~Open Dharma Facilitators

Ajay Pal Singh was born in a small village near Lucknow, India in 1957. After finishing degrees in Sanskrit, Law, Economics and Social Work, as well as a diploma in Yoga, he gave himself to spiritual practice at the age of 29. Four years later, he quietly began to be a spiritual friend to many. Beginning in Lucknow, where Ajay and Jaya first became friends, they started to offer the retreats that evolved into Open Dharma.
Ajay can be contacted by email at:
ajaylucknow@yahoo.com

Jaya Ashmore, immersed herself in meditation and in India starting in 1986. Born in the United States, she studied religion and art at Harvard. She is based in Lucknow, India, where she spent over 6 years with Poonjaji, a teacher of non-duality. Jaya has practiced the Japanese healing art of Jin Shin Jyutsu since 1994. Authorized to teach Dharma by Christopher Titmuss, she has had the privilege of facilitating retreats around the world since 1999.
Jaya can be contacted by email at:
jayajulie@yahoo.com

Gemma Polo Pujol, was born in Barcelona, Spain in 1976. Inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, she started meditating on her own, at the age of 11. Then starting in 1992, she practiced Zen intensively for ten years. During this time, she was also a contemplative nun for two years and a Catholic activist in Latin America. While working as an organic beekeeper, she studied Agriculture, International Development and Religious Sciences. Based in India since 2002, she has been offering retreats there and around the world mainly with Open Dharma.
Gemma can be contacted by email at:
gemmaji@gmail.com

The Buddha said that we should be our own refuge, our own light, that he could only point the way but that we had to walk the path of awakening for ourselves.
Facilitators are only guides.
They are walking on the same path that students walk. They know some of the pitfalls and can help students avoid them or clear up confusion about them. They can inspire students to practice, but ultimately it's the students themselves who actually have to do the work and realize the benefits of these practices.
Facilitators are therefore spiritual friends who are willing to share whatever wisdom they have. This is how their teachers related to them.
The point is that no one can free another. Why is that? Because the capacity for freedom is within each of us already. We simply need to discover ways to develop it.

* Teachings are given freely.