Kathleen Norris is an award-winning poet and essayist. In her books—such as The Cloister Walk and Dakota: A Spiritual Geography—she often explores spirituality in a way that is both personal and historical. We spoke with her recently about the importance of place, the relationship between creative and contemplative pursuits, and the benefits of belonging to a community. This post is…
Joy Baum is a photographer, weaver and meditation teacher. In addition to these pursuits, Joy has a professional background in psychology, education and counseling. These different strands of her journey have, in various ways, led her to the Garrison Institute, where she has been participating in programs for over seven years. We caught up with her recently to discuss what…
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer is a leader in the compassionate cities movement. The Compassionate Schools Project is a result of his vision and leadership. It is the most comprehensive study ever undertaken of a 21st century health and wellness curriculum in an elementary or secondary school setting. My colleagues and I at the Curry School of Education and the Contemplative…
The Ramayana describes Rama’s exile at his stepmother’s behest, so that her son Bharata would become king instead. Bharata, distraught, goes to Rama’s forest retreat and begs Rama to return and rule, but Rama refuses to disobey the decree. Bharata then takes Rama’s sandals saying, “I will put these on the throne, and every day I shall place the fruits…
Last week, our friends at the Rubin Museum of Art hosted a conversation between TED Talk curator Chris Anderson and social researcher Brené Brown. They were sharing tips on how to communicate impactful ideas in honor of Anderson’s new book, TED TALKS: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking. TED Talks have become remarkably influential in the digital landscape of ideas and many Garrison Institute teachers…
Before meeting Buck Brannaman, I always thought that I was interacting with horses in a way that was kind. But he opened up a world of horsemanship that I never knew existed. He made me realize that I had been putting way too much pressure on the horse, using a lot of strong bits, and unnecessary power in my arms.…
I recently had an opportunity to speak to some Garrison Institute supporters and friends. I mentioned that one of the things that unites the Garrison community is that we are all seekers. This is our basic orientation; we want to discover, explore, and search, and the Institute is a wonderful vehicle for our seeking. And in seeking, many of us…
Humanity is developing new technologies that can help us sense the world at scale, and make change visible in ways that are much more amenable to human cognition. And that matters, because seeing the world, deeply and in its totality, is the first step on the path to communion, empathy and stewardship.