Most of us would agree that there are many problems in life and that there is turmoil going on all around us. As we get caught up in the stress and pressures of the world around us, we are faced with many obstacles that cause us to lose perspective and awareness and this diminishes our capacity to live mindful and meaningful lives.

Despite the negative pressures in the world, each of us maintains a strong drive for relief and release from the pain and conflict. We all hold a desire to achieve clarity and contentment.

At the heart of the Center is the belief that contentment, a state of inner peace comes when we are fully aware, and can experience the joys and problems we encounter without being controlled by emotional reactions to the circumstances in our lives.

 

It is the intention of the Center for an Examined Life to provide opportunities and options to further the development of self-awareness. One way this will be done is through the use of the creative arts within the format of workshops. Each workshop will utilize art, movement, music, poetry, drama, psychodrama, reflective writing, dreams and other creative modalities to provide tools and skills for deepening self-awareness.

We believe that exploration and creativity go hand in hand. Using the power of the expressive and creative arts, we tap into our strengths and brilliance and use them to solve problems and overcome weaknesses. When we put our bodies into movement, or write or listen to the words and images of a poem, we engage our senses, our hearts, our minds and our souls. Writing or listening to a song or piece of music, or creating visual expression through a drawing or collage puts us in direct contact with our inner world. Self-understanding develops and deepens as we disclose to ourselves in moments of guided imagery or journaling. Healing begins when we are in touch with our feelings and self-worth.

 

The workshops are nurturing, gentle and interactive with opportunity for self-reflection and introspection. They are designed to provide the skills for self-discovery in order to achieve a greater sense of control over your inner and outer worlds.

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