This course will next be run by Kaspa on the 5th of July – register now.
Would you like to learn how to get jobs done and face challenges? Do you have a niggling question that won’t go away? Want to improve your relationships? Do you love Japanese poetry and writing?
Give yourself Eastern Therapeutic Writing and you’ll discover the arts of Naikan, Morita journaling, Waka and koan practice.
This course will give you an experience of four different styles of therapeutic writing/journaling, each drawn from eastern spiritual and therapeutic traditions.
Naikan: During the first week we will use a reflective practice developed in Japan to look at our relationships with other people.
Morita: During the second week we will keep a Morita journal. Morita encourages us to contemplate the relationship between actions and feelings, and, as Susan Jeffers said, to ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway’.
Waka/Tanka: The Buddhist monk Saigyo became famous for the poetry he wrote whilst travelling through Japan which was heartfelt and full of feeling. How can we use this form to capture something of our own lives?
Koans: Koan practice has become very formalized in Rinazi Zen, but it began very simply with a reflection upon a spiritual ancestor’s life. How did their troubles mirror our own? How did they become enlightened?
What you will receive:
* A pre-course pack including an essay on Introduction to Journaling by Kaspalita and advice on how you can finding a daily space for the writing you will do as a part of this course.
* Twenty eight daily emails introducing the day’s reflections and some encouraging words.
* Four weekly essays on the practice of Naikan, Morita, Waka/Tanka writing and Koan practice and suggested further reading.
* Access to a members-only group online where you can engage in discussions with fellow course participants.
* Communication with Kaspalita on the forum/via email if you have any questions or if you get stuck.
* (Optional) a Creative Boost with Kaspalita on your experiences of these reflections or anything else that emerges during the course (usual cost £50/$80 each).
Participants will keep a journal for the duration of the course, and will write in this each day in response to the guided reflections and prompts. They may also supplement this with free-writing, writing poetry etc.
The course is influenced by the Buddhist tradition as well as other spiritual traditions. Kaspalita would like to welcome participants of all faiths or spiritual beliefs, as well as those with none.
How much does it cost?
The course fee is £50 / $80. The optional Creative Boosts (written or on Skype) are an extra £30 / $50. If you are on a low income do get in touch and we can talk more about negotiating a lower fee.
Pay in GBP (choose whether you’d like to include a Creative Boost or not then press ‘buy now’)
Pay in USD (choose whether you’d like to include a Creative Boost or not then press ‘buy now’)
Heron image by Steve-h, Crow image by Lynn (Gracie’s mom), via Creative Commons with thanks.