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


Adopting a Standpoint of Lucid Open Responsiveness

A state of positive mental health and wellbeing is a capacity to be calm, clear and appropriately responsive in the face of ordinary life events. The ability to embody grounded, clear responsiveness as a default standpoint requires ongoing nurturing. Practices that support such a standpoint have been handed down over centuries through many cultural traditions, including teachings from the historical Buddha. Common foundational qualities emphasised acoss traditions include, groundedness, loving kindness, the interconnectedness of all life, mandala symbolism and contemplative practice. Drawing upon these traditions, this course at Open Path of six fortnightly sessions will provide participants with a set of practices towards experiencing a grounded, clear, open and responsive standpoint. Within the two-hour sessions, participants first explore practices under guidance, then on their own during the week sharing related arisings and feedback within the next session. Utilising these skills and tools, ongoing practice enables greater continuum experience of a lucid, open responsive standpoint in everyday life.
Sundays, Fortnightly,10.0 - 12.00pm.
Shoreham live & Online via Zoom, May 10th - July 19th.
Fee: nil. Traditionally, participants make an offering.
Register: contact@openpathmeditation.com.au


Mindfulness through Movement

Mindfulness Through Movement is a contemporary approach to the classical Buddhist practice of kayanupassana (Pali) - awareness of body. Offered fortnightly, these sessions lend both a micro and macro lens to the observation of gentle movement sequences: a micro lens enabling detailed attention to body sensation and related muscular-skeletal connections; and, a macro lens to discern overall qualities of arising experience associated with the deeply calm body, such as, a direct, first-person experiences of centeredness, groundedness or openness.
This focused, mindful way of working establishes deep bodily and mental calm, releases bodily tensions, liberates associated negativity, and provides direct, embodied experience of supportive, healthy mind states. With ongoing practice, calm becomes easily accessible through increased everyday kinaesthetic awareness thereby supporting greater clarity and engaged responsiveness.
Sundays, Fortnightly,10.0 - 12.00pm.
French Island & Online via Zoom, May 17th - July 19th.
Fee: nil. Traditionally, participants make an offering.
Register: contact@openpathmeditation.com.au

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

The monthly retreat day provides an opportunity to leave aside ongoing projects, drop 'go nowhere' conversations, and to enjoy the symphony of the natural world without verbal interruption. This is an opportunity to schedule a space in your calendar, and devote a whole day to cultivating deeper stillness. Explore classical and contemporary practices while walking on the beach, sitting comfortably in the garden, standing beholding the open sky, or lying flat on the floor in a dedicated space.
A general contemplative theme such as, "generosity", "centredness" or "patience" guides each retreat day, providing a common focus for all participants. As an entry point, we convene a gentle mindfulness through movement session and a group sit. Participants then carry on with their own practice. The day concludes with experiential group sharing of the explorations.
Please bring your lunch. Refreshments provided.
Sundays, 10.00am - 4.00pm.
May 24; June 21; July 19.
Fee: nil. Traditionally, participants make an offering.
Register: 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

There are no retreats scheduled at this time

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

Open Path
Welcome
Offerings
Teaching Space
Garden
Environs
About
Schedule