CREATIVE MINDFULNESS LAB©
Creative Mindfulness Lab© workshops are informed by my 30+ years of creative and meditative practice and instruction. Some of this work has been performed with the NYC Department of Health, Bronx Council on the Arts, Carter-Burden Network, Acacia Network, and PEN America, all of which serve individuals living with high levels of stress and anxiety. I developed this program based on everything I’ve learned.
My students have included at-risk youth, senior citizens, opioid recovery patients, undocumented students, and business professionals. Learning as I went, I devised The Three Pillars for inducing flow states and samadhi for these groups. These exercises tap into the subconscious where concentration, creativity, and contentment can be cultivated.
Creative Mindfulness Lab© - Level One contains ten 90-minute lessons for groups and individuals with no to moderate experience. It builds to 20-minute sits and includes sound meditation and creative exercises, an ideal solution for groups or 1-on-1 coaching. I also provide high-resolution photos of the artworks created.
Session Plan
Session 1 – Taking Your Seat
Session 2 – Focusing on the Breath
Session 3 – Awareness of Thoughts
Session 4 – Uniting Earth and Sky
Session 5 – Settling into Stillness
Session 6 – Relaxing into Samadhi
Session 7 – Opening Yourself to Insight
Session 8 – Going Deeper
Session 9 – Meditative Concentration
Session 10 – Full Meditation Sit
Recovery Edition - The Power of Controlling Emotions
Creative Mindfulness Lab© - Recovery Edition focuses on the practices and exercises that develop a deepened recognition of present-moment awareness and visualizations to aid in resisting destructive cravings.
“I’ve noticed a correlation between the recovery patients who participate in these workshops and reduced instances of relapse.”
John Cruz, counselor at Acacia Network
I developed this edition in collaboration with Acacia Network, one of New York City’s largest human services organizations. Working at their recovery shelters taught me how to transmit these practices to anxious students who also suffer from mental health challenges.
Remaining aware of how your mind functions—how it frames situations—requires the development of an objective self-perspective, which can be cultivated through mindfulness practice. We learn to look inward to enhance our self-awareness, to transform negative emotions into positive alternatives such as changing craving into the determination to remain sober.
You train your attention to focus on the ultimate award, your liberation, and allow the craving and desire to move through you while you perform deep breathing exercises and visualizations. By learning to accept and recognize these urges, you focus on a growth mindset while grounding yourself in the present moment.
In-Person Instruction
I work in-person in New York City and provide all instructional and art-making materials. All that’s required is a quiet room with tables and chairs where participants can sit upright during meditations. Classrooms and cafeterias have worked well for these exercises.
Online Instruction
I’m also available to teach online for clients residing outside New York City. While I can set up Zoom rooms or similar meetings, I do not provide art-making materials for online groups. I can suggest basic supplies to be purchased beforehand, however.
Pricing
$3,000.00 USD per 10-workshop package (each workshop is 90 minutes long).
Rate: $300.00 USD/hour per 90-minute workshop.
