Re-imagining Learning

Labs explore the space of deep personal connection and the possibilities such space can offer. Every one of us has something unique and precious to offer. At every moment, every one of us possesses a key that fits perfectly into the realm of another. When we meet on the street, in an office, or on the dance floor, we look for the quality of presence within ourselves and others that renders our communication delightful and nurturing. At the same time, we are used to surrounding ourselves with cultural routines that keep us away from “presence” more often than help us develop it. Labs were created as a place where we can research and play with this contradiction.

Labs were born to combine and balance the so-called “right” and “left-brain” learning. We offer one-on-one and group sessions structured around a particular intention, goal, or skill set acquisition (you are the one to decide on your goals). The rationale behind any particular intervention is an intensification of a flow state. In an interaction where you decide whether you want to be a leader or a follower, there must be a match between the "instructional capabilities" of a leader and the intentions of the follower. The activity is designed to serve as a container of the interaction, not its primary goal, although in some cases, it can become a central focus point of an encounter. There is no limit to the number of domains of human functioning that can serve as the container for emotional healing.

A plethora of positive experiences in skill acquisition (the skill itself is important only because of the flow states it supports) and social interaction, no matter how big or small, could help one live the life one desires. Our view is that experiencing learning as a fully integrated emotional experience rather than a way to escape from one's unmet needs is the realm of the few. Until we can wholeheartedly enjoy true togetherness, we are committed to a collaborative exercise of presence: seeing and being seen, speaking and being heard, acting and being met.

We are committed to working with educators and healers whose primary goal is to do what interests and inspires them most. Heart-centered self-contemplation is at the root of their work, regardless of what arts, sciences, and rituals they practice. Most educators and healers we work with have chosen socially oriented work and service after a lifetime of more specialized professional experience.