The Labyrinth as Compassionate Practice
Together, we will discover through imaginative journey down the yellow brick road how to integrate the labyrinth pattern and Buddhist practices, creating new pathways of inner and outer change.
“If we walk far enough, we shall sometime come to someplace.”
― Dorothy from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Compassion comes in all forms, but it must start with self-compassion. If we don’t have self-compassion, we will never master compassion for others. In this self-paced three-part course, we will explore how the tenets of Buddhist philosophy can help us learn and practice radical compassion for ourselves and others. The Labyrinth is the path that can lead us there and then out again to share compassion with the world.
Through the use of story, we will follow Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz and her inner parts, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion. We will weave in and out of our imagination, demonstrating how Dorothy’s journey of self-discovery shows her practicing deep compassion for her parts that feel stupid, scared, and heartless. We are more than the sum of our parts.
Together, we will discover through imaginative journey down the yellow brick road (the Labyrinth) how to integrate Buddhist practices, creating new pathways of inner and outer change.
We will use the 7-Circuit Classical Labyrinth and the Seven Aspirations of Buddhist Practice.
Our three take-aways:
- Engage in the Power of Story
- Use the Labyrinth as a Transformative Tool
- Compassionate Practice: A Necessity for Real Tough Times
Your Instructor
Dr. Robin B. Dilley is an Arizona licensed psychologist in private practice. She received her doctoral degree from Union Institute in 1992 and has been practicing as a clinician in the field of psychotherapy since 1978. She has studied extensively the literature on Shame and believes that often it is the "trance of shame" that keeps the client powerless to make his/her life different.
In addition to providing psychotherapy, Dr. Dilley loves to teach. In that capacity, in her workshops and seminars, she brings a philosophy about education that is enriching and empowering. She believes that learning is an exchange of knowledge, and that the student comes away from the experience not only feeling revived, but ready to apply what he/she has learned. As the student takes the initiative to make his/her education interactive and experiential, the student becomes the owner of the theory and become masterful in his/her own process... Dr. Dilley quotes bell hooks from her book Teaching to Transgress -- "A teacher is a healer when the teacher empowers the student to link awareness with practice."
Dr. Dilley is a professional member of the Arizona Psychological Association, a Clinical Affiliate of the American Marriage and Family Association. and an Arizona State Affiliate of the American Marriage and Family Therapy Association. Dr. Dilley is currently has her Diplomate status in Psychopharmacology. She is also a member of the Silvan S.Tomkins Institute of Applied Studies in Affect, Motivation, and Cognition.