The page provides links to a range of resources on Middle Way practice throughout the site:
Introduction to Middle Way Practice
Meditation and mindfulness
Podcast interview with Vidyamala Burch on mindfulness
Podcast interview with Claire Kelly on Mindfulness in Schools
Podcast interview with Kristin Neff on self-compassion
Tai Chi
Podcast interview with John Bolwell on Tai Chi
Pilates
Podcast interview with Monica Dare on Pilates
Focusing
Focusing and Thinking at the Edge (blog)
Podcast interview with Elizabeth English on Focusing
Volunteering
Podcast interview with Steve Howlett on volunteering
Podcast interview with Sarah Dickinson on the Samaritans
Conflict resolution, mediation and reconciliation
Podcast Interview with Darren DeWitt on Non-Violent Communication
Podcast Interview with Marina Cantacuzino on The Forgiveness Project
Podcast Interview with Andy West on Transformative Mediation
Podcast Interview with Monica Garvey on Family Mediation
Podcast Interview with Bjorn Ihler, victim of Utoya, on overcoming extremism
Podcast Interview with Arno Michaelis on overcoming hatred
Objectivity Training and Critical Thinking
Objectivity Training: An Update (blog)
Critical Thinking Course (blogs)
Podcast Interview with Robert M Ellis on Critical Thinking
Podcast Interview with Viryanaya Ellis on Critical Thinking as a Spiritual Practice
Podcast Interview with David McRaney on ‘How to beat your brain’
Podcast Interview with Noreena Hertz on making smart decisions
The Arts
Podcast Interview with Norma Smith
Music and Awe (blog by Emilie Aberg)
The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra (blog)
Practices focusing mainly on meaning.
Focus on study/visual art.
I hope to write again about a painting, I will probably choose a subject which has a left of centre political theme, which to some extent, matches my views.
Hi Norma,
We could certainly link a page on visual art to your recent blog posts, but we need a page that states a bit more formally how visual art can be an integrating practice. Maybe you could draft some ideas for a page, then I could make sure it’s linked to the theory before publishing? You would need to select ‘new page’ from the dashboard list then save it as a draft.
Hi Robert,
Thank you for the timely advice. I will think about how integration happens, if I have properly understood what is meant by it, in the art context. I hope I’m not on the wrong track.
The Die Brucke movement of German artists may be a good choice? Die Brucke means a bridge in English, between art of the past and the future of art in the next generation? I will use my blog page.
Hi Norma,
I don’t really know enough about ‘Die Brucke’ to comment on whether they’re a good example, though their founding metaphor seems promising. There’s a rough distinction we could make here between art as an integrative practice, which would be more about how people can use art to unify conflicting energies and beliefs (art therapy would be a good example of its use in this way), and the study of movements that might more or less be exploring a Middle Way. The former, I hope, will be part of the ‘practice’ section, and the latter more the preserve of the new ‘applications’ section. Art as an integrative practice might be better illustrated in the lives of individuals or of whole societies than in artistic movements. For example, in the case of Van Gogh, it seems to have held off the effects of serious madness for a while. In wider society, I was very struck by the play ‘The Pitmen Painters’ about the possible uses of art in overcoming class barriers. It would be possible to discuss the integrative effects of art either in a very individual way or quite a social way (see the ‘Individual and social integration’ page).
Thank you very much Robert for your comment, which I came across today. I was on the wrong track, I understand now what you mean, when you use the Van Gogh example. I haven’t seen the play you mention, but see its relevance.
The Die Brucke group of artists may be of interest, they were forerunners of German Expressionism. I’ll add a short blog about one of the group’s artists shortly.
I think I will use a very personal application of art as therapy in a blog afterwards.