April 2026 TAT Foundation In-Person Gathering
April 17 – 19, 2026
THE ARC OF LIFE
Since its founding in 1973 by Richard Rose, TAT has sponsored numerous events that offer a remarkable gathering of seekers, finders, and friends. Please join us for TAT’s annual April event for a weekend of exploration, sharing, and questioning. Together, we will look at…
The Arc of Life
Step out of the noise of daily life and into a weekend of focused discovery. This immersive retreat invites deeper insight, honest connection, and real inner movement. Whether you’re new to self-inquiry or looking to renew your clarity, you’ll find space to explore life’s essential questions with sincerity and support.
Inspiring talks, Group Inquiry, meditation sittings, and meaningful dialogue create the structure for genuine exploration. This is not just time away. It is a chance to face what matters, question what you assume, and move closer to what is true.
TAT Members: Please note that the April retreat also includes TAT’s Annual Business Meeting on Friday evening. Your presence is valued—plan to attend this important gathering.
Full-time students should contact TAT Foundation events for information on discounted registration fees. If cost is a serious issue that will make or break your attendance, please let us know. We do not want someone to refrain from attending for reasons of cost.
Meet our featured presenters:
Emeline Lambert’s search for truth began early, shaped by a persistent sense of not belonging in a world that felt unreal and without meaning. Beneath years of striving, performance, and inner struggle with depression and anxiety was a question she could not avoid: Who am I? A pivotal retreat experience marked a profound shift in her understanding of self, opening into a deeper recognition of presence and true nature. Since then, meditation, self-observation, and acceptance have grounded her path, transforming her relationships and reframing suffering as part of awakening rather than a detour from it. Emeline speaks about surrendering to what is, and allowing awakening to unfold beyond the mind’s narrative of separation. She emphasizes the role of nature, compassion, and service in spiritual life, and views realization not as a personal achievement but as an ongoing, shared movement of consciousness. She volunteers with a New York–based nonprofit, co-facilitating their Saturday Spirituality Group and leading regular meditations focused on mental health and addiction recovery support. Listen to her “Buddha at the Gas Pump” interview here.
Bob Cergol was 19 when he met Richard Rose in 1972 and soon after attended the April 1973 meeting at Rose’s house in Benwood, WV where TAT was conceived as an organization. He lived with Rose at his house in Benwood, WV, on Rose’s farm, and in the local area on and off over many years. Twenty years later, after living in isolation for a year in a cabin he built on Rose’s farm, and feeling his spiritual path had run its course, he moved away to pursue a secular life. He married and started a family, but soon gravitated back to the path, participating in group work with other TAT members. That group work led to a series of events that triggered a spiritual realization that for Bob was an absolute, and final answer to the existential questions he had been asking for all those years. Listen to Bob’s interview, “Finding Yourself on the Spiritual Path” on the Journals of Spiritual Discovery Podcast here. Bob is the author of “Hope! Life’s Calling: Finding Yourself on the Spiritual Path Called Life.”
Anima Pundeer began meditating in her late teen years and soon realized that underneath all the suffering in the world, the real pain was the pain of feeling a separate self. In June of 2004, Anima had an experience where she realized her All-ness and One-ness…. She finally knew Freedom. She feels immense gratitude for all the help and guidance she got from her fellow seekers. She feels she couldn’t have made this journey without her Guru and her friends—and the only way she feels she can help anyone is by sharing her own struggles and obstacles. She tells her story in the documentary Meetings With Remarkable Women or watch her talk from the June 2021 TAT retreat “Falling In Love With Truth.” Anima is co-author with Art Ticknor of Always Right Behind You. She lives with her family in Houston, Texas. Read her responses to the Finder’s Questionnaire.
Friday, April 17, 2026
5:00 PM to 7:30 PM – Set-up and arrivals
7:30 PM to 9 PM – TAT Foundation members-only business meeting
9 PM – Free Time
Saturday, April 18, 2026
7:30 AM to 8:00 AM – Optional group meditation
8:00 AM to 9:00 AM – Potluck continental breakfast and open discussion
9:00 AM to 9:15 AM – Welcome
9:15 AM to 10:45 AM – Emeline Lambert, “Surrendering to Truth”
10:45 AM to 12:00 PM – Breakout Group Inquiry
12:00 PM to 12:15 PM – Break
12:15 PM to 1:30 PM – Lunch
1:30 PM to 1:35 PM – Reconvene
1:35 PM to 2:15 PM – Silent, outdoor walk (weather permitting)
2:15 to 2:30 PM – Break
2:30 PM to 4:00 PM – Bob Cergol, “How You Became the Reflection You See in the Mirror”
4:00 PM to 5:15 PM – Breakout Group Inquiry
5:15 PM to 5:30 PM – Break
5:30 PM to 7:00 PM – Dinner
7:00 PM to 7:05 PM – Reconvene
7:05 PM to 8:05 – Negating Beliefs: “The Artist’s Way”
8:05 PM – Optional reflection with Shawn Nevins
Sunday, April 19, 2026
7:30 AM to 8:00 AM – Optional group meditation
8:00 AM to 9:00 AM – Potluck continental breakfast and open discussion
9:00 AM to 9:05 AM – Reconvene
9:05 AM to 10:35 AM – Anima Pundeer, “Understanding the Nature of Nature for a Seeker of Truth”
10:35 AM to 11:50 AM – Breakout Group Inquiry
11:50 AM to 11:55 AM – Reconvene
11:55 AM to 12:20 PM – Meeting Wrap-Up & Feedback
12:20 PM – Break and Cleanup
12:30 PM – Lunch and End of Weekend Meeting
Click the RSVP button below or HERE to register
The registration deadline for TAT’s April Spiritual Retreat is Wednesday, April 15, 2026.
