meditation for Covid19

WORDS OF COMFORT AND UNITY FOR THOSE FEELING ANXIETY DURING THE COVID19 PANDEMIC, INCLUDING A SIMPLE, CALMING BREATH MEDITATION TO HELP SOOTHE THE SOUL.

Archived Retreats & Workshops 2020 and 2019

2020 & 2019 Archived Summaries of Retreats & Workshops

May 2020 - Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada.

May 2020 - Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada.

May 2020 - Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada.

An exploration into interior silence, and what it teaches us about ourselves, our relationships with others, and the natural world. Our retreat includes a mixture of speech, deep listening, sacred music,  body relaxation, communion with nature, and periods of group  silence.

"It is only in alert silence that truth can be."  J .Krishnamurti

April 2020 - INNER SILENCE: Our Wisdom Teacher

May 2020 - Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada.

May 2020 - Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada.

 What is our relationship with silence? Can we approach silence as a great work of art that brings us closer to what the Buddha called “the other shore,” and what the Christ referred to as the “kingdom of heaven?”  Join for  a deep dive into the awareness that is timeless.
 

"We need silence just as much as we need air."  Thich Nhat Hanh  

Weekend Retreat at Krotona in Ojai, CA - Oct. 2019

May 2020 - Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada.

Weekend Retreat at Krotona in Ojai, CA - Oct. 2019

In stillness we are free of conflict and confusion. When we become still, new possibilities appear that reduce stress and strengthen us from within. This retreat is an entry point into the way of stillness. Join us for a day of relaxation and quietude in a beautiful natural setting at Krotona in Ojai.

BREAKING FREE - FOUR DAY WORKSHOP - Oct. 2019

Four Winds Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA. May 2019

Weekend Retreat at Krotona in Ojai, CA - Oct. 2019

 The great wisdom teachings of the world share one fundamental principle – the call to awaken to inner freedom. While this “waking-up” can happen in a timeless flash of insight, it seldom lasts long.
Awakening is both instantaneous and at the same time a process.  This workshop and retreat explores a deeper dimension of being.


Krotona Institute - 4 Sessions

Four Winds Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA. May 2019

Four Winds Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA. May 2019

Four Winds Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA. May 2019

 This program will explore the existential question: Who Am I?  It the most fundamental of all questions -- it is central to understanding of our purpose in life. Our exploration will include the views of Ramana Maharshi,  J. Krishnamurti and GI Gurdjieff. 


Four Winds Gallery, Santa Barbara 

Seating is limited.  

RENEWAL: Weekend Retreat April 2019

Four Winds Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA. May 2019

Four Winds Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA. May 2019

 Spring is a time of renewal. Flowers bloom with vibrant color, birdsong fills the air, and all of nature is alive with new energy and beauty. But does this renewal happen within us? Are we renewing our energy, vitality, and creativity?   Join us in a supportive and quiet atmosphere where inner tranquility is lovingly welcomed like an old friend.    

Krotona Institute. Lunch is provided.

ARCHIVED WORKSHOPS & RETREATS 2017 - 2018

2018 and 2017 Archived Summaries of Workshops & Retreats

Inner Silence & Freedom Workshop

The Ocean of Stillness One Day Silent Retreat

Krishnamurti on Nature 4 Morning Workshop

What is inner freedom? Why is it so elusive? How does a silent mind bring us closer to what is beautiful and true?


Our aim is to encounter the inner silence which ends conflict and opens us to wonder. 


October 23 - 26, 2018


Krishnamurti on Nature 4 Morning Workshop

The Ocean of Stillness One Day Silent Retreat

Krishnamurti on Nature 4 Morning Workshop

Krishnamurti wrote with great sensitivity about the  beauty and wonders of nature. His observations of the natural world convey, perhaps better than anything  else, his teaching about attention, inner freedom and the art of living. This program explores Krishnamurti’s profound kinship with nature, and what we can learn from his insights. 


April 17 - 20, 2018

The Ocean of Stillness One Day Silent Retreat

The Ocean of Stillness One Day Silent Retreat

The Ocean of Stillness One Day Silent Retreat

Inner silence is often imagined as an ocean; vast, deep, powerful and  unknown. When the mind is silent, life has exquisite beauty, balance and  equilibrium.  


