The Arts as a Tool for Contemplative Teaching and Learning

“The arts are an integral part of many contemplative traditions,” says Pamela Seigle, Executive Director of Courage and Renewal Northeast and Garrison Institute Education Leadership Council member. “For children, engaging in singing, drawing and moving are natural times of mindfulness and attention. The arts allow us to feel, express and understand emotions that sometimes can’t be named. They also allow us to connect to ourselves and to each other, and to build community.” A recent update from our Contemplative Teaching and Learning Initiative features more of her commentary on the internal dynamics of the artful experience, as well as a video of Seigle sharing a singing practice with educators at our 2011 Education Symposium, in which participants listen to their own voices and then to the voices of others, choosing whether to sing in unison, harmony or dissonance. In this practice, says Seigle, “Singing becomes a powerful metaphor for voice.”