Engaging with Beauty as a Pathway to Resilience Through the Mindful Viewing of Film

Through mindful viewing of eight memorable feature films, participants will engage with cinematic beauty to open their hearts for a pathway to resilience. Recent studies from neuroaesthetics have shown that experiencing beauty can activate the brain’s emotional processing centers, which are critical for resilience; research in positive psychology has identified “appreciation of beauty and excellence” as correlated with life satisfaction. Through seminal films in which characters experience beauty as a path to resilient well-being — masterpieces directed by Jean Renoir, Satyajit Ray, Martin Scorsese, Agnès Varda, David Lean, Sydney Pollack, and more — participants will enter deep contemplative experiences. By mindfully viewing these films, we will engage with beauty, much like the protagonists, figures, heroes, and heroines portrayed on screen.

This workshop employs methods developed over the course of 28 film seminars at Esalen co-led by Francis Lu and Brother David Steindl-Rast: mindful film viewing, contemplative reflection, and group interaction focused on the participant’s unique experience of carefully curated cinema. In the words of Joseph Campbell, “the images of myths are reflections of the spiritual and depth potentialities of every one of us….Through contemplating those, we evoke their powers in our own lives to operate through ourselves.” The viewing experience is supported by 4K Blu-ray projection on a large screen and surround sound delivered through six loudspeakers.

5.5 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 contact Francis Lu, MD, at francislumd@gmail.com

Recommended Reading: Beauty: The Invisible Embrace by John O’ Donohue