Skymind: Resting in the Natural State
Based on their new book, Skymind: The Radical Path of Open Awareness (Shambhala, 2026), Charlotte Rotterdam and Pieter Oosthuizen will be offering a retreat at Garrison Institute, October 28–31, 2026.
A thousand years ago, Machig Labdrön, the renowned 11th century Tibetan yogini, taught that it is only in meeting our fears and shadows that we are able to access the wisdom and peace we so deeply yearn for. We are invited to “go to the places that scare you” – not with armor and aggression but with curiosity and compassion.
These ancient insights are grounded in the profound understanding of our fundamental, indestructible wholeness and the recognition that the sky-like vastness of our awareness can hold and embrace whatever arises. They offer refuge and guidance as we engage a world marked by uncertainty, confusion, and even despair.
How can we draw on the depths of our innate wakefulness to meet this moment of time with clarity and a fiercely loving heart? Our practice is not to effort more, but to access, rest into, and engage from the awakened heart-mind which lies within each of us.
In this retreat, Charlotte and Pieter draw on Machig’s direct teachings, practice open awareness meditation, and cultivate the warmth of community in order to access the spacious brilliance of our minds and the tenderness of our care.
For more information: https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/event/skymind-meeting-our-world-with-a-vast-mind/
In July, Garrison Institute Managing Director Steve Varley met with Charlotte and Pieter for a virtual discussion and brief practice about these insights, which are deeply explored in their recently released book Skymind: The Radical Path of Open Awareness:
