Workshops

As we see it, spiritual understanding first arises in one’s own experience. Although these experiences often occur spontaneously, the Laboratory allows us to share practices for the mind, the body, and the soul that prepare participants for the expansion of their perception of self and their relationships with others and their environment, in order to more deeply explore their inner world and spiritual knowledge.

Over a ten-month period, we carry out seven workshops in the form of residential nature retreats. Each workshop is based on one of the types of spiritual experience chosen for artistic exploration and reflection.

From a pluralistic and non-denominational perspective, borrowing elements from different traditions and spiritual practices, the methodology of the workshops is based on:

Internal practices focused on expanding the capacity for spiritual listening, intuition, and vision, to foster intimacy with the divine, self-knowledge, and personal transformation.
External practices, which focus attention on the body and on nature through active observation and interaction with others and the environment. These practices encourage mindfulness and restore the capacity for wonder in our everyday lives, thus allowing us to perceive a way of life filled with meaning and connection.
Contemplative reading of texts from different cultures and religious traditions that nourish inspiration and imagination.
Circles of thought, or spaces for reflection and philosophical dialogue, oriented towards conceptual exploration of proposed issues, consideration of different perspectives, and the search for a richer and deeper understanding.
Reflexive writing, to delve deeper into one’s personal search and record one’s process of inquiry in diaries.
Individual artistic exploration based on the spiritual experience cultivated in the workshops and corresponding proposed topics.
Collective artistic exploration, which, by articulating different languages, encourages cooperation among the community of artists, leads to the discovery of new work possibilities, and helps integrate the experiences in each workshop.
Spaces in which to present works-in-progress and finished works created during the workshops and in which participants share their creative and spiritual processes.