Longing & Spiritual Poverty

with Esther Freinkel Tishman

There is an ancient Zen koan (i.e. teaching story) that goes: Joshu earnestly asked Nansen, “What is the Way?” Nansen answered, “Ordinary mind is the Way.” Joshu asked, “Should I direct myself toward it or not?” Nansen said, “If you try to turn toward it, you go against it.” Joshu asked, “If I do not try to turn toward it, how can I know that it’s the Way?” Nansen answered, “The Way does not belong to knowing or not knowing."

More than anything else, Suzuki taught the west about ordinary mind. He taught us how to practice - how to sit on a round black cushion, to be sure, but more importantly: how to eat an orange, how to change a baby's diaper, how to meet the flotsam and jetsam of our lives. That may not sound very sexy, and in truth it isn't sexy. As mystics go, his life and his attainments are not particularly exciting.

Yet in truth, Suzuki taught us how to burn: how to live our lives completely. In a world that is literally on fire right now, we all need to understand what Suzuki taught so that we may meet the conditions of this moment with our full attention - our full heart - our full energies.

Shunryu Suzuki was only in the US for twelve and a half years before his early death in 1971. Yet more than any teacher before or since, Suzuki Roshi shaped the path of Western Zen. What transformed us all was the ordinary mind that he brought to the West.

Mother Maria Skobstova:
How a Rebel Nun Outsmarted the Nazis

with Rowan Williams

In a world where standing up to injustice feels more urgent than ever, few figures offer more inspiration and guidance than Mother Maria Skobtsova. Her life was anything but conventional—a twice-divorced anarchist who became a nun, chain-smoked, drank, and lived in stained habits. Yet, behind her unorthodox ways was a fierce spirit that gave everything, even her life, to resist oppression and embody radical love.

We are thrilled to invite you to an exclusive class on Mother Maria, taught by the world-renowned Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury and one of the foremost spiritual thinkers of our time. Together, we’ll explore how this scandalous, maverick nun lived out her deep faith in the face of Nazi tyranny, and what her life can teach us about resistance today.

What You’ll Learn:

• How Mother Maria’s unconventional life became a model of defiance in the face of oppression.
• The practical ways she resisted injustice, turning her convent into a refuge for the marginalized, including hiding Jews during the Nazi occupation.
• How her playbook for resistance—fueled by radical love and a refusal to conform to societal expectations—can inspire us to stand up for justice in our own messy, imperfect lives.
• Insights into how she understood sacrifice, love, and suffering as essential parts of true resistance.
• And what makes her Rowan Williams' favorite mystic!

Mother Maria’s story isn’t just history—it’s a blueprint for how we can live with courage, authenticity, and radical compassion today. Whether you’re an activist, a spiritual seeker, or simply someone who wants to make a difference in a world filled with injustice, this class will provide profound insights and actionable wisdom for living a life of purpose.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to dive into the life and lessons of a true spiritual revolutionary. 

Rainer Maria Rilke:
Divine Longings

with Patrick Woodhouse

The poet and mystic Rainer Maria Rilke is known for inviting us to “live the questions.” When in doubt, he says, the answer is vulnerability–staying connected to the suffering of those around us. 

But having a sensitive heart can feel like a liability in times like these. How do we navigate this tumultuous world and keep our fragile hearts intact?

Join us to discover Rilke’s lessons for navigating the world with a sensitive heart!

Rilke did not shield himself from the intensity of reality. He knew what it meant to watch a culture be torn apart before his very eyes, while Europe succumbed to violence. 

And yet equally, he knew what it meant to revel in beauty wherever it is found, from the bright scent of an orange to the ancient shadows of a bell tower.  

This Saturday, we invite you to steep in Rilke’s wisdom. In this one-time masterclass, you will:  

• Find refuge in the heart of a vulnerable God
• Reclaim your deep connection to the Earth and its wholeness.
• Meet a God who is always changing and becoming–and uncover the role we all have in bringing God into being!
• Discover how embracing uncertainty can deepen your intimacy with God

If you've been longing for a spiritual touchstone through the tumult of the modern world, this is a session you won’t want to miss.  

Hazrat Inayat Khan: Awakening to the Sacred Music in All Things

with Omid Safi

Have you ever felt a tug on your heart that words couldn’t explain—just a quiet, steady invitation to draw closer to the Divine?

The great Sufi mystics called this the call of the heart. And few embodied it more beautifully than Hazrat Inayat Khan—the gifted musician and spiritual teacher who first brought Sufism to the West over a century ago.

We invite you to join beloved Islamic teacher Omid Safi for a rare masterclass exploring the luminous life and teachings of Inayat Khan.

Above all, Inayat Khan taught harmony: not as an abstract ideal, but as the most vital task of our time.  

To him, the soul was an instrument—and life, a chance to align with the music of the Divine. He believed that inner harmony, relational harmony, and harmony with God are not only possible, but essential if we’re to meet the challenges of our world.

