One contemplative practice that really stuck with me and made an impact on the way I think of things was one we did recently. In this practice, Karen was talking about how we may not feel like we have a place in the world or that we do not belong. Then she mentioned that the force of gravity is always… Read more »
It’s hard, I find, to take our recent readings and apply them to our practices in class (and vice versa). But while we read the second part of Active Hope I found myself revisiting some of Allen Ginsberg’s poetry, whose style is often referred to as naturalistic (his line breaks were marks of breath rather than convention). Active Hope used… Read more »
Contemplative practices can act as a way of reorienting our connection to the world. Personally, there is a very real sense of calmness and connectedness I feel during contemplative practices, and I believe this is because contemplative practices help re-center the individual within time and living systems. This centering allows for a new and more inspired appraisal and approach to… Read more »
Through the contemplative practices, I reflect on my relationship with other humans, creatures, death, earth, and the universe. The class reflects on the adult self that is conditioned to “repress bodily reactions to the totality of experience.” (Becker 262). To 21st century consumer, the threat of climate change and the extinction of mankind is psychically numbing creating a “diminished capacity… Read more »
By Owen DeArmond-MacLeod The contemplative practices in this course have allowed me to digest the readings on a more personal level than in other similar courses that do not have the meditation component. Typically when doing discussions I spend most of my time listening and thinking to the other student’s contributions and coming up with something to say that adds… Read more »
A striking part of Active Hope speaks towards how our attitudes about the world around us affect our consumption habits. Many industries rely on our unhappiness to make profits. The beauty industry, fast fashion, and many other “non-essential” (and often aimed at women) industries use our insecurities to make us feel as though we can become emotionally well through consumption…. Read more »
As much as I preach the importance of meditation for mental health (which our contemplative practices are a form of), I find myself restrained when I attempt to do a practice on my own. From my experience with contemplative practices and meditation in classes (university and yoga alike), they offer a plethora of benefits: awareness and honoring emotions, more holistic… Read more »
I am the type of person who easily becomes stressed with my daily obligations. You’ve heard the phrase, “stop and smell the roses” but with back-to-back lectures for 5 hours, I’m usually running right past the roses to make it to class on time. Before this course, I had never done a contemplative practice nor heard of the term. Contemplative… Read more »
The contemplative practices we have explored throughout this class have forced me to be alone with myself and confront certain often uncomfortable topics. With regards to topics of consumption and limits one big question keeps coming back into my mind. How am I impacting the anthropocene now, and how will some of my most pivotal life choices increase my footprint… Read more »
Contemplative practices, much like meditation, are carried out in order to relax the mind and body – separating astral/spiritual from physical body. As the quarter has progressed, I have noticed positive changes in my everyday life that I believe stems directly from my introduction to contemplative practice. Specifically, I feel as though my body has unconsciously become more relaxed and… Read more »