Mindful Monday Meditations:
Stop & Smell the Roses (& the Peonies &…)

Kickoff 1.24.22, Monday @VoxOmnibusConsulting

Begin the year with a habit of daily gratitudes and join our gratitude-themed series on Facebook! (Follow us @VoxOmnibusConsulting.) Together, we’ll appreciate what’s blossoming in our lives inspired by the descriptions of painted flowers on this Chinese handscroll from the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Or, join us on the platform of your choice!

Artful Meditation: What’s Growing On?
(1.21.22, Friday, 12-12.45 p Central)

Enter the new year mindfully with this meditative practice for taking a personal and professional inventory. Inspired by Flowers of the Four Seasons, the meditation starts with contemplation of this Japanese work and a little art history, followed by a period of facilitated quiet reflection. We’ll consider what is currently emerging, fully blossoming or hibernating in participants’ lives and provide opportunities for deeper personal awareness.

Register here for this free Zoom event!

Appreciating our free Artful Meditations? Support this offering with a donation here!

Artful Meditation
(9.17.21, Friday, 12-12.45 p Central)

This special Artful Meditation invites donations made directly to the Afghan relief efforts of Women for Women International, International Rescue Committee, or another organization of your choice.

Along with a mindfulness tool used to integrate challenging experiences in one’s life, we’ll consider several landays, an oral form of Afghan “folk” poetry traditionally developed by and for Pashtun women.  From humorous, everyday subject matter to raw personal commentary, these verses offer glimpses into Afghan culture that resist stereotypes and narrow categories.  We’ll access Afghan landay through an extensive Poetry Magazine-sponsored project from 2013, particularly a video excerpt with recitations of landay poetry set against “everyday” scenes of Afghan life. 

Please note:  The poetry and video include subject matter and viewpoints that some may find objectionable.  This Poetry Magazine article on landays or your own advance viewing of the video may better help you decide whether to attend.  This meditation will not be recorded.  

Bring: Paper, writing utensil.

Artful (Poetry) Meditation
(12.4.20, Friday, 12-12.45 p Central)

Close out the year with us as we mindfully read, listen to, and then reflect on Emily Dickinson’s poem It Sifts from Leaden Sieves. The work is one of our favorites and feels very apropos to this time of year! Vox Omnibus facilitator Jennifer Pappenhagen leads us with her doctoral-level study of literature and her 20 years of teaching experience. There’s no registration required this time around, and the recording will be for our internal use only.

Appreciating our monthly Artful Meditations? Support this free service with an end-of-the-year gift here!

Sponsored Artful Meditation
(7.21.20, Tuesday, 12-1 p Central)

What does a Charles Demuth still-life watercolor featuring green pears have to do with the neuroscience of positivity? Join us for this artful meditation to learn and practice how!

This meditation is generously sponsored by the Bravo Counseling Center, PLLC and Sandra Bravo, who slated an Artful Meditation as a part of the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce’s The Art of Health and Wellness Three-Week Workshop series. This series is open to the public and will be hosted online by the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce in two modes: Dr. Hannah Wong will conduct this meditation on Zoom for up to 50 registrants; it will also be live-streamed on the Chamber’s Facebook page. (More info.)

Artful (Poetry) Meditation
(7.17.20, Friday, 12-12.45 p Central)

Back by popular demand! Join us as we mindfully read, listen to, and then reflect on William Carlos Williams’s poem Spring Storm. Vox Omnibus facilitator Jennifer Pappenhagen leads us with her doctoral-level study of literature and her 20 years of teaching experience.

Online Lunchtime Workshop:
How Looking at Art Teaches You to Be A Better Communicator
(5.27.20, Wednesday, 12-1.30 pm Central)

Effective communication in the workplace (and elsewhere) is more important than ever. In just 1.5 hrs., this highly participatory, online workshop enables participants to immediately identify their individual communication styles and pinpoint particular areas for growth, all while having fun. Past attendees note that this workshop particularly enhanced their communication with supervisees and with external clients/publics.

This is part of a series of free courses sponsored by ACC's Center for Non-Profit Studies.

Lessons Learned From the Black Plague: A Medieval Historian’s Reflections
(5.15.20, Friday, 12-1 pm Central)

That’s right. We’re going there, because it’s so relevant. This week, a medieval historian shares how the Black Plague instructs her today amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Dr. Cheryl Kaufman is a lecturer in the Department of History at the University of Texas and currently teaches two courses: Medieval Material Culture and Western Civilization in Medieval Times. During this live interview, Dr. Kaufman connects the Black Plague with Covid-19 and discusses a few related art historical images from the period. A brief Q & A will follow. (Please note: given the subject matter, this event may not be for everyone.)

Artful (Poetry) Meditation
(5.8.20, Friday, 12-12.45 pm)

This week, a specially-crafted meditation on a single, gorgeous poem! Join us as we mindfully read, listen to, and then reflect on a 20th-century work by Pulitzer-prize winning American poet Marianne Moore. Vox Omnibus facilitator Jennifer Pappenhagen leads us with her doctoral-level study of literature and her 20 years of teaching experience. This is a treat that you won’t want to miss!

Artful Mediation
(5.1.20, Friday, 12-12.45 pm)

This week, we contemplate a Chinese landscape and enact the original method for viewing this type of painting. While “unrolling” this scroll from right to left, we’ll observe this work with quiet, mindful attention. Join us for some connection, visual beauty and intentional breathing!

Artists on Crisis Management & Resilience

Join us for live interviews with artists, who often have to perform in stressful and under-resourced environments. During these lunchtime interviews, we’ll ask writers, musicians, actors, and directors what unique perspective their art form and training give them in times of crisis. Plus, a Q & A period to follow.

4.15.20, Weds, 12-1 p
Director/Actor Dr. Lisa Neely

Artful Lunchtime Meditation
(4.9.20, Thurs. @ 12-12.45 pm)

This week, we’ll consider Marina Abramović's 1980 performance piece, Point of Contact. First, we'll look at a photograph from the original performance, and then, the facilitator will (responsibly) recreate the performance with a partner for your observation and contemplation. All sharing will be optional with the exception of a “two-word check-in” at the beginning of the meditation. We can't stop thinking of Abramović's powerful performance works during this time of social distancing. But, please make sure that this meditation is for you by checking out the MoMA's brief description of the work beforehand.