In the ocean of silence, there are  no deadlines and no stress. To still the mind and relax in a supportive environment is the aim of this retreat. 


Saturday, October 29, 2018 

Freedom & The Search for Meaning Workshop

Loving the Earth - An Evening of Listening

The Ocean of Stillness One Day Silent Retreat

The quest for meaning and a longing for freedom are fundamental questions  of human existence. What  does it mean to be free? Is it possible to be free of seeking?  Our intention will be to delve deeply into these perennial questions. 


Workshops &  Retreats

Inner Peace Weekend Retreat

Loving the Earth - An Evening of Listening

Loving the Earth - An Evening of Listening

 Sages from every tradition tell us that peace has to come from within before  it can flourish in our lives and in the world. With stillness, deep  listening and communion with nature,  we'll relax and explore the stability and comfort of inner peace. 


Workshops & Retreats

Loving the Earth - An Evening of Listening

Loving the Earth - An Evening of Listening

Loving the Earth - An Evening of Listening

Join us for a tribute to the Earth. We’ll explore explore the beauty of the Earth; its sacred places, and discuss how a loving response to the natural world contributes to our well-being, and bring us closes to wholeness and  peace.

2015 - 2017 Archived Summaries of Workshops & Retreats

Hearts of Fire - Workshop 4 Mornings

A Poet, a Nun and a Yogi. 4 Day Workshop

The Power of Gratitude Weekend Retreat

 Three remarkable women; three remarkable stories about the search for the meaning of existence.  Mary Magdalene,  “the Apostle to the Apostles;" Sufi  mystic, Rabi’a al-Adawiyya, and Yeshe Tsogyal, a Tibetan yogini who  helped bring Buddhism to Tibet.  They  left a spiritual legacy which helps illuminate  our own search for inner freedom. spiritual awakening

The Power of Gratitude Weekend Retreat

A Poet, a Nun and a Yogi. 4 Day Workshop

The Power of Gratitude Weekend Retreat

The Power of Gratitude Retreat

Feeling and expressing Gratitude is powerful and life-affirming. Gratitude widens our horizons and lifts of our spirits. 


What  might our lives be like if we lived every day as a “thank-you?” 


Workshops & Retreats

A Poet, a Nun and a Yogi. 4 Day Workshop

A Poet, a Nun and a Yogi. 4 Day Workshop

A Poet, a Nun and a Yogi. 4 Day Workshop

What can the lives and work of three famous seekers of wisdom tell us about ourselves?

Dante Alighieri, Teresa of Avila, and the Tibetan saint Milarepa each had a deep connection with a larger vision of life. 


Workshops & Retreats

Warriors of Light Workshop - 4 Mornings

Warriors of Light Workshop - 4 Mornings

A Poet, a Nun and a Yogi. 4 Day Workshop

Hildegard  of Bingen and Julian of Norwich were spiritual visionaries. They offered wisdom to a fragmented and  chaotic world that was quite similar to our own. They spoke of a  divine unity that connects us to one another and to all of creation.  We’ll explore what these two women can teach us, and how we can benefit from listening to  them. 


Workshops & Retreats

Can War Ever End? An Evening Gathering

Warriors of Light Workshop - 4 Mornings

Can War Ever End? An Evening Gathering

Can the cycle of war ever come to an end?  Why is there perpetual conflict throughout the world?
 Join us for a discussion about the causes of conflict that lead to war, and what, if anything, can be done to prevent it.


Proceeds will be donated to 

Save the Children.


At the Ojai Retreat

 Ojai, CA workshops & retreats

A Still Mind - One Day Retreat

Warriors of Light Workshop - 4 Mornings

Can War Ever End? An Evening Gathering

The  stress and turbulence of daily life can be overwhelming. We long for a  place to retreat and feel refreshed by a sense of beauty and inner quiet. But  where is that quiet  space we need?  


We'll explore a practice of quietude inspired by the wisdom of Ramana Maharshi and J.  Krishnamurti. 


Workshops & Retreats


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