Description
Chances are that you have told the story of your life so often that you have lost the ability to understand it in any other way. But is this the way you would narrate your life if you knew you could choose? Or do you feel stuck, constricted by a past that can't be changed and an unknown future? In this course, we'll play with the elements of storytelling, using them as metaphors to re-imagine our lives. Is the past as final as we suppose? Must we be anxious about the future? Could the present unfold with all the wonderment of dreams? As we open beyond our usual boundaries, we begin to know time differently, and feel what it's like to live with joy and ease.
Format
Classes meet online for six weeks, for one hour a week. Classes are recorded and you will have access to the recordings for your personal use only. Each week, there will be a short lecture, experiential practices, and discussion. Weekly handouts will provide short readings and the instructions you need to practice at home. An online chat room gives you the optional ability to meet and dialog with your fellow students.
Weekly Topics
Week 1: The Ongoing 'Story of Me'
Week 2: New Beginnings, New Genres
Week 3: Playing with Point of View
Week 4: Conflict and Dramatic Arc
Week 5: Uses of Humor and Joy
Week 6: Endings, Happy and Otherwise
Description
Chances are that you have told the story of your life so often that you have lost the ability to understand it in any other way. But is this the way you would narrate your life if you knew you could choose? Or do you feel stuck, constricted by a past that can't be changed and an unknown future? In this course, we'll play with the elements of storytelling, using them as metaphors to re-imagine our lives. Is the past as final as we suppose? Must we be anxious about the future? Could the present unfold with all the wonderment of dreams? As we open beyond our usual boundaries, we begin to know time differently, and feel what it's like to live with joy and ease.
Format
Classes meet online for six weeks, for one hour a week. Classes are recorded and you will have access to the recordings for your personal use only. Each week, there will be a short lecture, experiential practices, and discussion. Weekly handouts will provide short readings and the instructions you need to practice at home. An online chat room gives you the optional ability to meet and dialog with your fellow students.
Weekly Topics
Week 1: The Ongoing 'Story of Me'
Week 2: New Beginnings, New Genres
Week 3: Playing with Point of View
Week 4: Conflict and Dramatic Arc
Week 5: Uses of Humor and Joy
Week 6: Endings, Happy and Otherwise
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