In this 90-minute masterclass, you’ll discover:

• The deep Sufi practice of listening with the heart

• How to attune your life to the Divine through music, breath, and beauty

• Why Inayat Khan’s inclusive vision of unity speaks directly to our world today

• And how to live your life as a sacred song

If you’ve felt the ache of longing… if you’re seeking deeper connection, spiritual refuge, or beauty that awakens the soul… this gathering is for you.  

Carl Jung: The Mystic Who Found God in the Unconscious

with Daniel Renaud

There’s a quiet movement happening among spiritual seekers—away from certitude, and toward something more expansive, more mysterious, more real.

Psychologist Carl Jung knew that terrain. He walked beyond flat answers and into the unknown—and what he found there wasn’t emptiness, but radiance.

In the upcoming masterclass, Jungian analyst and spiritual teacher Dr. Fanny Brewster will usher us beyond Jung the psychologist to encounter Jung the contemplative: the spiritual adventurer, the lover of mystery, the trailblazer for those walking the edges of institutional religion.

For those of us who are restless for something deeper, Jung’s work offers a surprising bridge—into the heart of our own souls, into the mystical tradition, and into a wider, more inclusive vision of the Divine.

In this class, you’ll discover:

🌑 Why Jung thought the unconscious was holy ground

🕊 How his visions echo the path of Christian mystics

🌀 How inner work becomes sacred work

--And more!

If you’ve ever wondered how to hold faith and doubt, ritual and freedom, psychology and spirituality in one soul—this is for you.

Come discover the mystic behind the myth.  

Charles de Focauld: Radical Solidarity in the Sahara

with Fr. Leonard Tighe

Most people have never heard of him.

But Dorothy Day said he was among the greats, like Saint Francis and Benedict.

Pope Francis said this mystic helped him understand the gospel and overcome his spiritual crises.

Who was he?

A French aristocrat who walked away from wealth.
A spiritual seeker who failed out of the military.
A restless soul who longed to disappear into the life of Jesuss — and, in the Sahara, did just that.

His name was Charles de Foucauld.

Charles would spend his final years living among an indigenous tribe in Algeria, the Tuareg — not to convert or colonize, but simply to love. He built deep friendships across religious divides. He fought against his home country’s colonialism in the area. And he quietly translated Tuareg poetry and compiled their first dictionary, honoring their culture as sacred.

He was radical. Intense. Hard on himself, yet endlessly tender toward others.

He longed to live what he called the “spirituality of Nazareth” — the quiet, hidden life of Jesus. No fame, no followers, no success. Just love, lived faithfully in small, concrete acts.

In 1916, he was killed during a raid on his hermitage, an anonymous death in the desert.

But today, more than twenty lay and religious communities on five continents continue his vision: a life of radical simplicity, quiet solidarity, and deep-rooted love.

Canonized in 2022, Charles de Foucauld is a saint for our times — and maybe for yours.

In this class, you’re invited to join Fr. Lenny Tighe, who has spent 50 years guiding people into the spirituality of Charles de Foucauld in everyday life.

In a time of headlines that devastate and dehumanize, Charles shows us another way: radical presence, humility, and resistance in the shape of familial love.

Come meet a saint who gave up everything — and found something most of us are still longing for.  

Charles de Focauld: Radical Solidarity in the Sahara

with Fr. Leonard Tighe

Most people have never heard of him.

But Dorothy Day said he was among the greats, like Saint Francis and Benedict.

Pope Francis said this mystic helped him understand the gospel and overcome his spiritual crises.

Who was he?

A French aristocrat who walked away from wealth.
A spiritual seeker who failed out of the military.
A restless soul who longed to disappear into the life of Jesuss — and, in the Sahara, did just that.

His name was Charles de Foucauld.

Charles would spend his final years living among an indigenous tribe in Algeria, the Tuareg — not to convert or colonize, but simply to love. He built deep friendships across religious divides. He fought against his home country’s colonialism in the area. And he quietly translated Tuareg poetry and compiled their first dictionary, honoring their culture as sacred.

He was radical. Intense. Hard on himself, yet endlessly tender toward others.

He longed to live what he called the “spirituality of Nazareth” — the quiet, hidden life of Jesus. No fame, no followers, no success. Just love, lived faithfully in small, concrete acts.

In 1916, he was killed during a raid on his hermitage, an anonymous death in the desert.

But today, more than twenty lay and religious communities on five continents continue his vision: a life of radical simplicity, quiet solidarity, and deep-rooted love.

Canonized in 2022, Charles de Foucauld is a saint for our times — and maybe for yours.

In this class, you’re invited to join Fr. Lenny Tighe, who has spent 50 years guiding people into the spirituality of Charles de Foucauld in everyday life.

In a time of headlines that devastate and dehumanize, Charles shows us another way: radical presence, humility, and resistance in the shape of familial love.

Come meet a saint who gave up everything — and found something most of us are still longing for.