Encountering the Beauty of Being in Tao Through the Mindful Viewing of Films
With Francis Lu
July 18 - 20, 2025
Through mindful viewing of four feature films — today’s vehicles of myth and meaning — participants will open their hearts to encountering the beauty of being in Tao. The word Tao points toward a natural harmony that can be attained within everyday existence accompanied by a sense of the meaning of life itself as a source of resilience. This seminar will offer a self-enhancing mindfulness experience through films by Yasujiro Ozu, Akira Kurosawa, and Wim Wenders in which characters experience the beauty of being in Tao. These films are being shown to inspire similar discoveries in the lives of workshop participants.
This workshop employs mindful film viewing, contemplative reflection, and group interactions focused on participants’ unique experiences of carefully curated films. The viewing experience will be supported by 4K Blu-Ray video projection on a large screen and surround sound of six loudspeakers.
2.5 CE Credits for Health Professionals are available for an additional $35 fee payable to the workshop leader. Click here for details. For further information about the workshop, please get in touch with Francis Lu, MD, at francislumd@gmail.com
About the Leader
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Francis Lu
Francis G. Lu, MD, is the Luke & Grace Kim Professor in Cultural Psychiatry, Emeritus, at UC Davis. Since 1987 he has led 35 seminars at Esalen exploring film and the transpersonal, 28 of them with Brother David Steindl-Rast. www.francislumd.com
Learn more about Francis LuCategory : Creativity & Culture