This program is available to you whether or not you consider yourself an artist or a meditator. The Shambhala Art teachings celebrate art that springs from the meditative mind. They remind us to appreciate the uniqueness of everyday sensory experience, the art of everyday life. Seeing the simplicity and brilliance of “things as they are” provides the ground for genuine creativity which is the expression of non-aggression.
The Shambhala Art Program is based on the teachings of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche which focus on perception and uses art-making exercises to bring our understanding into direct experience. Through a series of exercises, Part One, Coming to Your Senses, explores the process of perception highlighting both clarity and obscurations. Clear perception is the basis of genuine art.
Come if you are curious about creating from genuine presence. This is not an “art” workshop, it is an exploration of the senses and a deepening of our understanding about what creative process is really about. Come if you are longing to engage creative process and learn more about who you are as a creative person.
Supplies are provided but bring a notebook or sketchbook and writing utensil. Coffee, tea will be available in the morning as well as an afternoon tea break with a hearty snack. BYO lunch. There are also places to buy lunch within close distance of the Center.
Registration is required to attend this program as space is limited.
Suggested Reading (optional): True Perception by Chögyam Trungpa
Elaine Welinder has worked as a freelance graphic designer and artist for over 35 years and is currently a full-time student at CSULB's School of Art. She has been practicing meditation in the Shambhala tradition since 2011 and is a Shambhala Path Meditation Instructor and Shambhala Art teacher for parts 1-3. She lives in Huntington Beach with her husband and is an active member of the Orange County Shambhala community.
Debra Dysart has been studying and practicing in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition ever since she discovered Pema Chödrön’s Wisdom of No Escape in a Barnes and Nobles in 1997. (She met her husband Malcolm in that same bookstore.) Debra is a Shambhala Art teacher, Shambhala Path Meditation Instructor, and serves as Acting Director of Education for the Los Angeles Eagle Rock location. She was a former Center Co-Director of Shambhala Los Angeles. Debra sings with the Verdi Chorus and serves on its board of directors.