Saturday 14th November 2020 10.00 -11.30am. 

Stress, inattention, multitasking and haste are becoming ubiquitous in the modern world and they come at a significant cost in terms of poor mental and physical health, inefficiency, errors and poor communication. The popularity of mindfulness can be looked upon as an antidote to modern life. Mindfulness can be described as both a form of meditation and a way of living and although it is a generic skill it has an infinite number of applications. This interactive and experiential workshop will explore the science, philosophy and practice of mindfulness across a wide variety of applications including managing stress, coping with workload, enhancing mental and physical health, and fostering quality relationships.

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Presented by Dr. Craig Hassed OAM

Dr. Craig Hassed’s teaching, research and clinical interests include mindfulness-based stress management, mind-body medicine, meditation, health promotion, integrative medicine and medical ethics. He is regularly invited to speak and run courses in Australia and overseas in health, professional and educational contexts. He was the founding president of the Australian Teachers of Meditation Association and is a regular media commentator. He writes regularly for medical journals and has published thirteen books including, most recently, The Freedom Trap. 

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Saturday 3rd October 2020 10.00 - 11.30am.

If Judaism is the Fear of God, Christianity the Love of God, Islam is the Unity of God.

Does the Islamic concept of Unity help to explain the success of Islam as one of the great faiths of mankind?

A doctrinal approach to Islamic art and architecture expresses Unity in Diversity. The underlying essence of Unity in Diversity is also expressed by Plato, Pythagoras and the eastern philosophy of Advaita [non-duality].

We will workshop together ideas and concepts of Unity as they are expressed in some of the great works of Islamic art and architecture.

Through our contemplation together , we may discover insights  into Unity, Beauty and Truth.

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Presented by Garry Martin

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Garry Martin has practiced as an architect in Australia, Europe and the Middle East. He writes and talks on the traditional architectures of India, Iran and the Middle East. Garry has combined his interests in archaeology, art history and philosophy in his approach to the design of modern buildings in traditional settings. He has been a student and tutor of philosophy in The Melbourne School of Philosophy for twenty seven years.

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Saturday 24th October 2020 10.00 - 11.30 am.

Let's face it, we all NEED gratitude, and the world is suffering a critical shortage of this most important ingredient to living a happy life.

What would happen to our society if EVERY grateful action were suddenly to stop???

Why is gratitude so hard to show? What stands in the way? Is it a matter of 'give and take', or is there something deeper to discover here?

This discussion will explore these and other related questions. 

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Presented by Tim Rogers.

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Tim works as a Technical Sales engineer in the water and power industry. He has been married for 32 years and has 2 sons and 2 teenage grandsons. Tim has been a member of the School of Philosophy for 29 years and during this time has developed an interest in the nature of relationships and what essential ingredients are required to make a satisfying one. Following this interest has lead him to facilitate weekend retreats for young professionals, focusing on this and similar subjects. He has presented at the School of Philosophy Cultural Days for the last 11 years.