INNER LIFE/THIS & THAT

(All sessions 2 hours)

 

Inner Life Studies

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Laughter: Medicine for the Spirit (1 session)

Laughter yoga, healthy comedy, smiling meditation. Discover why and how these can lift up your life and lessen your stress.

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Meditation Basics (1 session)

Learn some easy meditation skills to lessen your stress and focus your mind.

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Peace of Mind in a World of Conflict (4 sessions)

Worn out by the media blame game, international and national violence, conflict-driven relationships? Learn to lighten your load without resorting to disengagement. Discover and practice powerful tools to free yourself and others from old patterns and be the change you wish to see in the world. We’ll examine medical and psychological perspectives, plus insights from many cultures and faith traditions.

 

Satyagraha – Gandhi’s Peaceful Power (1 session)

Satyagraha, “truth force,” compelled the British Empire to release India from its grip and taught Americans the dignity inherent in the African American struggle for civil rights.  Learn more about Gandhi’s greatest gift to humanity.

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Taming Your Inner Critic (1 session)

Lightly explore your darker side, your inner critic. Have fun in a supportive environment learning how and why to stop mentally beating yourself up.

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The Axial Age: Great Minds in Many Lands (5 sessions)

Post-WWII philosopher Karl Jaspers introduced the idea of an axial age from 600 BCE to 200 BCE, an axis in time when major shifts in thinking occurred independently throughout Asia and parts of Europe. From Confucius and Lao Tse to the Buddha and the Upanishads to the Hebrew prophets to Homer, Plato and the rise of sacred Greek drama, new ideas about the dignity of humanity began to shape the world we know. The Golden Rule sprang forth independently across the world too. We will explore Jasper’s timeline and extend it to 100 CE, to encompass the life and times of Hillel the Elder and Jesus of Nazareth.

 

This & That

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Our Fractal World: Seeing the Complexity (3 sessions)

This course introduces fractal geometry, the first mathematics to effectively model complex natural systems. Euclid’s geometry, based on symmetrical, artificial forms, has created our marvelous human-made world but encouraged misuse of air, water, soil and life. This course introduces a new paradigm, a fundamental shift: order balanced with chaos. No math experience or even comfort necessary. We will manipulate concepts, not numbers.

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Regenerating the Good Life: Back to the Land (1 session)

Interested in mindful living? Growing and eating sustainably? Come and meet some of the pioneers, past and present, who teach us how. Meet the Nearings and learn about living the Good Life. Celebrate the evolution of Rodale’s teachings from organic to regenerative organic gardening. We’ll touch on permaculture principles, no-till agriculture, Indigenous practices, soil and grass farming and more.

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The Fleischer Brothers: Animation Innovators (2 sessions)

Starting in 1921, the Fleischer brothers brought to animation Koko the Clown, Betty Boop, Popeye, Cab Calloway, the first talking picture, and gorgeous Superman featurettes.  And they were inventors too, bringing the world 3-D animation, follow the bouncing ball (to sing along with the film), and groundbreaking technology they called the rotoscope. Now updated for the 21st century and in wide cinematic use, it’s digitized, called motion capture and is used by every special effects department in the world.

                                                       

The Sublime John Raitt (Bonnie’s Dad) (1 session)

Musical theater star John Raitt is less well known today than he deserves but his magnificent voice and rugged good looks carried him through decades of live theater work, both on Broadway and in the boonies. Sadly overlooked by the Hollywood studios almost entirely, even the role and the show written with him in mind, Carousel, went to another singer/actor when brought to film. We only have his fine performance in The Pajama Game to remind us of what could have been. We’ll learn about his life, a bit about his relationship with his famous blues artist daughter Bonnie, and listen to the man sing.

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Think You Don’t Like Podcasts? (1 session)

Think again. Lifelong learning on demand on the Internet for free. History, storytelling, science, cultural explorations - many libraries' worth of knowledge, many with lovely sound design too. We’ll sample some of the best and explore ways to find more in areas of special interest to you.

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