Founded in 2003 by Diana Calthorpe Rose, Jonathan Rose, and their colleagues, the Garrison Institute is a not-for-profit, non-sectarian organization exploring the intersection of contemplation and engaged action in the world.
Since its inception, the Institute has developed a series of ground-breaking programs, including the Initiative on Contemplation and Education, the Climate Mind and Behavior Program, and the Women’s Wellness Project, a five-year pilot program that grew into the Institute’s signature program on Contemplative-Based Resilience (CBR).
At the same time, the Institute hosted a rich array of contemplative retreats with leading teachers in diverse wisdom traditions—including three-time visitor His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Father Thomas Keating, Rabbi Zalman Schechter, Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield, and many others. Our series of retreats for people of color and the LGBTQ+ community have made the Institute a leader in contemplative social justice.
In 2012, the Institute opened an international branch, the Garrison Institute International, based at the Hague in the Netherlands. It administers Garrison Institute programs abroad, including the CBR program’s work with humanitarian organizations, and international compassionate leadership programs.
The Garrison Institute Logo
The Endless Knot or Auspicious Knot is an important symbol in Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, especially Tibetan Buddhism. It is also found in Celtic and Chinese civilizations. Among its many interpretations are the intertwining of wisdom and compassion, and the union of wisdom with method.
The Knot is very ancient, appearing as early as 2500 BC in the Indus Valley Civilization. The “G” woven into the center of it in the Garrison Institute’s logo signifies the role Garrison Institute aspires to play, applying contemplative traditions and practices to generate transformative social and environmental change. The Knot branches out of the G, as we intend wisdom, compassion, and methods of positive change to radiate outward from the Institute’s work.