PSYC 10
Yoga, Mindfulness & Creativity Winter 2022

This is not the current course catalog

Class Details

The greatest obstacle to any kind of creativity is distraction and/or stress. The goal of this course is to encourage students to unplug, refresh, and to feel reunited with their intruitive, creative selves. Exploring the correlation between mindfulness, yoga and creativity, students will participate in a minimum of three yoga classes per week, will visit 2-3 local museums, and provided it is open again post pandemic, will stay for two nights at the renowned yoga center Kripalu, in Stockbridge, MA, where students can take a variety of classes and workshops, and enjoy the benefits of being at a retreat. Primarily a yoga class, in this course students will meet 4-6 hours per week to practice yoga, pranayama (breathing techniques) and guided meditation. We will also participate in an evening mandala making workshop in which each student will create an individual work of art. In addition, we will punctuate each week with visits to local museums, where we will a have guided tour and discussion with museum curators on the subject of mindfulness and creativity, followed by ample time for slow observation, and in some cases, time to practice yoga within the galleries themselves. If Kripalu is closed, we will take an alternate day trip, possibly to the Peace Pagoda in Grafton, NY. From either Kripalu or the Peace Pagoda, we will participate in a mindful hike together. Lastly, there will be a required reading list, in-class discussion on related topics, and students will be asked to keep a journal on various open-ended prompts. The last week of the course, students will take turns sharing creative projects they have been working on. Examples might be leading a 10-minute guided meditation, sharing a drawing, painting or poem, or designing a self practice.
The Class: Format: lecture
Limit: 15
Grading: pass/fail only
Requirements/Evaluation: short paper and final project or presentation
Prerequisites: interest in yoga, mindfulness, psychology, or art
Enrollment Preferences: preference will be given to seniors and to a balance among the other years
Unit Notes: Mary Edgerton has taught yoga at Williams for many years, working with students, athletes, faculty & staff. She also offers classes to the Berkshire community and has recently worked with the Clark to create 3 online videos. Blending creative sequencing, safe attention to alignment, and focus on the breath, she aims to provide a safe space in which to unplug and de-stress. Mary completed her teacher training at Triyoga, London, and has done multiple advanced trainings at Kripalu.
Materials/Lab Fee: $86 for course material costs and $235 for one night at Kripalu

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