Mindfulness meditation practice is known to inspire creativity across a range of disciplines, and this interactive workshop is designed to explore mindfulness as a state of “flow” that circumvents the conscious, critical mind.

Participants will learn two basic meditation techniques for tapping into this dynamic mode of action. To deepen our understanding of how mindfulness engages creativity, we will also use illustrative case studies to discuss a set of eight key concepts from Japanese culture, where mindfulness practice is expressed in many aspects of daily life. These concepts include heart-mind, impermanence, imperfect beauty, striving, continuous improvement, entrusting, gratitude and origins. Through this workshop, participants will:

 Gain a clear understanding of the potential creative benefits and holistic effects of meditation practice.

 Learn to practice two distinct mindfulness meditation techniques.

 Learn how to apply these mindfulness techniques in a creative context.

 Draw on Japanese concepts of mindfulness to acquire techniques for reframing and transforming creative work, situations and relationships.

A native of Prairie Village, Kansas, Sarah lived and practiced at a Buddhist monastery in Kyoto for seven years, where she studied and taught mindfulness meditation techniques and led many workshops and retreats. She earned a Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies from Stanford University and a B.A. in East Asian Studies from Yale University. Sarah currently serves as a senior consultant for Japan Intercultural Consulting, leading teambuilding and cross-cultural training seminars throughout the U.S. and Mexico to help people from different cultures communicate more effectively and build trusting relationships. After heading her firm's Mexico City branch for five years, she moved back to the Kansas City area with her family in 2012. She offers individual mindfulness coaching and group workshops throughout the Kansas City area.