Sound different? It is. While The Wisdom Course falls under the Landmark Education umbrella, it has a decidedly lighter feel and is the only course inside of Landmark that’s completely independent with its own instructors, volunteers and style.

The Wisdom Course is definitely fun. Homework involves collaging, social events and Saturday night community events. My first weekend culminated in a social event called “Recess” where 100 of my classmates filled a hotel lobby with games of foursquare, parachute and that most nostalgic of all gradeschool experiences: nap time. Additonal coursework involves

an ‘initiative’ that serves to highlight where you get stopped on new projects and businesses. One of the most impactful distinctions introduced at this point in the course is a grid detailing the typical stages of project/business development and the reasons why most get stopped.

The Basics: Wisdom is a five weekend course, spread out over the course of about a year, in about a dozen different cities including London, Toronto, New York and San Francisco. Each participant is assigned an ‘accomplishment person’ (or ‘Yoda’ in the SF course) who serves as a kind of personal coach. There were times I wanted to blow off coursework, or find better ways to spend my weekend, but the course volunteer team wouldn’t let me off the hook which helped turn my excuses into huge insights. The Wisdom Course teaches growth through a community, and it operates on the same ideal.

Learn more about the Wisdom Course

If NLP usually turns you off, or you find it gimmicky, manipulative, or overblown, then I would recommend this course as a breath of fresh air for beginners and those with more experience as well.

Description: NLP Marin teaches a set of skills and perceptual frames that combine some core skills and techniques of NLP with a variety of other modalities, such as neo-Rechiean childhood development, Bert Hellinger’s family constellations, and other interesting and useful ideas they have integrated into their work.

I find their particular flavor of NLP is incredibly effective, respectful, and honoring of all aspects of a human being. It is very much in contrast to the feel I get from some other forms of NLP, which occur to me as gimmicky, manipulative, or overblown.

The main trainer/instructor is Carl Buchheit, who I really enjoy learning from. He’s been doing NLP since the late 70s, and is incredibly good at what he does. He’s incredibly sharp, knowledgeable, and has a really quirky sense of humor. I respect him a lot, and I’ve enjoyed every weekend I’ve gone to.

Anecdote: As a result of this training, I quit my job as a software engineer, and chose to start a career as a coach. The model and set of tools here integrated a lot of the other work I had learned elsewhere, and had me realize “Wow, I’m actually damn good at working with people, and have something very real to offer them.” It gave me the confidence to go after what I want, even though it’s a bit scary to do so.

Potential Turn-Offs: If you’re experienced as a coach/therapist, or done a lot of personal work with people, the first course may seem a little basic, and you may get impatient.

You also practice what you learn on other classmates. Sometimes that can be a great experience, and sometimes a difficult one, depending on the skill and competence of the classmate in question.

What I Got out of it: I have trained with them quite a bit, and am nearly complete with my Master’s Certification. (Which requires a total of 16 weekends of training.)

My experience of learning there has been an interesting combination of learning skills, and doing personal growth/development work. A lot of what I have learned has subtly (or dramatically) shifted my experience of people, the world, and especially myself. It’s not as dramatic and concentrated as an Arete circle, but has consistently worked to shift and revise a lot inside of me.

At this point, I feel *way* more acceptance and liking of myself, as well as having a really strong set of techniques I can use to work with people, and make a difference in their lives.

Learn more about NLP Marin

Description: David’s teaching is clear and concise. The instruction makes it easy to figure out where your hands and feet need to be so you can spend the entire class soaking up the sweetness as your breath moves you along. The flowing sequence connects you to your body and breath, even if you just have time for part of the practice. David’s ashtanga inspired class leaves you rejuvenated, full of life, & smiling.

Anecdote: My parents don’t practice yoga, but couldn’t turn off the DVD. Maybe it was the scenic natural setting, the soothing tone of David’s voice, or the connections he draws between the practice on and off the mat that kept us tuned in as if it were the latest arrival from Netflix. The experience created one more connection between myself and my parents.

Potential Turn-Offs: *Warning* : too many of David’s classes may lead you to quit your job & open your own yoga studio in the relatively near future. Side effects may also include: personal transformation, career changes, odd cravings of teacher trainings, a strong urge to tell all of your friends about the infinite benefits of yoga, intense feelings of peace, happiness, bliss, and love.