Location, Facilities, and Lodging
The event is being held at the Claymont Society’s Great Barn near Charles Town in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. The Great Barn’s presence mixes perfectly with 350 private acres of forests and farmland. Sleeping accommodations include a mixture of single and double beds with dormitory style bathrooms. Claymont provides towels and bed linens for overnight guests (guests make and strip their own beds). During the registration process, we will do our best to accommodate room preferences, but all guests should expect to share sleeping quarters and bathrooms with other participants.
The Claymont Society Great Barn is located at 667 Huyett Road, Charles Town, WV 25414. Claymont is 50 miles/60 minutes from the Dulles International Airport near Washington D.C. Travel directions to Great Barn.
Costs
The fees per person for TAT members are as follows:
$175 for members, which includes meeting registration and overnight lodging on Friday and Saturday in Claymont’s Great Barn, or
$115 for members who arrange alternative lodging; this includes meeting registration and on-site camping if desired. Camping is informal—no hook-ups or restrooms.
The non-member fees per person are:
$235 for non-members, which includes meeting registration and overnight lodging on Friday and Saturday in Claymont’s Great Barn, or
$165 for non-members who arrange alternative lodging; this includes meeting registration and on-site camping if desired. Camping is informal—no hook-ups or restrooms.
Full-time students should contact TAT Foundation events for information on discounted registration fees.
If cost is a serious issue that will make or break your attendance, please let us know. We do not want someone to refrain from attending for reasons of cost.
Event registration closes on Wednesday April 15, 2026. To Register:
To register for the event, please click the button below! This will take you to our membership platform where you can register for the event. If you have any trouble registering, please contact us directly so we can help!
If you would like to become a member prior to registering for the event, please visit our membership page where you can learn more and join as a member.
The deadline for registration is Wednesday, April 15th. Upon receipt of your registration, you will receive a confirmation message with additional information. You may cancel your registration on or before this date and receive a refund minus processing fees. Cancellations after this will not be refunded. Because ADA-compliant facilities are limited, persons with a disability should contact TAT Foundation events before registering.
Meals
Meals are potluck style for Saturday and Sunday continental breakfasts, Saturday and Sunday lunches, and Saturday dinner. If you are already a TAT member, please help our meal planning team by visiting our potluck contributions page at PerfectPotluck. We ask that each TAT member bring 2 items, totaling about $20. A good rule of thumb is to bring enough food to serve 7 people with each item.
All meals are included for non-members, but non-members are also welcome to bring potluck contributions by using PerfectPotluck. Sorry, we cannot reduce fees for those who prefer to bring their own food. TAT will provide coffee and tea.
Off-Site Lodging
For those who register using the alternative (off-site) lodging option, the following overnight accommodations are located near the Claymont Society:
- Americas Best Value Inn, 807 Willow Spring Dr, Charles Town, WV (304) 725-2041
- Carriage Inn Bed & Breakfast, 417 East Washington Street, Charles Town, WV (800) 867-9830
- Hampton Inn and Suites, 157 Pimlico Drive, Charles Town, WV (304) 725-2200
- Holiday Inn Express Hotel Ranson, 681 Flowing Springs Road, Ranson, WV (304) 725-1330
- Northgate Inn, 106 Jefferson Terrace Rd, Charles Town, WV (304) 725-1402
- The Inn at Charles, 750 Hollywood Drive, Charles Town, WV (304) 885-5800
- Towne House Motor Lodge, 642 East Washington Street, Charles Town, WV (304) 725-8441
- Turf Motel, 741 East Washington Street, Charles Town, WV (304) 725-2081
You may also try searching Airbnb or VRBO for accommodations in the Charles Town or Ranson areas.
Click the RSVP button below or HERE to register
