The Land House group was formed by Mr. Nyland in the fall of 1964 in Berkeley, California. It has continued in existence for the next 50 years. The center of the group shifted to the Land in Western Sonoma County in the late 1960s. Today, the groups of W. A. Nyland continue to provide a vital source for the study and practice of Gurdjieff’s ideas. We emphasize the practical application of Gurdjieff’s teachings in the midst of everyday life. We meet regularly to discuss the ideas and how to apply them; we hold workdays where we can practice Work during simple physical activities; and we take part in the sacred dances Gurdjieff called “Movements.” Meetings, workdays, and movements are all led by experienced members.

      Gurdjieff taught that human beings are only partially developed and that consciousness, conscience and will are not given to us automatically, but must be acquired by intentional efforts. His system of self-development calls for the application in daily life of a specific method he called “Work on Oneself.”

     We try to preserve the teachings of Gurdjieff by following the method that he presented himself in his three Series of writings which are published under the titles: All and Everything, Meetings with Remarkable Men, and Life is Real Only Then When I Am. We have been greatly inspired and aided by Mr. Nyland and Mr. Orage in doing this.

     Mr. Nyland has left us with over 2600 lectures in which he discusses the the application of Work on Oneself in our lives. They are based on his 25 years of experience of working with Gurdjieff, 10 years of study with Orage and 50 years of his own work.

If you really want to Work, you’re engaged in changing your life. You’re engaged in admitting that what your life is at the present time is not right or not complete, and that the motivation for this particular kind of a wish should be very pure… Don’t ride two horses, or three or four. When you want to Work find out first what is meant; and be absolutely sure that what is meant, you understand. And then make absolutely sure that you agree with what is supposed to be done. So that that what you wish to do—you can do whole-heartedly.”

Mr. Nyland, January 6, 1968

The Land House group is currently holding meetings in the Berkeley/Oakland area open to new people.

For further information please contact Jim Huntington at 707-291-9033 or info@nyland.org

For contact with our other groups please visit https://www.nyland.org/