What I Got out of it: The proof is in the pudding…David was one of my very first yoga teachers, and now I teach yoga too. His classes allowed me to expand my boundaries, let go of what I didn’t need, harness what’s deep inside and let it shine on the outside.

Open your heart and mind to the practice, you’ll realize that you’re stronger than you ever imagined. And that with all that strength comes softness and compassion.

Learn more about Find Balance with David Lurey

Description: Extraordinary curriculum includes classes and workshops for at the beginner, intermediate, advanced and professional levels. Most classes meet weekly.

Potential Turn-Offs: The studios are on Mission between 5th & 6th, so it’s pretty close to the infamous 6th & Mission corridor. Don’t park near 6th street — it’s definitely worth it to pay for the 5th & Mission garage.

What I Got out of it: A great learning philosophy, greater flexibility and range of motion, freedom to express myself in a new way, and a really cool group of friends. And I learned to dance with fire, too!

Learn more about Temple of Poi Fire Dancing Classes

Description: The Work’s founder Byron Katie presides over the curriculum and presents the exercises, but it is the students who are the true teachers in this experiential course, facilitating and learning from each other. Staff, who are School graduates, take care of the mechanics and are available to support participants to focus completely on their process. Participants in this total immersion experience spend more than a week in inquiry as both “client” and “facilitator,” instilling in each one the ability to meet with understanding all of the thoughts that produce all of the suffering in the world. The Work is presented in the context of universal stressors such as money and career, body and health issues, addictions, sex and relationships, and family issues. The curriculum changes and evolves according to the needs of the participants present.

Anecdote: There’s not much I can say anecdotally. Because of the “element of surprise” aspect of the School, past participants are asked not to say anything specific about the curriculum or personal experiences so as not to water it down for future participants. I can tell you that it is a mind-blower in most ways, like an internal Outward Bound.

Potential Turn-Offs: If you are a very private person or uncomfortable with others emoting, you may not want to get vulnerable with or in front of 300 strangers. There’s a fair amount of personal sharing going on throughout the workshop, plus partner and group work that requires some self-revelation.

What I Got out of it: Each time I do The Work I have a more peaceful perspective than I did before. The School got me into the habit of a regular practice of self inquiry, so that I always have a way to bring myself back to the peaceful center that is our true nature. The School was so impactful for me that I have made The Work my life’s work, offering it to others around the world.

Learn more about The School for The Work

This particular style of Vipassina only has one teacher in the world at any given time, so the instruction was delivered via a pre-recorded video. I expected this to be a big turn-off, and it ended up feeling very natural.

Growth Potential: Vipassana meditation is designed to change the habits of one’s mind. Instead of living in constant reaction to the world and in constant slavery to craving and aversion, the Vipassana mind moves through the world with balance, equanimity, compassion, and power. After the course you might sit straighter, move more intentionally, and think a little more clearly without all the usual clutter that you probably don’t even realize you have.

Pop Potential: The food is yummy. Super tasty, clean, real vegetarian food prepared with love.

It’s affordable: the course is by donation only, and the organization prefers a donation of service (make yummy food for the next course!) to a donation of money.

“Get Real” Potential: The technique is a secular and potentially even non-spiritual practice, and that’s one of its merits. Anyone of any belief can practice and benefit from it. But in the teaching of the technique, a little Buddhist dogma (talk of karma and reincarnation) sneaks in.

What I Got out of it: I sharpened my mind, connected it with my body in deep ways, had some intense experiences of having my corporeal self disintegrate, and effectively changed my consciousness (for the better, I think). I’ve had a few difficult conversations since my retreat, and noticed that it was much easier and faster for me to clear my head and find resolution than I feel I’ve done in previous tough talks. So far, I’m still practicing Vipassana, and I plan to keep it up.

Learn more about California Vipassana Center

Growth Potential: Maybe I should just paraphrase what my friend told me the other day. This friend, let’s call him Igor, has been attending the Tuesday night class with me for a year. As we were sitting around my chiminea one night, he said: “Finally, I can tell how much of a difference InterPlay has made in my life. It’s crept up on me. I’m much more comfortable with uncertainty. When things at work go differently than I’d like, I don’t get so bent out of shape. Also, I think I’m dating this woman now because of InterPlay. I’m much more comfortable in my body than I used to be, and I’m more willing to take risks, like not freaking out when I asked her out.”

