Meditation session led by Kate Johnson
For centuries Himalayan practitioners have used meditation to quiet the mind, open the heart, calm the nervous system, and increase focus. Now Western scientists, business leaders, and the secular world have embraced meditation as a vital tool for brain health.
Whether you’re a beginner, a dabbler, or a skilled meditator seeking the company of others, join expert teachers in a forty-five-minute weekly program designed to fit into your lunch break. Each session will be inspired by a different work of art from the Rubin Museum’s collection and will include an opening talk, a twenty-minute sitting session, and a closing discussion. Chairs will be provided.
Presented in partnership with Sharon Salzberg and the Interdependence Project.
RELATED ARTWORK
Theme: Perception
This 18th-century sculpture from Mongolia depicts six-armed Mahakala trampling on the the elephant-headed god Ganesha. While clearly meant to be perceived as a wrathful being, this particular form of Mahakala is ultimately considered a form of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion. To enemies of the Buddha’s teachings Mahakala appears malicious and frightening, while those who know his true purpose understand that his presence offers protection from delusion, corruption, and other obstacles to compassion.
About the Speaker
Kate Johnson works at the intersections of spiritual practice, social action, and creative expression. She teaches mindful yoga in NYC public schools, teaches Buddhist meditation at the Interdependence Project, and facilitates an embodied approach to organizational and leadership development for social change agents and communities. Johnson holds a BFA in dance from the Alvin Ailey School/Fordham University and a MA in performance studies from NYU. She has trained at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, the Interdependence Project, Laughing Lotus Yoga, and the Presencing Institute. She is working on a book about waking up to power and oppression as a spiritual practice, to be published by Parallax Press in fall 2017.