Community Gatherings
Here we list all our online monthly community and role-specific meetups.
There are many more online gatherings than these regular monthly ones. Evolving Ground (eG) apprentices organize hangouts and practice sessions. We run short courses and virtual retreats.
We also hold in-person classes, weekend events, and longer retreats.
Join our online community to see all the gatherings that you can access.
Everyone who joins the community can choose to receive a personalized monthly update email listing all of the gatherings available to them.
Vajrayana Q&A with David Chapman
Available to anyone who’s joined eG
David Chapman is the author of Vividness, Buddhism for Vampires, and Meaningness, and a long-term Vajrayana practitioner. In this Q&A meetup we investigate Vajrayana theory and practice, its development in different cultural contexts, and how we can adapt them for contemporary life. Bring your confusions, grievances, enthusiasm, and curiosity.
— Hosted by David Chapman, recorded for community access.
— 2nd Saturday of each month from 10:30 - 11:30 pm ET.
Opening Awareness Q&A
Available to anyone who’s joined eG
Many community members practice Opening Awareness as their primary meditation, or as a foundation for contemporary Vajrayana practices.
This gathering is open to everyone in the community. Bring your meditation questions, stuckness, success, and curiosity. We host a freeform conversation on whatever is most alive for participants in their opening awareness meditation.
The atmosphere is friendly and informal. There is no obligation to speak or keep your video on. There are usually a variety of practical questions and we draw connections to everyday life. By attending you agree to adhere to the Chatham House Rule.
— Hosted by Charlie, Jared, and apprentices on Zoom, not recorded.
— Usually on the 4th Sunday of each month from 11:00 - 12:00 pm ET (Check your gatherings email or Circle forum for occasional changes).
Community Hangouts
Available to anyone who’s joined eG
Some of our apprentices organize hangouts for the community. These hangouts with a Contemporary Vajrayana, life-affirming focus are a good way to connect with other yogis in an informal, conversational, space. Community hangouts include orientations, happy hours, practice and study groups, and virtual meditation sessions.
— Hosted by eG Apprentices, mentors, or long-standing Happy Yogis.
— Dates and times are variable. Check your gatherings email or Circle forum for occasional changes.
Practice Lab
Available to Enthusiasts and Apprentices
A guided exploration for our core community. Participants attend with curiosity and questions related to their personal meditation and Vajrayana practice. There is no requirement to bring practice questions to each session but attendees are ready to help reveal the leading edges of others’ practices. We usually have time for a deep dive with two or three participants. The main focus of this meetup is practice-related but we often draw connections to everyday life. By attending you agree to adhere to the Chatham House Rule.
— Hosted by Charlie and/or Jared, not recorded.
— 4th Saturday of each month from 11:00 - 12:15 pm ET.
Interaction Lab
Available to Enthusiasts and Apprentices
Each session of this meetup is an opportunity to train confidence with uncertainty, responsibility, autonomy, and enjoyment in everyday interactions. Attending a session means you will show up ready to explore and interact, sometimes in breakout rooms—keeping your video on.
This gathering introduces methods to find and appreciate new ways of being in the world. It is where you can discover the transformative potential of eG’s relational methods, especially if you’re interested in attending a longer, in person retreat.
— Hosted by Charlie and/or Jared, not recorded.
— 2nd Saturday of each month from 12:30 - 2:00 pm ET.
Book Club
Available to Explorers, Enthusiasts, and Apprentices
Book Club participants study books related and adjacent to the Vajrayana traditions that inform eG’s approach. We usually cover multiple chapters in each session. Sometimes a regular participant presents a short summary of the set chapters and suggests questions to kick off the discussion. We take a meta-systematic approach to studying each book: we consider how it fits in relation to different paths and approaches, as well as how it impacts our personal practice and understanding. We often discuss language and worldview. We choose books that include theory but that can be discussed in terms of their influence on personal experience. Past books have included: Spectrum of Ecstasy by Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen; Seeing that Frees by Rob Burbea; The Sacred Path of the Warrior by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, The Crystal and the Way of Light by Namkai Norbu Rinpoche.
— Hosted by Charlie, Jared and/or apprentices, occasionally recorded for public access.
— Schedules are announced with new book selections. Check your gatherings email or Circle forum for current books.