All times listed are Eastern Standard Time. Look below for helpful links.
7:00 – 7:30 am – Centering Prayer – With Rev. Anne Blanchard
Centering Prayer is a method designed to seek the true Self by deepening into the intention to recognize and promptly empty ourselves of what is not true and, in turn, abide more and more fully in the heart as a symbol of the Truth of What We Are.
During the 20-minute silent practice period, we relax and allow everything to be as it is. When we notice attention has gone to a thought/image/feeling/perception, we ever-so-gently return to a sacred word of our choosing. We do not resist thought but we also do not follow it either. We let thoughts go by without thinking ABOUT them. We let them be by softly saying our sacred word inwardly as a symbol of our intention to consent to the Presence of God within and God’s action within.
Devotional music or words will be offered prior to the start of the 20-minute silent practice period and for a couple minutes directly following the practice period to allow a transition time back to our ordinary awareness.
7:30 – 8:30 am – Being Aware of Awareness Meditation – Led by Rev. Anne Blanchard
One of the core practices of the Awakening Together community is Awareness Watching Awareness meditation. Those words can inspire as much confusion for some as they do clarity of purpose for others. This program provides an opportunity to be in community with others who will to find that place of no-place, that attention to our natural attentiveness, that innate humanness that can often be overlooked. Rev. Anne will lead participants through gently guided Being Aware of Awareness Meditation. Rev. Anne Blanchard facilitates this program on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
8:30 – 9:00 am – Contemplating the Thoughts of Awakening – A Daily Devotional Practice with Rev. Michele Hojnacki and Sami Ross
This program is a daily, year-long devotional practice that focuses on contemplating the Thoughts of Awakening. This group will meet every morning at 8:30 am ET for 30 minutes to share our insights from the previous day’s contemplation with our inner teacher. The facilitators are Rev. Michele Hojnacki and Sami Ross.
The Thoughts of Awakening were given to Regina Dawn Akers in response to her prayer for help. In her book, Thoughts of Awakening, Regina wrote, “I found the contrast between profound spiritual devotion and her typical day-to-day state of mind unbearable”. The Thoughts of Awakening were given to help her from “falling back into the old state of mind after my morning devotional practice”. She says of the Thoughts of Awakening, “They are the thoughts that led from suffering with a split mind to the experience of a highly consistent, happy way of being.”
“Each of the 365 thoughts is intended for a full day’s contemplation. They are to be read and contemplated repeatedly throughout the day. If you read and contemplate each thought deeply for a full day, you’ll experience shifts towards true perception this year.”
The group’s aim is to support one another in a daily practice of inner listening using the Thoughts of Awakening. This group could benefit those new to inner contemplation or anyone wishing to enhance their practice.
We will contemplate a single Thought of Awakening daily with our inner teacher.
Following Regina’s recommendation, we’ll write it down and carry it with us for reflection throughout the day, as well as reflecting on and putting into practice the guidance received from our own inner teacher.
The book ‘Thoughts of Awakening’ by Regina Dawn Akers is available to purchase on Amazon: https://a.co/d/2ag15vy
Our invitation to join extends to all, even if attending the daily sessions is not possible.
11:30 am – Willingness – with Sami Ross
During this half hour we will listen together, either in meditation or contemplation, with eyes opened or closed, as a beautiful prayer of willingness is spoken. We will notice without judgement what is present, the “yesses” and the “noes”, with open curiosity.
12:00 pm – I Think, Therefore… – Rev. Cyndi Krupp
In this program, Rev. Cyndi will explore how we can use the Conditioning Loop (What I think, I see, what I see, I experience, what I experience I think) to shine a light on how the little self works to keep us in the dark. She will be using personal stories, contemplations, and wisdom teachings. Join Cyndi in using the world that we see and the thoughts that we think to Awaken Together.
12:30 pm – Living The Undefended Surrender Experiment – Rev. Rhoda Makled
With humor, love, and open-hearted awareness, Rev. Rhoda Makled explores her own take on the Surrender Experiment as coined by Michael Singer. Raw, authentic, and faithfully she is uncovering the path to living in the undefended Heart.
Rev. Rhoda digs into topics she is exploring in her life such as what it means to live the experiment of being surrendered. Feeling every feeling and seeing every thought she can, Rhoda shares the journey of studying, journaling, contemplating, being inspired by, and surrendering to Truth. Inspired by so many teachers including those here at Awakening Together, Rhoda shares her contemplations and invites you to come and discuss your experience with your own surrender experiment. This undefended dialogue with Inner Wisdom is just one more way to observe, as the self is undone–the intention being to leave space only for awareness of Awareness and release everything that covers Truth.
In this program, Rev. Rhoda explores the teachings of Michael Singer, Regina Dawn Akers, Paul Hedderman, Roger Castillo, Helen Hamilton, and many more.
