The Power of Contemplative Practices

In these global, fast-paced and technologically advanced times, educators are discovering a need for holistic education in order to integrate different subjects, mind and body, intellect and emotions, and reconnect with a community, the earth and with themselves. Holistic education can be enhanced when educators undertake contemplative practices to build deeper connections within themselves so that they can teach from their "being". This book is based on a doctoral dissertation inquiring into the experiences of five educators who have integrated contemplative practices into their lives. It investigates what they learned through their practices and how this learning has influenced their teaching. This arts- based research involves a creative approach to the inquiry process and its representation through the use of visual art and poetry, connecting rational and intuitive realms. In-depth interviews reveal educators'' profound processes and offer insights into how practices influence their teaching, their relationships with others, and their own development. Educators in any human service field can benefit from these insights to be applied in their own practices.