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Evidences of work specific to the expected outcomes/ development of proposals

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Evidences of work specific to the expected outcomes/ development of proposals

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Photos must be of clear resolution with captions and sequenced to illustrate the flow and development of the project

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Photos must be of clear resolution with captions and sequenced to illustrate the flow and development of the project

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1. Attendance and Participation
2. Communication
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Ayer Ayer Project Proposal - LASALLE Arts Projects

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Research on Sustainability and Mindfulness

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Research on Sustainability and Mindfulness

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Research on definitions and examples of art in relation to each term.

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Mindfulness is a key component of the programs that Brahm Centre offers as it is an essential life skill to build mental resilience. Through the cultivation of mindfulness, Brahm Centre aims to empower people to create their own happiness. Click here for course schedule

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How mindfulness can help the shift towards a more sustainable society

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We know that mindfulness can transform the life of an individual. But did you know it could also change the world?

We are facing increasingly complex global challenges, of which climate change is perhaps the most important. It is obvious that we must do something about our carbon emissions and the increase in floods, windstorms, and heatwaves that threaten our environment - but we don't seem to know what.

It is becoming clear, however, that the problem can't simply be solved by new technology or new governments alone. We also need to develop new social practices and encourage a broader cultural shift towards more sustainable living and climate action. We have to completely rethink how we do things. This is where mindfulness comes in.

Mindfulness is the psychological process of bringing one's attention to the present moment. It is more than just moment-to-moment awareness. It is a kind, curious and non-judgemental awareness that helps us relate to ourselves, others, and our environment with compassion. Mindfulness can be developed through meditation and other contemplative practices, such as yoga and deep listening. It is increasingly used in various professional fields and disciplines. In 2016, 14 times more academic articles used the term as did in 2006.

Mindfulness is often summed up with the phrase "be here now". We can all be mindful; it's rooted in our consciousness, and it's associated with greater emotional intelligence. Neuroscientists think that mindfulness can literally rewire our brains.

How mindful thinking can drive global change

As I show in my own research, mindfulness can not only change how we think about the social and environmental crises that affect our world, but can also help us to take the actions needed to build a more sustainable society.

Mindfulness can influence our response to crises, including climate change. It does this for instance by modifying how people process information about risks, changing their environmental behaviour, and by increasing their motivation to reduce suffering and support governments' climate actions. Reasons include the influence of mindfulness on compassion for both people and nature, and on understanding complexity.

Mindfulness can also increase our ability to cope with the impact of climate change. Studies have shown that mindfulness can be used to help not only the victims, but also everyone else involved in a disaster. Post-traumatic stress affects groups such as emergency workers, firefighters, police, military, volunteers, and communities that host disaster victims; mindfulness can help them reduce that stress. It can make people better able to cope with stress and adapt to new circumstances, by minimising automatic, habitual, or impulsive reactions and increasing cognitive flexibility.

Mindfulness can also encourage us to be more aware of social justice and injustice, and more sensitive to context. It can help cultivate compassion and our intrinsic moral values which, in turn, can be reflected in actions for the common good.

This links to climate change as global warming has environmental and health consequences, which disproportionately affect low-income countries and poor people in high-income countries, who must be protected. Climate adaptation measures must not create new problems or make existing problems worse. Mindful thinking can lead people to consider the consequences of unquestioned structures and power relations, at all scales from petty disputes in the workplace to global issues.

Julian Abram Wainwright / EPA

Hence, mindfulness can also change organisations from within. In times of climate change, sustainable organisations need to nurture and develop their social assets in the anticipation of, and to cope with, unexpected risky events. It does this by influencing people's job satisfaction and organisational learning, and by improving their cognitive flexibility and openness to novelty. This can encourage organisations to constantly probe their environment for ways to stay ahead through innovation.

Yet despite the obvious benefits, researchers have been slow to assess the potential of mindfulness and other contemplative practices for transformation. Bodies such as the United Nations have been more proactive. The United Nations office which co-ordinates global climate action (the UNFCCC), asked the Buddhist leader Thich Nhat Hanh to provide a statement ahead of the Paris climate summit in late 2015, for instance.

My research shows that mindfulness and global sustainability are more connected than we think, but we need to know more about the link between them. It's high time to explore the practical impact that contemplative practices such as mindfulness can have on sustainability, and how we can tap into this potential to drive global change.

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How mindfulness can help the shift towards a more sustainable society

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We know that mindfulness can transform the life of an individual. But did you know it could also change the world? We are facing increasingly complex global challenges, of which climate change is perhaps the most important.

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How Mindfulness Can Help You Be a Better Sustainability Leader

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By Shannon Houde
In today's world, how you do a job is just as important as what you do. This is especially true for those in positions of influence within the sustainability impact sector. Herding cats through a complex change process while maintaining the bottom line? You're going to need super-human levels of focus, calm and empathy.

