2009 Festival: Shambhala Arts – Contemplative art talks & demonstrations
These art forms, inspired by the meditative tradition of Shambhala Buddhism, communicate how to slow down to find time to be with yourself and the world around you.
The London Shambhala Centre is excited to present a taster day (2nd May 2009) showcasing four of the Shambhala Art forms - Kado (Japanese Flower arranging) Miksang (Contemplative Photography), Calligraphy and Kyudo (Zen Archery). The talks will be presented by artist, teacher and Director of Shambhala Art in Europe, Herbert Elsky.
Saturday 2nd May 2009
10.00 – Kado.
The morning will start off with a talk on the meaning behind the placement of the main branches/flowers in the discipline of Kado, as practised in the Kalapa Ikebana tradition. This will be accompanied by a demonstration to unveil the technique and mind set involved when making an arrangement.
11.45 – Miksang.
After a break, we will continue with a short film on Miksang (starring Miksang teacher Michael Wood) and a talk/discussion on qualities of perception and how that is influenced by our state of mind.
During the morning break there will be an opportunity to try your hand at placing some flowers/branches to get a feel of the form.
13.00 – We will then break for lunch. You are welcome to bring your own lunch to eat at the Shambhala Centre or to go out to enjoy the many restaurants and cafés in Clapham.
14.00 – Calligraphy
After lunch we return for a demonstration of Calligraphy and a talk on how working with this form can retrieve a stillness of mind, regardless of what language you write in.
During the afternoon break you can try out some strokes with calligraphy brushes and ink.
15.30 – Kyudo
The final part of the day – Kyudo. The talk will relate some of the history behind the form as well as the reason for the continued practice of this ancient art form. There will be a demonstration of a short distance shot with traditional Japanese Bow and Arrows – Yumi and Ya.
To close the day Herb will talk on Shambhala Art and how we can work with these disciplines in our daily lives.
Please come and enjoy part or all of the day.
date: 02 May 2009
time: 10:00-16:00 cost: £5 per session or £17 for all talks & demos location: London Shambhala Meditation Centre
27 Belmont Close SW4 6AY tel: 020 7220 3207 email: info@shambhala.org.uk web: www.shambhala.org.uk
