Majora Carter!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
contemplative practice a la Garrison Institute
Contemplation - the practice of reflecting deeply - transforms one's
state of mind, changing perceptions and opening fresh possibilities
for action. If, as Einstein said, we cannot solve problems with the
state of mind that created them, then contemplative practices are an
indispensable part of the solution to today's real-world problems.
Contemplation is not passive or theoretical, but active and practical.
When skillfully applied, it can be a wellspring of social as well as
personal change.
The active ingredient in contemplative practice is direct personal experience that encompasses more than just rational, logical, or conceptual content. Authentic contemplative practice generates deep insight into the essential interdependence of all forms of life and between life and the inanimate environment. Contemplative perception awakens unselfish compassion for others, and the combination of contemplative insight and compassion represents the purest and surest force for positive social change.
The Garrison Institute believes that contemplative methods will come to be broadly used as an effective and wise force for cultivating the essential human qualities of insight, caring, altruism, ethical behavior, and courage. On an individual level, all people have the innate capacity to grow and transform to higher orders of consciousness. On a systems-level, the more intractable or anxiety- producing the problem, the greater the need for contemplative perspectives on it to help find new, effective, and ultimately transformative solutions. By giving rise to new vision and wisdom, contemplation will lead to fundamental and much-needed value shifts in society. This is true not only of the social and environmental challenges in our time; a genuine, rigorous, and fruitful intercourse between Western science and contemplative wisdom is now both possible and necessary.
The Garrison Institute is home to diverse contemplative methods. While the visiting teachers of Retreats at Garrison often derive their practices from wide-ranging spiritual traditions, our Initiatives apply the secular, non-sectarian contemplative forms best suited to their goals. For example, Garrison Institute Initiatives have variously employed breath, walking meditation, techniques for developing concentration and awareness, attention training and refinement practices, loving-kindness practice, expressive movement, visualization, art-making, mindfulness, movement, values-based conversation and active listening.
The active ingredient in contemplative practice is direct personal experience that encompasses more than just rational, logical, or conceptual content. Authentic contemplative practice generates deep insight into the essential interdependence of all forms of life and between life and the inanimate environment. Contemplative perception awakens unselfish compassion for others, and the combination of contemplative insight and compassion represents the purest and surest force for positive social change.
The Garrison Institute believes that contemplative methods will come to be broadly used as an effective and wise force for cultivating the essential human qualities of insight, caring, altruism, ethical behavior, and courage. On an individual level, all people have the innate capacity to grow and transform to higher orders of consciousness. On a systems-level, the more intractable or anxiety- producing the problem, the greater the need for contemplative perspectives on it to help find new, effective, and ultimately transformative solutions. By giving rise to new vision and wisdom, contemplation will lead to fundamental and much-needed value shifts in society. This is true not only of the social and environmental challenges in our time; a genuine, rigorous, and fruitful intercourse between Western science and contemplative wisdom is now both possible and necessary.
The Garrison Institute is home to diverse contemplative methods. While the visiting teachers of Retreats at Garrison often derive their practices from wide-ranging spiritual traditions, our Initiatives apply the secular, non-sectarian contemplative forms best suited to their goals. For example, Garrison Institute Initiatives have variously employed breath, walking meditation, techniques for developing concentration and awareness, attention training and refinement practices, loving-kindness practice, expressive movement, visualization, art-making, mindfulness, movement, values-based conversation and active listening.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
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