From early childhood, we begin to construct a notion of ourselves along with a particular world view. Later, when our life experience is at odds with the perceptions and conceptualizations that arise from these fabrications, we experience suffering of some kind. In many instances, these notions of ourselves have become fixed and rigid. We forget that what we take as solid and real today were often the working assumptions of a child, and often based on insufficient information, faulty logic and/or misperception. Yet today, their origins are buried deep in our unconscious, and continue to have an impact on our thoughts and feelings.

In this experiential workshop, we explore the notion of the self as a mandala as understood by the depth psychologists such as Carl Jung. However, our focus will be on understanding and transforming the five primal energies into their corresponding wisdom essence and more importantly, in our immersion into the sacred space of the mandala environment as practiced in the spirit of the Indo-Tibetan Buddhist tantric tradition. In this sense, the mandala is a metaphor for the deconstruction and reformation of the self and our personal cosmology. With that process in mind, we employ various exercises that will engender flexibility in thinking such as the shifting of mental or conceptual set and sense of self that is a primary component of this meditation practice. Such practice is the antidote to conceptual rigidity and the basis for developing alternate and healthier perspectives of self and world.

Take time to discover your hidden assumptions and pre-conceived notions about yourself and the world. Learn techniques that will help you create a better life. Change your expectations and change your world. Re-vision yourself and begin living the light!

© 2002, 2003 John W. DeLuca all rights reserved