The Mudra Journey: Lifestyle transformation in the new normal of COVID
In this five-week class series, 50 years after Chögyam Trungpa first presented Mudra Space Awareness, it will be presented for the first time as a complete upaya — a 24/7 practice designed especially for the moment we are in today. No longer confined to theater training, this practice, succinctly presented in the above diagram, is designed to promote leadership in the moment of groundlessness that arises in the wake of COVID.
Presentations and Practice
Each session in the series has two parts, a framework presentation offered by Professor Craig Warren Smith and mind/body and perception exercises, Mudra practice, led by Acharya Suzann Duquette and supported by other Mudra teachers. Exercises will relate to the theme of each of the presentations.
“Chaos should be regarded as extremely good news …Chaos is the great space of emptiness that occurs before genesis. … This space provides an opportunity to reconnect with what lies under the chaos and negativity — inherent awakened nature. Another way chaos is good news is that when things seem very bad, there is a big opportunity for something good to take place.” — Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Register for Talk 1 and/or 2 individually.
Talks 3 – 5 must be taken as a package.
About Talk 2: Intensification
The gateway to the Mudra experience is something called “intensification.” It is achieved through a series of mind/body exercises that dispel the conventional separation between tension and relaxation. Intensification provides a clue to the meaning of being “wrathful” as that term is understood in Vajrayana Buddhism. It becomes the basis of an engaged lifestyle that goes beyond mere mindfulness to achieve transformation. Why is intensification suitable to our own time of COVID?
Schedule
The online Zoom room for this presentation and practice session will open at 8:45 a.m. on Saturday, Jan 23, for you to sign-in, check your connection, and do any necessary trouble-shooting of technical issues. The program begins at 9:00 a.m. with a talk, followed by Mudra practice. The program ends at around 11 a.m. All times are Eastern time zone.
Because of the nature and logistics of online programming — including ensuring that you have the proper links, materials and schedules — the deadline to register and be paid in full for this program is 48 hours before it begins. The price below includes a $10 per person teaching gift for Dr. Smith, who is responsible for holding and developing the full scope of the Mudra Institute.
Please note that some of the automated text regarding pricing lists the inclusion of accommodations and/or meals. This is not applicable to ONLINE classes
Prerequisites:
To attend Talks 3 – 5, you are required to attend either Talk 1 and/or Talk 2. Talks 3 – 5 must be taken as a package. Participants must have taken either an in-person Mudra Space Awareness weekend or retreat to attend this series. However, the teachers are willing to make exceptions. If you believe an exception should be made in your case, please contact: jtbuck@karmecholing.org.
Pricing
Karmê Chöling values its commitment to making programs affordable and available to all who wish to study with us. To support this commitment we provide two program price options.
FULL PRICE: $50 This is the actual price of the program.
DISCOUNT PRICE: $40 We offer this discounted price to those who cannot afford the full price of the program. This price is made possible through the generosity of Karmê Chöling and our donors
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Teachers
Craig Warren Smith
Professor Craig Warren Smith, became the first teacher of Mudra Space Awareness after receiving transmissions of the practice directly from CTR in the early 1970s. After introducing the practice to Naropa in 1974, he then began teaching the program in dozens of Shambhala Centers, culminating in the Dathun with Mudra at Karme Choling, co-taught with Suzann Duquette. At that time, under his leadership, the three-part (Vision-Method, Application) structure of Mudra began to emerged. After graduating with honors at Stanford University, he became Harvard Professor of Technology Policy at the Kennedy School of Government. He later became an advisor to world leaders regarding the regulation of the internet. Currently, he advises the Republic of Indonesia on implementation of an ethics based model, called Meaningful Broadband. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Warren_Smith). In recent years his approach to digital dynamics merged with Mudra, e.g. by using Muda visual exercises for content creation in virtual reality. A leader of the gay rights movement in the 1970s, he introduced the topic of “queer dharma” to Shambhala Centers in the 1990s.
Suzann Duquette began her lifetime exploration of Mudra in 1974 as part of the Berkeley Mudra Space Awareness Group with Dr. Craig Warren Smith, her main Mudra teacher. The Acharya sees the power of physical awareness and embodiment as essential to awakening, and Mudra as a profound method for tasting direct experience and embodiment, and putting the dharma into effective action in all aspects of our lives. Among many Mudra gatherings, Suzann has co-taught two landmark Mudra retreats – the 2004 Dathün with Mudra with Craig Smith and the 2019 Mudra Summit, both held at Karmê Chöling. Suzann is one of 40 acharyas (senior teachers) in the lineage of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. Former co-director of Karmê Chöling, she is currently the center’s Resident Acharya. Suzann also teaches Shambhala retreats and Daoist-Qigong in the lineage of Dr. Eva Wong. She lives with her husband, Jan, in Barnet, where they own and run Blue Skies, a B&B.