Our ability to align our intellectual intelligence with our emotional intelligence defines our effectiveness as leaders. Businesses are waking up to this, and mindfulness is now taking center stage on the professional development agenda. Just ask Google, whose Jolly Good Fellow (aka Head of Mindfulness) has a job description that includes KPIs such as "enlighten minds, open hearts and create world peace," which could be why its 'Search Inside Yourself' program is now publicly available to "bring the benefits of mindfulness-based emotional intelligence to your workplace or community." General Mills, Target and Aetna are also hopping on the mindfulness train and setting up internal programs to engage employees. Proving the point is a recent study from the Institute for Employment Studies and Cranfield University's School of Management, which found that mindfulness can be used to drive change in organizations. (They summed up their recommendations in this handy infographic).

Given that the science is so clear on the beneficial impacts of practicing mindfulness, it's easy to see why major corporations are charging down this route. After all, who doesn't want to cultivate awareness, humanity and perspective in the workplace and encourage a low-stress, high-satisfaction collaborative team?

Mental Fitness Training

There are lots of ways of describing mindfulness, but we like Shakya Kumara's definition best: "It's a form of Mental Fitness Training," he says. "We know that we need a certain level of physical fitness in order to maintain our physical health and well-being. In the same way, we need a certain level of mental fitness, in order to maintain our mental health and well-being."

Andy Hix of Zen at Work offers another helpful description: "It's the opposite of swearing at your computer whilst trying to do ten things at the same time! I think two of the biggest challenges in the modern workplace are stress and distraction," he adds. "Mindfulness is the perfect antidote to that because it's a method of training your mind to be calmer and more focused. This means you feel better and get more done."

Practicing mindfulness involves paying attention to our experience in a particular way. Bill George, a senior fellow at Harvard Business School writing for HuffPost, recalls an interaction with the Dalai Lama: "A few years ago when I asked [him] how we can develop a new generation of compassionate, mindful leaders, he replied simply, 'Develop a daily habit of introspection'." According to George, this daily habit can manifest as meditation, prayer, journaling, or, simply, jogging alone.

Essentially, these kinds of mindfulness practices train us to be fully present, help us reduce stress by letting go of anxious or negative thoughts while boosting creativity, decision making, focus, memory and other subtle skills that make a big difference at work. According to an article in the Harvard Business Review, mindfulness improves effectiveness by directing focus to the most pertinent task at hand and supports informed decision-making by helping leaders take the time to consider all of their options.

Make mindfulness happen

As Google and other progressive organizations know, mindfulness is a skill you can teach in the workplace. In order to become one of Google's certified Search Inside Yourself trainers, I have to show 1,000 hours of meditation practice (that's 4,000 meditations of 15 minutes each) plus attend a 5-day silent retreat. They are promoting the sustainability mantra "walk the talk." Having practiced meditation and mindfulness myself for a number of years, these techniques are something I use to help clients tap into their own emotional intelligence. I have seen transformation in clients being able to build resilient teams that the drive innovation and deliver the impact our sector seeks, as well as reflect on how their own behavior connects with their personal goals and ambitions.

But if your organization isn't offering Continuing Professional Development on meditation, don't let that stop you making the first move yourself (London-based readers should check out this calendar for events in their area). As Shakya reminds me, mindfulness has helped the leaders he has worked with regain the ability to enjoy what they do after particularly stressful periods at work, and has supported others to cultivate a seemingly effortless management style of appreciation, empowerment and confidence. That sounds like a career goal worth training for.

Interested in exploring the benefits of mindfulness for individuals, teams and organizations? Walk of Life Consulting can help. Get in touch with us via www.walkoflifeleaders.com
Shannon Houde is an ICF certified executive and career coach who founded, Walk of Life Consulting, the first international professional development advisory business focused solely on the social impact, environmental and sustainable business fields. Image Credit: PublicCo via Pixabay

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How Mindfulness Can Help You Be a Better Sustainability Leader

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By Shannon Houde In today's world, how you do a job is just as important as what you do. This is especially true for those in positions of influence within the sustainability impact sector. Herding cats through a complex change process while maintaining the bottom line?

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How Mindfulness Can Save the Planet

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Why do you meditate? To slow down, be more present in your life, release stress, change negative habits? These reasons might be the initial spark for the practice, but there is something even more profound that we gain through mindfulness. When we become more aware of our thought patterns and start to untangle from them a bit, our hearts open up and there is an opportunity to recognize that we're all connected to each other on this planet. With mindfulness, we can train the mind to pay attention on an individual and a global level. It's with this global awareness that we can ask: "What really matters?" and then respond with wise action.

For me, the answer to that question is that I care deeply about our environment. My first memory of my appreciation and deep love for the earth is me at age five walking on the St. Augustine, Florida shoreline with my father. We walked barefoot, admiring the sound of the waves, and watching the tide go in and out. My dad would place shiny seashells on the sand in front of me to find, and I would squeal with delight as I picked up each precious treasure. The experience of these walks, combined with the wisdom my dad would impart about the ocean and its creatures, had a big impact on me.

Right now, I believe we are at a very pivotal time in our earth's history that requires mindful attention to our habits, especially around what we consume-and science backs me up.

Is it possible to create a future in which we can be 100% renewable?

