This class will explore various forms of physically-based contemplative practices. We will progress from individual practices to partnering practices, to exploring the possibility of creating a group practice, and the creation of a public contemplative space. This is a course that explores ideas and physical experiences that are not easily quantified. Therefore, you must be honest with yourselves and the class right from the beginning. You will need to be able to design a contemplative practice and follow through with it.
Attendance is crucial, even when the class meets seperately.
I will be giving out reading assignments week by week, so even if you miss a class, you are still responsible for completing the reading in time. Students in this class will keep a practice notebook from which they will extract selections to include in a class notebook. Before spring break and at the end of the semester, I will ask you for a more formal essay. I am interested in including the notion of service and the physical experience of work as part of our contemplative experiences. This is a moment where, after moving through the space, the students come to a point of stillness while standing.