Mindfulness as a Wisdom Practice

Mindfulness as a Wisdom Practice integrates contemplative practice with creative arts, world philosophies, and health sciences. Our focus is on the cultivation of everyday mindfulness styles and practices which open our imaginative appreciation to the wonders of life—even in its seemingly most mundane dimensions. Our creative inspiration for this week will be Yasujirō Ozu’s masterpiece Tokyo Story and the ideas surrounding “devotional cinema.”

We approach mindfulness in this cosmopolitan fashion as an art of living and a practice of freedom. The wisdom generated fosters our ability to cope with the stresses of postmodern times and to access additional levels of consciousness and flourishing. It opens our hearts and relationships to the possibility of a more mystical, loving, and honest experience of life. It provides a deeper level of daily reserves with which to engage in our worldly projects. And, most of all, it gives us the capacity to delight in the process of being here on this world now, as it is, regardless of what happens and what fates befall us.

The workshop is designed for those new to mindfulness and those with an established practice. It is co-taught by a cultural scholar from New York University and an experienced meditation teacher.

Recommended reading: Nhat-Hahn, The Art of Living; Andre, Looking at Mindfulness: 25 Ways to Live in the Moment through Art; Dworsky, Devotional Cinema.

For continuing education syllabus, see https://www.esalen.org/mindfulness-wisdom-practice.

CE credit for MFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs and LEPs.