The answer... is yes. Richard Heinberg, Senior Fellow of the Post Carbon Institute, is widely regarded as one of the world's foremost advocates for a shift towards renewable energy. He is a distinguished author with over 12 books and lecturer on climate issues. He shares:

"If our transition to renewable energy is successful, we will achieve savings in the ongoing energy expenditures needed, we will be rewarded with a quality of life that is acceptable and perhaps preferable to our current one. However, material consumption will need to be reduced, our climate will be more stable, and our expectations and behavior will need to change. The renewable economy will likely be slower and more local, it will probably be a conserver economy rather than a consumer economy. It will also likely feature far less economic inequality."

So, in his view, a greener world has us all living more locally, mindfully, and being more connected to our food and to each other.

How do we get there?

One of the speakers at the 2016 Connect the Dots symposium on climate change at Stanford University was Richard Nevles, Deputy Director of the Earth Systems Program at Stanford. Richard and I spoke after the symposium and we identified several action steps to turn the tides toward 100% renewable energy.

The Mindful Action Plan For a Renewable Future

1. Practice Mindfulness. (Of course that's number one) When we can bring our attention to the present moment and start to see things as they are, we can learn to sit with the difficult, enormous-seeming tasks and not be overwhelmed by them. We aren't putting our heads under the sand, or pushing away the unpleasant, or wishing things were different and more pleasant. We can see and respond to what is here and now. From this calm and centered place, we can make the best decisions for our world. There is no reactive "quick fix" to the problem of climate change. We need conscious responses that include many perspectives and consider long-term consequences and impact.

2. Consume Less. We all care about climate change, but it's easy to get caught in the trap of thinking, "If I just start buying more energy efficient products, I will have done my part." Instead, it's time to think about what we can live without. Virtually every product has a carbon price tag, whether it's a new 'energy efficient' flat screen TV or a thick juicy steak. As citizens, addressing climate change it isn't about what we're buying, it's about what we're not buying.Our deep attachment to consuming for pleasure, for comfort, for boredom will be difficult to undue (use tip number one to help break the cycle). Mindful tip: Stop right now and practice seeing the abundance in your life. Take a moment to feel deeply that in this moment, "you are enough and you have enough?" If we all cultivate thoughts of "enough-ness" we will change our pattern with over-consumption.

3. Eat More Plants. The data suggests that one of the best ways to alleviate the stress on our environment is to consume less meat and eat more plant-based foods, which results in reduction in green house emissions. Consider becoming a part-time vegetarian and consume more plant-based foods, which are better for our health and the environment.

4. Find Your People And Get Involved. As citizens of the world, we can get involved in grass-root organizations that are working to bring about progressive climate policies. Some examples in the US are: Citizens Climate Lobby, Sierra Club, Marin Carbon Project, and 350.org, to name a few.

5. Support Mindful Politicians. Yes, they exist! Find out which local and national politicians support the commitments made as part of the Paris Agreement.

Encourage Local Efforts

Consider how you might work with leaders in your workplace, community centers, universities, and places of worship to reduce their carbon footprints and become more sustainable. Here are five simple suggestions:

Flex Your Schedules.Encourage employees to commute less to work by working from home a few days a week.This reduces the carbon emissions and a recent study found that employees who work from home are happier and more productive too.

Brown Bag It. Make yourself a healthy lunch and bring it to work. Processed foods and packages are generally not healthy for you or the environment.

Partner with A Farm.Offer fresh-farm produce as a healthy perk for worksite offices. Google and Stanford University are organizations who have a relationship with Pie Ranch a model education and training center for sustainable farming. Find local farms that your organization partner with.

Encourage carpooling.Carpooling creates more community among employees and lowers carbon. Try a service like Carma or CarpoolWorld

Have Fewer Meetings.Encourage more virtual meetings and online classes instead of in-person meetings and trainings.This increases quality of life among employees due to less travel, saves the company money, and reduces carbon. Seems like a win-win-win!

Ditch Plastic.Have you seen the video about what it takes to make a plastic spoon? Seriously, washing a spoon or a water bottle doesn't take that much effort.

Make a Commitment. This isn't a simple box you can check off, like bringing re-usable bags for groceries, or for those who can afford it, buying an energy efficient vehicle. Like anything wonderful in life, it requires a strong commitment, patience, and perseverance. Moving towards a more mindful and sustainable world will require a lot of consistent effort, patience, and compassion with ourselves and others as we change our habits. We will likely slip a few times while making these changes, but then we can get back up and re-align ourselves with the "wise thought, action, and effort."

I believe we can create a greener, more contented, and mindful world. This is a world where we are living with less materialism, less busyness, and hopefully much more connection and peace. We can be the change we wish to see in this world and it starts now. My nephew, who is five years old, has developed a similar mindful fascination with the ocean and its creatures. Recently he said to me, "Auntie Carley, can we save the oceans together?" I felt wholeheartedly touched and hopeful at hearing this request and I replied, "Yes, sweetheart we can."

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How Mindfulness Can Save the Planet - Mindful

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Why do you meditate? To slow down, be more present in your life, release stress, change negative habits? These reasons might be the initial spark for the practice, but there is something even more profound that we gain through mindfulness.

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