Details:
With Libby Sanders
Online – 5 weeks
Mondays 7:00-8:15pm ET
$25 per participant
Starting March 27
Aims
The Second Essential of Camphill emphasizes the significance of ongoing inner work as the wellspring for our outer work. Our creativity and compassion must be continually nourished through our own activity. However, developing some of the fundamental skills of any contemplative or phenomenological practice can be a challenge. In this practice-based course, participants will learn basic techniques for developing awareness, nonjudgmental observation, and the cultivation of gratitude that lies at the foundation of inner work. This course utilizes the Koru curriculum developed by Duke University, and participants will have access to the Koru online portal to support their practice.
Outcomes
At the completion of this course, participants will:
- Have direct experience with a toolkit of concrete mindfulness-based mind-body skills that form the foundation of all meditative practices
- Reflect on their own inner experience
- Distinguish between thoughts, feelings, observations, and judgments
- Identify opportunities for mindful activity within the context of their work
- Discern what skills and approaches support their own work
- Understand the self-therapeutic, empathetic, and vocational applications of meditative practice
Requirements for Completion
Participants are expected to attend all sessions and participate in group discussion. Because this course is oriented towards direct experience and establishing practice, participants should commit to 10 minutes of mindfulness meditation daily, plus a minimum of one weekly reflection on the Koru platform. Preparatory reading will be provided throughout the course. Due to the nature of the activity sessions will not be recorded, but the instructor will offer at least one make-up session as needed. Participants are eligible to receive 0.6 Continuing Education Units upon successful completion of this course.
Learning Process
The course will unfold over 5 75-minute sessions via synchronous Interactive Distance Learning (ZOOM). Each session will open with a guided meditation. This is followed by a discussion on individual experiences in the past week and a presentation on relevant concepts. The instructor will then teach 1-2 mindfulness/meditation skills per session, with the opportunity to practice and reflect as a group. In between sessions, participants are expected to practice daily and complete at least one reflection on the Koru app each week.
Prerequisites and Conditions
No prior experience is required. Participants will need access to a computer with a microphone and camera and a stable internet connection. Participants should purchase the required text prior to the start of the class. it is available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook. If purchasing the textbook poses a financial hardship, please reach out to the instructor.
Required Reading:
Rogers H. (2016). The mindful twenty-something : life skills to handle stress … and everything else. New Harbinger Publications.
Instructor Bio
Elizabeth Sanders (she/her) joined the Camphill movement in 2011 after graduating from the University of Texas with a degree in Religious Studies. She has served as a householder, vocational crew leader, faculty member in the Camphill Academy, and conducted policy research for the Camphill Association of North America. Elizabeth is currently the Executive Director of Camphill Academy and serves on the editorial board of Anthroposophic Perspectives in Inclusive Social Development. She is pursuing her PhD in practical theology at the University of Aberdeen, focusing on spiritual formation in Camphill communities.
