MyOutSpirit.com Gay Spirituality Blog

Deep Consciousness: A Weekend with Toby Johnson at Easton Mountain

DEEP CONSCIOUSNESS: A Gay Perspective

Easton Mountain Retreat Center, August 8-10, 2008

"There is a certain enlightenment that goes with being gay."

Gay spiritual-writer, MyOutSpirit Founding Member and former White Crane Journal editor, Toby Johnson, PhD will present a weekend of talks, introspective exercises and conversations about “Gay Perspective,” that is, gay men’s natural insights into the nature of myth, religion and the meaning of life.

An entertaining—and occasionally moving—speaker and storyteller, Johnson will relate “The Myth of Avalokiteshvara,” revealing the whimsical, but profound, answer to why gay men reincarnate; explain fellow writer Christian de la Huerta’s “Ten Roles Gay People Play in Society,” calling participants to locate their own vocation among these; and lead a Guided Meditation practice to achieve brain hemisphere synchrony and—hopefully—a direct insight experience of “seeing God” (based in Meister Eckhart’s aphorism: “The eye with which I see God is the eye with which God sees me).”

Lecture and brainstorming will be complemented with playful ritual, sacred singing (including familiar hymns, Hindu & Buddhist chants and just a little Gregorian Chant) and a round of Sufi Dancing.

Here's the link to register!

 

http://www.eastonmountain.com/programs/080808_deepconsciousness.html

If you inquire or go to the event, tell the folks at Easton Mountain you heard about it on MyOutSpirit!

Renewable energy activists to speak

An announcement from Easton Mountain in Greenwich, NY: Join us for an evening with Energy Activists Jeff Beller and Susan Caumont Wednesday, October 11th, 2006.

The most important thing to understand about Jeff Beller is that he is selfless when it comes to educating the public about Renewable Energy. His energy to communicate the basics of this good idea seems renewable and at the same time renews him.

Two events for gay men

There are still got a few spaces for two upcoming events of possible interest to male readers of this blog.

Don Shewey and I will be leading our sixth annual retreat to Italy June 17-24, 2006. We call it “Come to Your Senses.” In addition to exploring a particularly beautiful part of our world, we structure the retreat to explore the natural world of the senses, to inquire into what it means to have a good life, and to expand both intimacy and self-awareness in the company of other open-hearted men. For more information, email me at jballew@mindspring.com or visit our web site: www.cometoyoursensestravel.com.

Cultivating sensuality in Tuscany: a retreat for gay men facilitated by John Ballew and Don Shewey

June 17-24, 2006

Don and I believe that in today's fast-paced world, where hard-working people spend their days harnessed to computers and cell phones, it is spiritually rewarding to take time to refine simple pleasures. This is the sixth year we will travel to Italy to explore the natural world of the senses, to inquire into what it means to have a good life, and to expand both intimacy and self-awareness in the company of other open-hearted men.

Poster Boy?

I've just discovered the work of Christian Pankhurst,  an (apparently) out Gay teacher of Conversations With God and a leader in the "Humanity's Team" movement.  "Apparently" Gay because I'm assuming he uses the word "partner" the way I use it, as a shortened form of "life partner":

"Christian is a graduate of the Fastrak Leadership Education Program and personally mentored by Neale Donald Walsch, author of the Conversations With God series. Christian and his partner, Andrew Stewart, are on a world tour covering the US, Europe and Australia presenting their two most popular events, the 'Embracing Change Experience' and the 'Being It!' five day intensive." 

You can check out "Embracing Change" June 17-19, 2005, in Ashland, Oregon.

A leader in the Gay Spirituality movement recently expressed to me that from a marketing perspective he suspects "that what's needed to get this all going is a hot young man who'll turn everybody's head with his good looks, who'll appear on the cover of 'The Advocate' barechested to proclaim a new Gay religion that has no connection with anything in the past and who gets his start through some kind of media event/news crisis that brings massive publicity."

While "Looking at Lookism", as Joe Perez put it, I think we should certainly consider getting behind anybody with all the ingredients (body, mind, spirit, ability, willingness) to make spiritual inquiry and practice more popular in Gay culture.  Hmm...Could one of those people be Christian Pankhurst? 

After all Goko Media's attempts this last year to identify LGBT Spiritual Resource Providers working in this field for the OutSpirit Guide, I love that I'm still pleasantly surprised by who turns up.  I wonder what other "great hopes" remain undiscovered?

New York City events this fall

Dear Community:

I wanted to share with you the exciting news of Institute for Authentic Process Healing East Coast Fall Events.

The Institute is planning our next retreat "Energetic Living & Healing: A Ritual Approach" for October 1-3. The retreat will be facilitated by Dr. Michael Picucci and his colleagues from the Institute for Authentic Process Healing. We hope that you will join us for a joyful and deep experience in the Catskills. It promises to be a very special weekend. To reserve space contact: Robert Feferman: robertf@theinstitute.org or 917-837-1793. Institute Executive Director, Ana Venezia and Robert Feferman, CSW will lead an optional twelve week Wisdom Circle as a continuum to the retreat. For more info on retreat, go to:
http://theinstitute.org/misc/Ritual-retreat.htm

Between the Worlds

In about one month I will be packing my camping gear and flying out of Portland to attend a gay men's alternative spirituality gathering in Ohio.

Between the Worlds is an alternative spiritual gathering held from September 15th-19th for gay, bi and questioning men. Held over the autumnal equinox at a private campground in southeastern Ohio, Between the Worlds features workshops, presentations, performances, drumming, dancing and rituals in a neo-pagan context. By limiting attendance to gay, bi and queer men, the facilitators seek to provide a safe atmosphere for gay and bi men to explore a diversity of spiritual paths and traditions in a gay neo-pagan context. It is the goal of the facilitators to provide a climate in which gay and bi men can reconnect homoeroticism and the sacred, where they can rediscover the mystical through ecstatic worship and where men can form friendships and relationships that will support and help them on their spiritual quest.

Interested men can register here.

Maybe I will see you there?