Mindfulness, heartfulness and compassion: a dialogue with faith leaders
4 July at 09:00 to 17:00
A one-day symposium in Brighton exploring the roots of contemporary mindfulness, heartfulness and compassion-based practices. This day is being hosted by the Sussex Mindfulness Centre and the Brighton & Hove Interfaith Contact group.
What is the symposium about?
Contemporary mindfulness, heartfulness and compassion-based practices derive predominantly from established spiritual pathways or religious traditions. However, in the secularised workplaces in which they are often delivered, the religion has been necessarily stripped away from the practices.
While this makes them more accessible to Westernised consumers, the danger is that by taking them out of their contexts and communities these practices may become technical, individualised and self-serving, losing their deeper meaning and their more profound capacity for change and connection.
We need to be careful that our secularised inclusiveness does not exclude the diversity offered by religious and spiritual traditions and the people affiliated to them, on whose shoulders these contemporary practices rest. Increasingly, we recognise that passing off something that belongs to the wisdom of often non-Western, non-white cultures as a new, scientific discovery can be unacceptable cultural appropriation.
By restricting conversations about these depth foundations, we miss an opportunity to find rich connections and understandings across many different faiths that have meditation and the cultivation of qualities such as presence, kindness and compassion at the heart of what they do. At a time in the world where religion can be the cause of division and tribalism, this opportunity to connect and build understanding in this domain seems more important than ever.
During this day, we plan to invite representatives of all the major faiths to share mindfulness, heartfulness and compassion practices from their traditions, and to engage in a dialogue about what unites us and what we can learn from one another.
Who is this for?
Anyone interested in the roots of mindfulness. Everyone is welcome, from any faith or none.
The format of the day
9.00 Registration
9.30 Welcome and introduction to the day
10.00 Series of brief mindfulness and compassion-based practices guided from different faith leaders from the perspective of their faith traditions
13.00 Shared lunch
14.00 Round table dialogue reflecting on the morning’s practices with representatives from each tradition
15.00 Small group discussions based on key emergent themes
16.30 Summary of learning, further actions and closing practice
17.00 Ends
The hosts
The Sussex Mindfulness Centre is hosting the day with the Interfaith Contact Group of Brighton and Hove and Heartfulness UK.
The Interfaith Contact Group of Brighton and Hove creates opportunities and safe spaces for people of different faiths and none to meet and talk. Most of their members and friends belong to faith groups but many don’t.
The Sussex Mindfulness Centre aims to improve the wellbeing and mental health of all people who can benefit from mindfulness. We do this by running mindfulness and compassion programmes, training teachers, and conducting research.
Where?
Please join us in person at the Friends Meeting House, Ship street, Brighton (see below).
Ticket prices
Ticket prices are to help us cover venue costs.
- Early bird tickets (before 28 February 2025): £20.00
- Standard tickets (after 28 February): £30.00
We try to keep prices as low as possible so everyone can come. We are not seeking any profit but we do need to cover (mainly venue) costs. Please contact us if you would like to come but the price is prohibitive.