“Out beyond the ideas of right thinking and wrong thinking, there is a Field. When the soul lies down in that Field, words are unnecessary, even the idea “each other” does not exist. I will meet you there.” ~ Rumi
Meet us in this Field of pure awareness, the vast and spacious Love of the Universe. As we make an intention to have a quiet heart and a clear eye we naturally expand and open to That Love and Light that is always there. We entrain our hearts to each other and discover anew the ancient yet imminent Presence in which we all abide and exist, seemingly separate but essentially One.
We offer a direct experience through this RENDEZVOUS WITH LOVE.
Through a total immersion with music, meditation and creative experiences, we return to this Field that Rumi pointed to. Set your intention to join us. Commit to the Love that you are. Practice being what you are and seeing with the eyes of love.
“Love sees only love, and only love sees love.” ~ Ernest Holmes
Please rendezvous with us as we return to the Source of our Being and the Heart of Love.
What is Circle of Love Gathering?
David Leonard
Inspired teacher and speaker, Dr. Rev. David Leonard, embodies heart-centered living.
As a courageous example of authentic being and co-director of the Circle of Love Gathering, he has guided thousands of students across North America on a Spirit-centered journey. Currently, he is the senior minister at the Center for Spiritual Living in Huntsville, Alabama.
Lisa Ferraro
Lisa Ferraro has been singing since the age of three.
As a child, she heard vibrations emanating from flowers and trees, symphonies ringing from the garden, and she sang constantly to express what she heard. She grew up singing in churches, where she was known as “the little redhead that could sing.”
Lisa has a distinct vocal style which is soulful, powerful and warm, with a vocal range that extends over four and a half octaves. In performance, she tries to connect with the audience individually and personally. “We co-create my performances,” she says, “so that no two are exactly alike.”
Experience our amazing, spiritual and talented partners. More will be announced as we get closer to the retreat.
Gary Lynn Floyd
Gary Lynn Floyd is an American singer-songwriter who connects straight to the heart and lifts up a room with his inspirational lyrics and soulful style.
He sings deep and meaningful music and shares these songs like a gift to audiences across the country. His style is a mix of pop, rhythm, and blues, combining silky vocals with powerful lyrics.
It is Gary’s openness to divine inspiration that fuels his endless supply of musical
ideas create his heart-opening lyrics and is the light that shines through his
performances. With his piano and microphone, Gary is a catalyst for positive
change and raises the collective vibration not only through his music but also
through his welcoming presence on stage.
Kathy Rausch
Mandala Artist, Workshop Facilitator and Public Speaker and Author of “Activate Divine Creativity: The Life-Changing Magic of the Mandala”
Kathy wrote, “Activate Divine Creativity: The Life-Changing Magic of the Mandala” to help women and men become mindful and find joy in their everyday lives.
Teaching others to doodle mandalas brings Kathy great joy and helps balance her life, she hopes others will get a sense of balance and joy from the process as well.
Kathy has been painting, drawing, doodling, and creating mandalas of all kinds since 2000. She is a guest speaker and artist at retreats and conferences around the world bringing the magic of community art and mandalas to the attendees.
All attendees will receive a copy of her book, learn to draw their own mandala and be a part of a GIANT community mandala created just for Circle of Love.
Mark Accomando
Mark is an ordained minister with the Centers for Spiritual Living, former senior minister at CSL Raleigh NC and now serves as an assistant staff minister at CSL Palm Springs. Mark is an inspiring public speaker and teacher sharing insightful messages for following the passion of the heart and cultivating a deep inner sense of peace and wholeness that leads to living a happy, productive and a fully self-expressed life.
In 2011 Mark founded Evoke Peace Now and wrote an evidenced-based curriculum called Spiritual Education in Recovery with an intended focus to work with people in early stages of recovering and healing from patterns of addiction. His curriculum includes empowering lessons with a universal approach to meditation and spirituality that supports people on the healing path through experiential workshops, simple daily practices, inspiring messages, guided meditations, and Spiritual Nature Adventure outings.
He published, “An Ancient Peace” guided peace and healing meditations CD and currently is working on his next CD “Soothing Peace, sleep and healing” which focuses on assisting sleep, pain management, and emotional regulation all backed by his beautiful Native American flute music, Piaste Gongs and Tibetan singing bowls. Mark creates a deeply healing space through guided meditations, mantra, breath work, empowering lessons and healing sound immersions (sound baths) that align the body, mind, emotions, and spirit in their natural state of wholeness.
