What are our Pilgrimages About?

Overview

Our pilgrimages provide a wonderful opportunity to deepen and facilitate your inner work - your self awareness and ability to break old patterns in relationship with others. Through an immersive experience in deepening self awareness and mindful intentional living in community, we learn to notice in real time our own defenses and how we recreate our own suffering in groups and communities. Through deep reflective mirroring in a safe compassionate group environment each pilgrim connects deeply with themselves and others… How do we walk peace on earth in each step we take? This is a deeply spiritual and sacred practice.

Compassion Groups

Our compassion (tonglen groups) are based on the Tibetan Buddhism the practice of Tonglen, a meditative practice in which one visualizes taking in the suffering of oneself and of others on the in-breath so as to hold, uplift and be with that suffering in love. On the out breath one holds the intention to meet the unmet need of the soul. It is seen as a training in altruism and compassion.

Meet our Leaders

Lyndall Johnson M.A., L.P. is the president and founder of the Aslan Institute and Sacred Service at Aslan Institute, a non profit organization promoting the evolution of consciousness. Lyndall is a Tonglen Practitioner, licensed psychologist, a writer, speaker and facilitator. She has degrees in psychology and sociology from the University of South Africa and a Masters degree in Psychology from the University of Pepperdine in California. Lyndall has worked with extensively with ethnically and culturally diverse communities in creating dialogue, reconciliation and collaboration, and grass roots community development in Africa in the areas of physical, social, political and economic development. Lyndall has extensive experience teaching and facilitating spirituality and the evolution of consciousness around the world, leading many spiritual pilgrimages and retreats, both domestic and abroad.

Charisse Lyons is a co-founder and vice president of Spirit Life Foundation at Aslan Institute. Charisse's work can best be described as a soul worker, referring to herself as Tonglen Practitioner and spiritual life coach. She works with clients in building an awareness of unresolved suffering within themselves. In combination with her client, she enters into the suffering and gives it the light needed to work towards healing. This is done in a setting that is comforting and compassionate. Many of her clients experience an acceleration in their inner awareness and ability to self-heal after completing this work. She is honored and grateful for the opportunity to bring this healing to others. She recognizes this work as sacred, and considers all who participate in it to be answering the highest of spiritual callings.

If you are interested in learning more, visit the Spirit Life Foundation

If you are interested in joining a local Tonglen practice group, please contact Lyndall at: