Poetry As Portal: An Exploration

November 1

Karen Hesli

Saturday 10am – noon, 2-4pm

Onsite only

This is a day for retreating alone and together. Our jumping off point will be to reflect on these 2 quotes:

“To understand life is to understand ourselves. That is both the beginning and end of education.”

—Education and the Significance of Life, J. Krishnamurti

“Every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.”

—Song of Myself, Walt Whitman

Each of the two sessions will begin with reading selected poems aloud together, followed by reflection and sharing related to the theme. We will then each enjoy time in nature alone, for creating a poem or poetic expression, sketching, poetic movement, or further reflection. Sharing with the group will follow, with attentive listening and appreciation.

Karen Hesli After a decade of teaching in Minneapolis Public Schools, Karen was introduced to a different kind of learning encouraged by philosopher/educator J. Krishnamurti. In 1980 she discovered the gift of her “lifelong education of inquiry” at Oak Grove School,

where she worked in various teaching and administrative positions until retiring in 2018.

In Karen’s words, ” Poetry came to me steadily through the years, mostly via students, whose natural language was effortlessly, right-brainedly, poetic. Now I admit to being an evangelist for poetry. I see poetry as equipment for life. The right poem opens doors, bridges several worlds, interrupts entrenched thinking or catalyzes honest reflection. I love to share poems that have moved me over the years; not as examples of ‘iambic pentameter,’ but ones that ask what is in your heart as a human being or what moves and nurtures your life.

Single Session $20 Day $35