1:00 pm – Unfiltered – Rev. Anne Blanchard
Rev. Anne Blanchard shares her experience of purification and awakening, unfiltered and as it happens. Raw, reflective, brave, and infused with clarity, Anne’s open honesty inspires us all to dive deep into the spiritual journey instead of simply skimming the surface.
2:00 pm – Devotional Non-Duality – Joseph Schmitz
Joseph invites us to delve deeper into the unknown, embracing the journey with curiosity, love, and trust.
Dr. Hawkins wrote that “…the essential required qualities needed for following the pathway of nonduality are humility, surrender, and devotional dedication to the pathway.”
Awakening Together is an assembly of equals joined in a common purpose: awakening to one true Self. While many teachings remind us that we already are that Self—unchanging, whole, and complete—why does it often feel so difficult to live from that as our direct experience?
One suggestion is that it is due to the fear of the unknown. No matter how challenging the circumstances of life might be, it’s still mostly familiar territory in that it’s “my” life, these are “my” circumstances, and this is “my” territory.
Exploring unknown territories can be both dangerous and adventurous. We will journey ever deeper into the unknown guided by the wisdom of spiritual teachers such as Dr. David Hawkins, Angelo DiLullo, Regina Dawn Akers, Adyashanti, as well as the insights found in music, poetry, and the intuitive wisdom within us all.
2:30 pm – CSI: Back to Basics – Rev. Doreen Bonnet
Join Rev. Doreen Bonnet as she uses the tools of CSI….contemplation, silence (meditation), and inquiry. Using her spiritual aspiration as a pointer, Doreen calls upon Inner Wisdom to navigate life and share her discoveries.
3:00 pm – Sangha Led Contemplations – Hosted by Jo-Ann Crane-Rodrigues
Please join us as we continue to contemplate Out of the Stillness & The Seven Steps to Awakening. Each week, we will share from Regina Dawn Akers’ published journal, Out of the Stillness. It was written as a personal journal over 8½ years as she contemplated quotes from spiritual masters and practiced the insight she realized through contemplation. The quotes Regina contemplated were collected by Michael Langford and published in The Seven Steps to Awakening. Both books are used in this program.
A new facilitator will also be assigned each week. Please email Jo-Ann if you feel to volunteer as a facilitator at j_crane_rodrigues@yahoo.com. The facilitator will be the one to facilitate the program during the following week. The facilitator will lead by reading the quotes, calling on participants who wish to share their contemplations. They may also share their contemplations if so moved. To be a facilitator you will need both books.
Any questions asked, will be posed to the group and inner wisdom will be brought forth from the sangha in response. We invite anyone who feels called to join us as we step into the vision of a highly effective sangha.
4:00 – 5:30 pm – Awakening Together Sanctuary Closed
5:30 – An Hour Tonight! A Lot to Say About Nothing – Rev. Billy Sintiris
In this weekly program, Rev. Billy will expand on Awakening Together’s Core Value Number One by utilizing inspirational writings by various authors, including awakened masters, poets, and personal guests. Words alone, being subject to duality, cannot transform in and by themselves. But when paired with seeing and looking within, we can go beyond their limits. “A Lot to Say About Nothing” is about surrendering self (personal identity). Words can only point to the Truth of the Whole Mind. He will look deeper into the many words used to take us home to the One. NOTE: This program will be an hour long on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, beginning a half an hour earlier at 5:30 ET.
6:30 pm – Gentle Healing Year 3 – Facilitated by Rev. Sharon Hepburn
Rev. Sharon Hepburn guides committed students who would like to make consistent, gentle progress toward genuine peace, joy, and love. Year 3 is based on The Seven Steps to Awakening.
7:30 pm – Explorations of the Unbound – with Revs. Sharon Hepburn and Shawna Summers
Please join us for this half-hour program in the Sanctuary Explorations of the Unbound, which will be a live, spontaneous contemplation, between Revs. Shawna Summers and Sharon Hepburn. They will explore and unhinge what constricts the opening to the joyous movement of the unbound. This will be an ongoing weekly program.
8:00 – Joy Enfolding All in Love – Laura Joy Bedford
Join Laura Joy as she joins in wholeness and worthiness with the Presence of God’s Unconditional Love and our True Divine Self. Laura Joy shares what is alive in her awareness during the program and enfolds it in Love if it seems to be different from the astounding and eternal Love of the Divine, so that it is dissolved and the Light that had been invested in it is returned to Source. Participants are warmly invited to join and share in Divine Presence and in opening to what Divine Love is revealing.
8:30 pm Sanctuary Closed
All Times listed are Eastern Standard Time – See helpful links below.
Enter the Sanctuary or see the complete listing of speakers.
How to Enter the Sanctuary
