The Mindful Salon: Exploring the Big Questions through Inquiry into Eudaimonia (Human Flourishing)
Speaker: Michael Krasner MD; Patricia Lück MBChB, MPhil Pall Med
Format: Audio & Slides

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the average person spends about 45 minutes daily socializing and communicating, while watching television accounts for nearly three hours of the average American's day. Scholars and observers have documented a shift from a society structured around social gatherings to a culture of technology-driven individualism and isolation. Our research among health practitioners confirms isolation as a central feature of professional life, despite our seeming digital-age-driven hyper-connectedness. Eudaimonia is a Greek word translated as happiness or welfare but human flourishing seems a more accurate translation. Engaged inquiry into Eudaimonia is felt to be central to a person's and society's development.

Using contemplative exercises, didactic elements including brief readings, and paired, small and large group discussion, participants will inquire into several of the big questions: What constitutes a good life? What is happiness? How can wisdom acquired through the generations be passed down instead of lost? Finally, participants will explore how associations of inquiry in this model might be created in their own communities.

This workshop is designed for anyone interested in elevating the level of discourse in their community, and interested in achieving this through a contemplative and inquiry-based approach.