Offerings

 

 

Courses, sessions and retreats convene at the Open Path teaching space in Shoreham, on the Mornington Peninsula south of Melbourne, or at the Open Path teaching space on French Island, accessible by ferry from the Mornington Peninsula at Stony Point. Some sessions are offered via Zoom. Let us know if you wish to attend and we can assist you with advice regarding directions and access (contact details below). If you have previously indicated an intention to attend, please advise us of your absence in advance.. The offerings are, in the spirit of dana, the universal flow of responsive relating – gifting and acceptance – by donation.

Deepening Dharma Practice

We offer fortnightly sessions, ‘Deepening the Dharma’ exploring the universal teachings of awakening drawing upon diverse spiritual teachings from around the planet, in particular, classical and contemporary Buddhadharma.

Each session introduces a contemplative theme complemented by guided, gentle mindfulness through movement practice and sitting meditation. This provides a deep foundation of easeful body awareness that also settles the mind. This, in turn, enables the arising of metta (Pali) “loving kindness” and heartfelt interest both furthering curiosity, awareness and a concomitant sense of joy. The foundation of calm (samatha) enables and supports contemplative exploration (vipassana) and greater discernment of what is supportive of a wholesome, healthy life. With ongoing cultivation, more awareness and discernment enables the release of unhelpful habitual patternings of body, speech and mind enabling a standpoint of naturalness and openness. The sessions are further enabled throuigh group discussion and guidelines for individual practice at home.

Current Sessions

Mindfulness through Movement
Sundays, Fortnightly: 10.45am - 12.15pm.
(aligns with French Island Ferry, Sunday Timetable)).

Mindfulness Through Movement is a contemporary approach to classical Buddhist practice: kaya-nupassana - awareness of body. Offered fortnightly, these sessions employ both a micro and macro lens in the observation of gentle movement sequences of the body: initially, a micro lens enabling attention to detail, observing associated sensations in the muscular-skeletal response of the active physical body; subsequently, a macro lens to discern overall body-mind arisings of experience in the resting body; for instance, direct experience of qualities such as centeredness, groundedness or openness. This focused, mindful way of working establishes deep bodily and mental calm and shifts unhelpful habitual bodily formations, associated emotions and mindstates. With ongoing practice, experiences of greater clarity of mind, enhanced self-awareness and increased responsiveness arise that can be further cultivated in everyday life.
By Donation.
Fortnightly, February 9th - June 1st.
Please register in advance: contact@openpathmeditation.com.au
(NB: Seniors travel free on the French Island ferry at weekends)

Aligning with Awakened Energy
Sundays, Five Sessions, Fortnightly: 10.00am - 12.00noon

In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the energy of freedom is symblised by Vajra Yogini, represented as a youthful feminine figure dancing. Contemplation of specific detail in the representation, for instance, posture, colour and adornment, with practice, prompts inner direct experience of wholesome qualities of mind. Sustained cultivation of these mindstates with ongoing practice furthers skilfull responsiveness to the challenges of everyday life. The course enables participants to explore and contemplate traditional and contemporary practices that align one with the natural energy flow of the universe.
By Donation
Please register in advance: contact@openpathmeditation.com.au
Fortnightly, April 13 - June 8.

Retreats

Monthly Retreat Days

Our monthly retreat day provides an opporunity to set aside a whole day for Dharma practice in a supportive environment. We provide a general theme for the day, lead a session of movement and a group sit. Participants are then free to undertake their own individual contemplative work using the available practice space and surrounds. The day concludes with group sharing and discussion on arising questions and themes of exploration.

Current Sessions

Monthly Retreat Day.
10.00am - 4.00pm.

The monthly retreat day provides an opportunity to devote a whole day and sustain Dharma practice accross a few hours while walking, sitting and eating. A general contemplative theme such as, "generosity", "centredness" or "patience" is set for the day providing a common focus for participants. As an entry point, we lead a gentle mindfulness through movement session and a group sit. Participants then carry on with their own practice using the teaching space, the garden, the surrounding bushland and nearby beach walks. The day concludes with a group sharing of the explorations. No meditation experience or particular commitment to a tradition is required to join.
By Donation.
Please bring a plate to share for lunch. Refreshments provided.
Sundays, 10.00am - 4.00pm: February 16; March 16; April 13; May 11; June 8.
Please register in advance: contact@openpathmeditation.com.au

Longer Retreats

We offer two (2) nine-day retreats annually focused on specific theme in May and October commencing on a Saturday and finishing the following Sunday week. The schedule generally includes a morning and occasionally an afternoon teaching session with space between for personal exploration and practice – sitting, standing, lying down and walking – both indoors and outdoors in the beautiful Shoreham bushland and beach environments.

Current Sessions

Nine Day Retreat:
Cultivating Naturalness
9.00am Saturday 10th to 2.30pm Sunday 18th.

All the great spiritual and mystical teachings ultimately come back to the cultivation of an 'authentic' self, unhindered by both unhelpful entrenched personal habits and coercive messages of others - parents, families, society and the media.

The unending natural world of living beings - plants, animals, insects, fungi - both of the land and sea, seemingly unencumbered, contribute their unique configuration of being to their particular ecological niche. Our own immersion in the natural world is both healing and provides unending inspiration for attuning oneself with the 'natural order of things'. How do we as both individual and collective human beings, find and contribute our own authentic and unique configuration to the unfolding of life on the planet? This nine day retreat will be an opportunity to deepen and further explore these themes.

Awakening, as in natural awakening, is an adverb; an ongoing, continuum experience founded upon deep bodily calm, thus a settled mind, and increased familiarity with resting in a non-dual, first-person, direct experience of a vibrant, vast, spacious, open mandala of being, arising moment-to-moment.

The retreat will provide participants with some simple practices for contacting a way of natural abiding that can be readily incorporated into existing busy lives. These include pausing in the flow of events, centring and grounding oneself in the body, experiencing greater calm and spaciousness of being and thereby, increased clarity of mind. By cultivating these qualities, one's natural state of abiding and interconnectedness with the natural world becomes more apparent.

Retreat provides experienced practioners with space, time and a supportive environment for deepening practice. For those new to meditation, it is the opportunity to build confidence, receive encouragment and ask those questions you always wanted to ask. The daily program will comprise silent individual practice both formal and informal, and group gatherings:
* a morning teaching session on a specific facet of contemplative practice and mindfulness practice: both gentle movement work and group sitting meditation;
* an afternoon session of movement work.

The retreat runs from Saturday May 11 through to Sunday May 19, 2024.
Participants need to self-cater for meals.
Camping is available at the Shoreham Foreshore Reserve (ph: 5989 8325).
For other accommodation options check The Cliffs Retreat (https://www.thecliffsretreat.com) or call Kathryn 0457 203 630.

For registration and further information for all courses contact Kathryn: ph:+61 (0)3 5989 8179; mob: +61 (0)457 203 630; contact@openpathmeditation.com.au

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