On Meditation

“Meditation is like the breeze that comes in when you leave the window open; but if you deliberately keep it open, deliberately invite it to come, it will never appear.” – J. Krishnamurti

This weekend dialogue retreat explores the topic of meditation. Human beings have been meditating in various capacities since the dawn of time. Modern day meditation promises everything from stress management to enlightenment.

But what does Krishnamurti say about meditation? According to Krishnamurti, the word meditation is misused and misunderstood; “Meditation is freeing the mind from the known,” and “one is never afraid of the unknown; one is afraid of the known coming to an end.”

Over the course of this weekend, readings and videos on Krishnamurti and meditation will be shared; we will engage in group dialogue on the subject of meditation and spend ample time in nature. Join us as we ponder, reflect, and examine our own beliefs about meditation.

Francesca Michelle Gold (she/her) has had deep and lifelong contact with the work of J. Krishnamurti. She lived at the Krishnamurti Foundation in Ojai for a year in 2012 to engage deeply and honestly with her own conditioning; a lifelong process. Her curiosity about herself and her quest for truth led her to visit five of the Krishnamurti retreat centers in India where she stayed off and on for two years. Francesca has been teaching Yoga and embodiment practices for over 15 years and has facilitated retreats at the KFA for over a decade. She holds a Master of Arts in Yoga Studies and a Yoga Therapy certification through Loyola Marymount University; her advanced teaching certification is through the Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy. Her teaching style is methodical, intuitive, and somatic in nature. Expect to be pointed inward again and again toward practices rooted in direct observation, compassion, and meditation. She was voted best Yoga teacher in Ojai in 2022 and 2023 and is the founder and owner of Breathe Ojai Yoga Studio where she teaches classes, offers Yoga Therapy, and facilitates yoga teacher trainings.