Meditation and Mindfulness Workshops at Art Museums

Meditation and Mindfulness Workshops at Art Museums

Last week, I attended Meditation and Mindfulness Workshop at Freer Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. with seventy to eighty other participants. The workshop meets every Thursday from 12:15 – 12:45 and will run until mid December.

Lead by charming Philip Bender, meditation (raja) and yoga (hatha) teacher, the session ended with such restful calm that for a few more minutes we continued to sit in pin drop silence. A feeling of peace, well-being and fellowship was palpable. After the workshop, I chatted with Phil. He said as far as he knew there were only two art museums in the country that offered mindfulness workshops: Freer Gallery and Hammer Museum at UCLA. I thought to myself, Why not offer a meditation and mindfulness workshop at Carnegie Museum of Art?

I am trying to get in touch with the museum’s media coordinator, Lucy Stewart to start the ball rolling. I’ll keep you posted about the progress. In the meantime, here is the schedule for this year’s Mindful Writers Fall Retreat.

MINDFUL WRITERS RETREAT
Writing Migration Fall 2015
September 17-20, 2015
Thursday 12:30- Sunday 12:30
Family Resources Retreat Center

Coordinators
Kathleen Shoop * Madhu B. Wangu * Lori M. Jones * Larry Schardt

 HIGHLIGHTS

• Training the Senses + Training the mind = Mindful Writing
• Mindful Walking—Continuing Your Writing Migration—Growth
• Body, Heart and Mind Meditations, Four Sessions: 15 minutes each
• Mindful Walking, Three Sessions: 60 minutes each
• Mindful Writing Sessions: Approximately 33 Hours
• Peace, productivity, joy, laughter, rest, friendship: Approximately 72 Hours

AGENDA
Thursday September 17, 2015

10:00-11:30—Arrive, Settle Into Rooms, Exhale
12:30—Lunch
1:30—Welcome

• Madhu B. Wangu: Training the Senses + Training the mind = Mindful Writing
• Kathleen Shoop: Continuing Your Writing Migration—Growth
• Q & A

2:30—Writing Meditation Session I
Awakening Your Senses

2:45—Write
5:30—Dinner
6:30—Dessert/Chat/Night Writing
10:00—Turn in

 Friday September 18, 2015

 6:30—Meet for Mindful Walking
6:45—Mindful Stretching led by Lori Jones
7:00—Mindful Walking
8:00-10:00 am Working Breakfast
12:30—Lunch
1:15—1:45 Writing Meditation Session II
Body Meditation
Writing
6:00—Dinner7:00—Dessert/Chat/Night Writing
10:00—Turn in

Saturday September 19, 2015

6:30—Meet for Mindful Walking
6:45—Mindful Stretching led by Lori Jones
7:00—Mindful Walking
8:00-10:00 am—Working Breakfast
12:30—Lunch
1:15—Writing Meditation Session III
Heart Meditation
1:30—Writing
6:00—Dinner
7:00—Dessert/Chat/Night Writing
10:00—Turn in

Sunday September 20, 2015 

6:30—Meet for Mindful Walking
6:45—Mindful Stretching led by Lori Jones
7:00—Mindful Walking
8:00—Working/Writing Breakfast
9:15—Writing Meditation Session IV 
Mind Meditation

12:00…
…Parting of the Writing Paths