About the Meditation
Meditation session led by Kate Johnson.
The guided meditation begins at 11:40
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.
This program is supported in part by the Hemera Foundation with thanks to our presenting partners Sharon Salzberg,the Interdependence Project and Parabola Magazine.
RELATED ARTWORK
Theme: Generosity
Ewers like this one are used for pouring liquid offerings during daily offerings, initiation ceremonies, and other rituals. This ewer could have been used in a monastic setting or a lay household shrine. It is a good example of the exquisite silver metalwork with traditional Tibetan symbols and aesthetic elements found in ritual items from the region.
The central decorative motif on the belly of the vessel is a gilt dragon surrounded by Buddhism’s Eight Auspicious Symbols, also highlighted in gold. The spout emerges from the mouth of a water monster (makara). The base features the pattern of a stylized lotus, much like the bases of sculptures.
About the Speaker
Kate Johnson works at the intersections of spiritual practice, social action, and creativity. She has been practicing Buddhist meditation in the Western Insight/Theravada tradition since her early twenties and is empowered to teach through Spirit Rock Meditation Center. She holds a BFA in dance from the Alvin Ailey School/Fordham University, and MA in performance studies from NYU.
Kate is a core faculty member of MIT’s Presencing Institute, and has trained hundreds of leaders and change-makers in using Social Presencing Theater, a mindfulness and dance improvisation methodology used to inform strategic planning and systems change in our complex world.