Omega Institute for Holistic Studies

Omega Institute for Holistic Studies

Founded in 1977, Omega Institute for Holistic Studies is the nation's most trusted source for wellness and personal growth. As a nonprofit organization, Omega offers diverse and innovative educational experiences that inspire an integrated approach to personal and social change. Located on 195 acres in the beautiful Hudson Valley, Omega welcomes more than 23,000 people to its workshops, conferences, and retreats in Rhinebeck, New York and at exceptional locations around the world.

Omega has been a pioneer in exploring, teaching, and embracing new ideas, focusing on health and wellness, personal spiritual growth, and self-awareness. Omega Institute’s main campus in Rhinebeck, New York is designed to be a healing center, a peaceful oasis in a hurried world. You can relax, rejuvenate, and feel at home in the midst of nature's bounty and a community of warm, caring people.

Individual health and wellness, personal spiritual growth, and self-awareness, however, are not enough if others are suffering and the world is out of balance. To this end, Omega Institute is also leading the way in creating a sustainable world. As an environmental steward, Omega's commitment to sustainability includes recycling and conservation, supporting sustainable agriculture, and reducing greenhouse gases through shuttle services and ride sharing. They're now launching a new project to bring all our sustainability initiatives under one roof: The Omega Center for Sustainable Living. The center will include a classroom, a water garden, a constructed wetland, and a state-of-the-art filtration system called the Eco Machine that will treat our wastewater.

The beauty of their gardens, lake, and rolling hills, the friendly staff, the wonderful food, and the facilities at their Wellness Center all support what people come to Omega to learn. Most of all, it is the sincerity and openness of everyone here that make Omega a place where you can tend to your own health and wellness, personal spiritual growth, and self-awareness, and learn how to make the world a better place while discovering within yourself the courage to become a happier, healthier, and more spirited person.

History

Founded in 1977 by Stephan Rechtschaffen, M.D., and Elizabeth Lesser, Omega Institute for Holistic Studies was inspired by scholar and Eastern meditation teacher, Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan. Together, they envisioned a dynamic "university of life" designed to foster personal growth and social change. The name "Omega" came from the teachings of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a renowned 20th-century philosopher, who used the term "Omega Point" to describe the peak of unity and integration toward which all life is evolving.

In 1981, Omega expanded from rented facilities in New York and Vermont to their current Rhinebeck home on the former grounds of Camp Boiberik, a popular Yiddish camp. Over the years, they have lovingly restored the campus while maintaining its simplicity as it has grown to nearly 200 acres and more than 100 buildings, including the Sanctuary, the Ram Dass Library, and the new Omega Center for Sustainable Living.

Today, Omega is the nation's most trusted source for wellness and personal growth, welcoming more than 23,000 people to our workshops, conferences, and retreats in Rhinebeck and at exceptional locations around the world.

A nonprofit organization, Omega has consistently been at the forefront of human development. From nurturing early dialogues on the integration of modern medicine and natural healing; to designing programs that connect science, spirituality, and creativity; to laying the groundwork for new traditions and lifestyles, Omega continues to be a place where people from all walks of life come for inspiration, restoration, and new ideas. Their mission guides them to help people find health, happiness, and community while living gently on the Earth.

Mission

Through innovative educational experiences that awaken the best in the human spirit, Omega provides hope and healing for individuals and society.