It’s stunningly beautiful here at Esalen in Big Sur, California. As I gaze out over the gardens and the expansive blue sea, admiring the waves sparking in the sunlight, I breathe in the gift of being immersed here for the month. Weaving connections, bathing under the stars, being here is nourishing for the body, mind and soul. Conversing with staff and seminarians, there’s a shared sense of gratitude and wonder. The power of place is something holistic centers share, each one emerging from their unique land and culture. [Read more…]

The annual International Holistic Centers Gathering is approaching in May and we share this mini video to welcome all who are joining us. Explore the various websites and learn more about the different centers as we prepare to meet in person. During the week we’ll explore leadership and communication, programming and marketing, sustainability and spirituality. Enjoy morning yoga and meditation, sailing and kayaking, or relax with a soothing massage. Open space sessions and informal conversations over meal time create an inspiring and supportive meeting of peers. [Read more…]

by Ralph White

January 13th 2019 marks the 35th birthday of the New York Open Center. It all began one freezing night at Cooper Union in the mythic year of 1984 when our first event, a Paul Winter premier of his SunSeeker album, launched our public programs. It was a night to remember. A packed house roared its support for this fledgling initiative that seemed finally to be bring the Big Apple its own holistic learning center dedicated to bringing the finest teachers and teachings from all over America and all over the world. [Read more…]

By Jenyng Wu

Drop a pebble in the water: just a splash, and it is gone;
But there’s half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on,

The moment: an invitation to the Centers Gathering at Omega in 2018.

As the Finance and Operations Director at the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center, my work is predominantly internal. I love to build things, specifically systems and networks within an organization that then supports and enables its external work. At OAEC it is the inter-connections and intersections of ecology, education and advocacy. We explore solutions to the urgent ecological and social crises of our times and seek to model what a just and equitable transition could look like at our 80-acre demonstration and education site. So, when I was told about a network of centers gathering to share best practices and that the theme was diversity and inclusion, it just made sense that I should go. And so, I went. [Read more…]

Effective small business owners know how to manage a company, but they are also natural leaders who work on themselves as much as they do on their businesses. Being a leader involves doing everything we can to make ourselves a good example for employees in all areas. As leaders of holistic centers we might not always recognise ourselves as small business owners and feel the need to develop our business acumen instead. It’s important that we recognise the wealth of experience we have in the holistic field, while continuing to develop personally and professionally. [Read more…]

As a co-worker in the Findhorn Foundation for eight years, I became increasingly aware of the financial challenges within the non-profit world and spiritual culture of the community. In the role of leading the core educational offerings, the primary income stream for the organisation and the primary gateway for guests, I was determined to make this area as successful as possible. Non-profits can be a haven for the martyr archetypes!

The warrior is often active too. Reversing a ten-year trend of declining income over consecutive years, within my area of influence, I became a keen student of the many elements involved. Attending the Centers Gathering each year it was clear the financial dimension was the weak point in the holistic system for many other centers as well. [Read more…]