Pop Potential: In some ways, InterPlay doesn’t look much different than a lot of other New Agey improv/movement workshops in the Bay Area. However, founders Cynthia and Phil have taken great care to articulate BOTH the improvisational structures AND the underlying philosophies of InterPlay, in a way that mainstream audiences can appreciate. They know how to ease regular people into finding freedom of expression in a sneaky, incremental way. For example, participants don’t do a solo improv dance right away; instead, they do a simple 30-second hand dance. Or…participants learn to improv stories by talking about anything for only 30-seconds. ANYone can talk for 30-seconds! If my friend Igor, who is a tech Geek in his late-20s, can do this…anyone can!

“Get Real” Potential: Although it’s hard for me to admit, there are some people who just don’t want to play in public. And they feel free enough in their bodies without having to go to a silly class. My friend “Stacy” is one of these people. She just feels too self-conscious being that silly in public, and would much rather connect one-on-one over a glass of tea than move and tell stories in a group of people. So for Stacy, InterPlay is quite literally NOT her cup of tea!

What I Got out of it: OMG, I’ve gotten SO MUCH out of InterPlay, I can’t even begin to summarize it all (can you tell that this is my most biased entry on this website?). The Tuesday night InterPlay group is a huge gift in my life, kind of like church is for some people. For an hour-and-a-half I can move and play and connect with others and throw all self-consciousness out the window. But I can do it in a way that feels safe, not like the dance jams around town where there are often questionable boundaries that border on the sexual or the uncomfortably ecstatic. And this is only the tip of the iceberg of the gifts I’ve gotten from InterPlay…but if I tried to explain more, you’d just think I’m a nut. Come try it first (Tuesday nights from 6-7:30 most weeks are where you will find me).

Learn more about InterPlay

Growth Potential: I was a failure as a meditator. Satsang with Pamela was my entree to accessing the peaceful core beyond the mind’s chatter.

Pop Potential: Pam’s students run the gamut from teenagers to homemakers to people who have spent many years in sincere spiritual study. Her approach to nondualism is so simple, one need never read a single Vedic text to experience the state the rishis spoke of. If you think Vedic is something you hope not to catch, and rishis sound like something delicious, you’re still in great shape to find peace with Pamela.

“Get Real” Potential: Pam’s very sweet, giggly-girl personality could be off-putting to some (it isn’t to me).

What I Got out of it: Ultimately satsang was not “mental” enough for me, and I went on to a more hands-on inquiry practice, but I would not have gotten there without the tacit encouragement of this gentle teacher, who lovingly showed me that I needn’t believe everything I think.

Learn more about Satsang with Pamela Wilson

Growth Potential: During the pleasure course, you will have a chance to look inward and identify what it is that makes you tick. All of us are living our lives according to a set of rules and guidelines that we’ve cobbled together based on past experiences. This is called “Your Trip”.

Your Trip’s job is to keep you safe, and comfortable; unfortunately in some instances Your Trip can also keep you from having the pleasure that you really want in your life.

During the pleasure course, you have a chance to identify Your Trip; once you have awareness of Your Trip, you will have more choice around it.

Pop Potential: A large portion of the course focuses on communication between partners. This type of work can benefit everyone. You will learn techniques to ask for what you want, and how to listen to what your partner wants.

There is also a hands-on portion of the course where you will practice the communication techniques you’ve learned.

“Get Real” Potential: The pleasure course can sometimes overweight the idea that life is ALL about pleasure. This can be hard to swallow for folks right off the street.

I found that sometimes the course leaders did not provide space for negative emotions, saying we should not focus on that or it was just part of our “Trip.”

What I Got out of it: After identifying my Trip, I was able to look at the things that frustrated me in my relationship from a new angle. I realized that usually when I get upset at someone, its because of fear that has come up, from this place I can now share how I feel rather than make the other person wrong. This usually opens up a more intimate connection and leads to more pleasure in my life.

I learned practical techniques for asking for what I want in my relationship and as part of our sex life. I learned how to enjoy what is happening in the moment rather than focus on outcomes.

Learn more about The Pleasure Course

Learn more about National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) Southwest