Loving Awake: A Retreat for Couples

Judith Ansara

Judith has served as a teacher, consultant, and coach for over 35 years in her commitment to foster a conscious, just and sustainable world. As a social change artist, Judith was co-founder of The Peacemaker Institute trainings with colleague Fleet Maull. These trainings are dedicated to teaching participants in the inner and outer arts of peacemaking and social action. A former facilitator for the Rockwood Leadership Institute’s The Art of Leadership trainings, she has facilitated organizations and leaders including Search for Common Ground, Center for Community Change, Global Fund for Women, Avaaz, Witness, Just Vision, Spitfire Strategies, UNICEF, the University of Colorado and the City of Boulder. Judith has taught Transpersonal Psychology at Naropa University and Strategic Communications at the University of Massachusetts. She has been a long-time faculty at centers like Omega, Hollyhock and Esalen – offering programs ranging from women’s leadership to transformational coaching – and currently serves as curriculum advisor to The Omega Women’s Leadership Institute. With her husband of 40 years, Robert Gass, she leads retreats for committed couples throughout the U.S. and internationally. Judith brings to her work decades of spiritual study and practice, and she serves as a mentor to advanced students. She has pioneered an ecumenical approach to integrating spiritual principles into daily life in a way that is inclusive and respectful of all people, all beliefs and orientations. Judith is a Yoga practitioner & teacher, improvisational dancer, writer, artist, Mother and Grandmother. Her love of life is contagious!

Robert Gass

Robert Gass is internationally-recognized for pioneering work in training and coaching leaders, organizational transformation, and human development for over 40 years. Holding a doctorate in Organizational and Clinical Psychology from Harvard University, his work synthesizes an unusually diverse background in social change, humanistic psychology, organizational behavior, business, music and spiritual studies. Robert is the former President of ARC International, a global consulting and training company specializing in transformational change with Fortune 500 companies. As an organizational consultant, he has worked at the most senior levels with corporations such as Chase Bank, General Motors, Pillsbury, Textron, Motorola and The Gap. Robert has for many years served as executive coach to well-known business, non-profit, spiritual and political leaders. Robert’s current work focuses on leadership development and movement building for Progressive social change. Co-founder of the Rockwood Leadership Institute and the Social Transformation Project, he has trained environmental, social justice, and human rights leaders in the inner and outer arts of leadership. Robert coaches and consults to leaders and organizations such as NAACP, the Sierra Club, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Amnesty International, Greenpeace, Global Fund for Women, National Congress of American Indians, Center for Community Change(CCC), La Raza, and the United Auto Workers (UAW), the U.S. Senate Chiefs of Staff, and leaders in the Obama administration. With his wife, Judith Ansara, Robert offers seminars on the art of relationship, leadership and spirituality at universities, educational centers and conferences around the world. Also a highly-regarded composer and performer, Robert has released numerous recordings of music to uplift the human spirit with his renowned singing group, On Wings of Song. His chant CDs have sold over 600,000 copies, and his recording of Om Namaha Shivaya helped pioneer the introduction of sacred chant to western audiences. Robert lives in Boulder, Co, and has raised three children with his life partner of 47 years, Judith Ansara.