Five renowned local spiritual leaders will participate on a public panel to showcase their spiritual teachings at the Davis Unitarian Church Library Building on Saturday, September 21, from 10 am to 12:00 pm, Each of these spiritual leaders have provided meditations and spiritual dharma talks to groups of Davis area participants for a number of years, free of charge.
This public event will cost $10.
The panelists will share about their groups and lead the audience through guided meditations. They will also discuss their personal spiritual practices and take questions from the audience. At the end of the panel presentation, refreshments will be served and there will be an opportunity for audience participants to talk directly with each of the panelists.
The moderator and panelists have varied spiritual backgrounds:
Deborah Cohen, the panel moderator, founded the Davis Awakening to Spirit Group in 2010. Prior to that the group met in Sacramento. Deborah has been a spiritual group teacher and facilitator for the past 18 years. In her group gatherings, Deborah offers a guided meditation followed by a spiritual topic she presents experientially. The teachings are about “nondual spirituality”– the idea that a connection to spirituality exists beyond the dualistic mind. Participants explore their own spiritual journeys and learn processing techniques for transcending the ego and the patterns of beliefs and behavior that keep us feeling stuck and unhappy. The group meets the third Saturday of each month.
Gerry Hair leads a group called Awakening Community. Gerry has been a spiritual teacher and group facilitator for over forty years. His group is based on a mix of traditions, including Christian mysticism, Buddhism, Sufism and Taoism. He offers a guided meditation and a reading followed by discussion of what has come up from the meditations and readings. Gerry’s group meets the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m.
Rabbi Seth Castleman was authorized and trained as a Buddhist meditation teacher by Jack Kornfield, founder of Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Marin County. His Mindful Moment meditation group takes place each Tuesday from 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Rabbi Castleman begins his meetings with a period of mindfulness instruction followed by a period of silent meditation, with teachings, discussion and questions during the second half of the meeting.
Larry Melton immersed himself in studying with spiritual teacher Adyashanti for four years, engaging in deep spiritual inquiry and then had an awakening experience. Subsequently, Larry was then told by spiritual teacher Adyashanti to “share the dharma with others”. offers a “satsang” the second Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. “satsang’ means “gathering together with the truth.” Larry facilitates a silent meditation followed by discussion about whatever is coming up for the participants.
Terry Parker led a Davis Siddha Yoga Group in the past. Her spiritual orientation is Advaita Yoga from India. She has made numerous trips to India and continues with her Siddha Yoga meditation practice.
