Class Description
Mindful this, mindful that. The mindfulness industry is getting out of hand, and far removed from the ancient philosophies that created it. “Showing up, ” and “being present” is only the first step to mindful living – and it can make you anxious and angry if you don’t work on step two – radical acceptance of what is. In this workshop, we’re going to practice being here now with meditative techniques, but we’re also going to explore what it’s like to go deeper. To say, “Yes.” Yes to everything just as it is. We’re going to talk about the difference between accepting and condoning, and how to move from resistance to surrender. The greatest strength you have is your ability to perceive, allow, and participate in this life you’re living. If you can’t accept the universe as it is, with all its danger and paradox and loss, you can’t fully participate in its unfolding. Mindfulness, in its original form, is the cultivation of expansive awareness and loving, ecstatic equanimity. Through various exercises with vocalization, interaction with each other, and other forms of expression, we will show each other what it’s like to be present, be aware, and to abide peacefully with what we find here, and now.
Instructor Bio
Claire Wheeler was an Emergency Medicine physician for several years before she earned her Ph.D. in psychology and certification in Mind-Body Medicine. For the past 18 years, Claire has been a faculty member for the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, teaching people from all over the world how to use meditation, guided imagery, mindfulness, expressive arts, movement, and other techniques for happier, healthier lives. Her book, “10 Simple Solutions to Stress,” is based on this work and her training in the psychology and neurobiology of stress and resilience. Claire has been a full time instructor in Portland State University’s School of Community Health for ten years. In addition to this and her work with the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, she conducts workshops, seminars, and gives speeches for many different groups, organizations, and communities. Mind-body medicine isn’t a job, it’s a way of life, one that is grounded in mindfulness and enriched by powerful scientific evidence. For Claire, it’s more than a professional field – it’s a way of life that influences everything, every day, every moment. Her passion for the transcendental nature of mindful practice comes through in all of her work.