Our next gathering will be this Sunday; the topic for discussion this week will be "The Spirit of Christmas". We will begin with 5-minute silent meditation and end with 5-minute silent meditation. There is a different discussion topic each week, which is decided upon at the time of closing the previous week (during the week the upcoming topic is usually posted here in this announcement). Some of us often go for lunch afterward and you are welcome to join us.

NOTE ON ATTENDANCE: Most of our participants do NOT use Meetup.com and therefore do not show up in the "attending" numbers. We use the Meetup.com calendar because it is very convenient and helps to create a public awareness. There are usually about 10-15 participants.

At 9:00am, just before the Center for Nondualism meeting, there is deep relaxation practice each week in the meditation hall. It is listed separately in this Meetup.com group, where the specific practice for the week is described.

The Center for Nondualism was founded in Fort Walton Beach, Florida in 2007 as a community for people who share the Nondual/Monistic perspective of Religion, Yoga, and Philosophy. The purpose of the Center is to maintain a loving fellowship and to provide a nurturing environment that is conducive to learning and experiencing the oneness of Nondualism.

Nondualism ("Advaita" in Sanskrit; a=non; dvaita=dualism) is the orientation that there is one absolute reality without a second, and that each of us, although an individual person, is one with that reality, just as a wave is not separate from the ocean. The emphasis of our Center is on the practices such as contemplation and meditation, which lead to the direct experience of this Nondual reality.

Participants have historically had a wide range of backgrounds and practices including Advaita Vedanta, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Yoga, Course in Miracles, 12-Step programs and other mystical or esoteric traditions. Some have a theistic orientation (believing in a dualistic personal god) and others have a non-theistic orientation (not believing in a dualistic personal god). Nondualism is inclusive of all and exclusive of none. There is no person or group of people who are excluded from this nondual reality.

HOST / SPONSOR

The Center for Nondualism meeting is hosted/sponsored by Abhyasa Ashram without any rental fee or requests for money, but is not part of Abhyasa Ashram. Some have likened this relationship to the way in which AA meetings may happen in a church building, but not be a part of that church.

The Meetup page for Abhyasa Ashram is here: 
http://www.meetup.com/abhyasa-ashram/

The Meetup calendar page for Abhyasa Ashram is here: 
http://www.meetup.com/abhyasa-ashram/#calen...