Mark has developed a private practice of spiritual guidance and shares simple Practical Spiritual practices and principles. He currently shares his offerings throughout Palm Springs CA and the Coachella Valley.
Natalia Zukerman
Musician, painter and educator Natalia Zukerman grew up in New York City, studied art at Oberlin, started her mural business Off The Wall in San Francisco, began her songwriting career in Boston, and now resides, writes, plays, teaches and paints in Brooklyn, NY.
Having released seven independent albums on Weasel Records and her own label Talisman Records, Zukerman has toured internationally as a solo performer since 2005.
Her music can be heard on the soundtrack of several seasons of The L Word and ABC Family’s Chasing Life. She also created the score for The Arch of Titus, an independent film created for Yeshiva University and a Harvard online course called Poetry in America.
In May 2018, she was the artist in residence at the cell theatre in New York City where she developed her multimedia one woman show, The Women Who Rode Away. She has since released the soundtrack and accompanying book of the show and is currently on tour throughout North America in support of that project.
Rob McDonald
Rob has been a bassist and vocalist for The Agape International Spiritual Center since 1992.
A self-taught musician, bassist and singer/songwriter, Rob McDonald, began his musical career at an early age. Growing up in a musical household, McDonald learned to play drums at the age of six. Because his three older brothers each played drums, it seemed the logical choice; however, as McDonald’s talent grew, he found it harder and harder to find a full set of drums readily available. Because his brothers were always using the drums for local club gigs McDonald decided it was time to try a new instrument, a guitar. Emulating the style of legendary guitarist, Jimi Hendrix, McDonald learned to play the guitar left-handed and upside down. (not knowing Jimi’s right-handed guitar was actually strung left-handed) This proved to be a difficult method for playing open cords, and that was when, at the age of 13, he picked up a bass.
Proving to be a talented musician, McDonald performed with his high school’s concert and jazz bands, and upon graduation from Cooley High, moved to Los Angeles with a Detroit based band called Paradise.
Local gigs and an international tour in Japan soon followed. Honing his skills while working local clubs and in national touring productions of “Your Arms Are Too Short to Box with God” starring Jennifer Holiday, and “The Wiz” starring Grace Jones, Peabo Bryson, Tony Terry, Cece Peniston, and Howard Hewitt, McDonald began to attract the attention of other national artists including, Brenda Russell, Jeffery Osbourne, Chaka Khan, Cindy Bradley, Peter White and Rick Braun. A two-year touring engagement with Johnny “Guitar” Watson, performance opportunities with Billy Preston, legendary music icon, Tom Jones, a Tonight Show appearance with Toni Braxton, and European engagements with The Funk Bros, George Clinton and the Al McKay All-stars are among career highlights. McDonald toured 6 years with Grammy award-winning guitarist, Norman Brown, whose Summer Storm tour has included guests artists, Peabo Bryson, Richard Elliott, Marion Meadows, Eric Darius, Jeff Lorber, Chante Moore, Paul Taylor, Alex Bugnon, Phil Perry, and Mindy Abair. McDonald, counts among his early influences such greats as Larry Graham, Sly Stone, Johnny “Guitar’ Watson, Bootsy Collins, Parliment Funkadelic Stanley Clark, Louis Johnson, EW&F, Louis Satterfield, is a compilation of versatility, resulting from over 30 years in the music industry.
OUR PARTNERS
Each retreat is unique with a mixture of the spiritual warriors you see below. We work with the very best musicians, speakers, artists, poets, and workshop facilitators.
“The Circle of Love Gathering is a joyous and warm experience of friends, consciousness, music, depth, connection and freedom. There is something special and a bit hard to define that is completely nourishing to the soul.”
“Save this time to retreat, allowing all the walls and all the doing to cease. This time is designed for you simply to reveal what is already within, so you may deeply experience and recognize your True Essential Self: The Self that knows no walls and is free. This True Self arises and shines when we take the time to nurture, cultivate and celebrate it! When you return home, you naturally share the heart that has been awakened!”
“I have never been to an event that has changed me so intensely for the good. The combination of professional, spiritual music, speakers, workshops and mandala art was powerful. I left on such a spiritual high that I knew I would come back again and again. I woke up singing many of the songs I heard for months. I made friends from all over. Don’t miss this opportunity to awaken your heart and deepen the love in your soul.
From Gary Lynn Floyd