All the way from Sydney, Corey Jackson will run two programs that combine modern psychology and ancient contemplative techniques to help people make lasting, positive changes to their lives.
Genuine Happiness – Attention to the Details with Corey Jackson
- Overview: 7.30pm Thursday 12 May
- Workshop: 1-4pm Saturday 14 May
In the course of a normal day, our attention is captured countless times. Research has shown that we are more likely to notice things we consider negative and even prone to see threats that aren’t actually there. This can cause us to focus too much on things that cause us distress and to see harmless events and people as sources of anxiety and unhappiness.
Attention training has been a part and parcel of contemplative traditions aimed at achieving human flourishing. In recent years, modern psychology and neuroscience have been researching these techniques and found some of them to be extraordinarily effective in enhancing well-being and combating conditions such as anxiety and depression. In fact, research has shown that achieving well-being is a skill that can be learned by understanding and training in attention. Being skilled in attention gives us the power to transform relationships, take control of our well-being and increase our resilience to adversity. Join us for this interactive workshop where we use modern research and ancient contemplative practices in a comprehensive approach to achieving happiness.
Prices: Overview: $15 (Members $10) Workshop: $30 (Members $25) You can choose to attend either session or both
Walking the walk – Aspiration to Action with Corey Jackson
- Overview: 7.30pm Thursday 26 May
- Workshop: 10am – 12.30pm Saturday 28 May
For many of us, everyday life doesn’t always align with our beliefs and aspirations. Consider the evidence: a barely used gym membership, pristine looking running shoes, and a meditation cushion unruffled by a meditator’s bottom. Never mind acting on the really big, global issues we feel strongly about but feel incapable of making a difference to them. Reconciling our desire to do what’s right with the need to be pragmatic has preoccupied contemplatives since ancient times and more recently, modern psychology has also begun to explore this question. Both approaches find that balancing everyday demands with a sense of greater purpose is critical to the healthy functioning of individuals and societies. They both also offer different techniques for doing so.
We will explore ancient and modern approaches to identify what we need from the world and what we can bring to it, in order to cultivate a sense of purpose and wellbeing. We will examine why we don’t always act when we think we should, and learn simple techniques to help us move from what is limiting to more enabling behaviour that benefits ourselves, others and the world around us.
Prices: Overview: $15 (Members $10) Workshop: $30 (Members $25) You can choose to attend either session or both
Buddhist Ideas for Everyday Life with Corey Jackson
7pm Friday May 13 and 27
For those curious about Buddhism or those looking to contextualise 2,500-year-old traditional Buddhist teachings within a modern scientific perspective. This series will present how to begin to integrate these seemingly contradictory traditions for more engaged and fulfilling life.
Price per session: $15 (Members $10) You can choose to attend either session or both
