Meredith Monk is a composer, singer, director/choreographer, filmmaker, and creator of new opera, music-theater works, films and installations. Recognized as one of the most unique and influential artists of our time, she is a pioneer of what is now called “extended vocal technique” and “interdisciplinary performance.” In 1968, Ms. Monk founded The House, a company dedicated to an interdisciplinary approach to performance. In 1978, she formed Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble to expand her innovative exploration of the voice as a multifaceted instrument. Celebrated internationally, her work has been presented at major venues throughout the world. Over the last six decades Monk has received numerous awards and honors including a MacArthur Fellowship, Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters from the Republic of France, induction into the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, and a National Medal of Arts. 
 
A longtime Buddhist practitioner, Monk is a student of Acharya Pema Chodron. In addition to workshops and master classes at the Garrison Institute, Omega, Naropa University and Zen Mountain Monastery, she has co-taught workshops with Acharya Judy Lief and Lanny Harrison both in New York and at Naropa, where she first encountered the teachings of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche in the mid-‘70s. In 1999 Monk performed a “Vocal Offering” for His Holiness the Dalai Lama as part of the World Sacred Music Festival in Los Angeles. Currently, she is developing Indra’s Net, the third part of a trilogy of music-theater works exploring our interdependent relationship with nature.

Meredith Monk will offer an online environment where meditation, voice and movement intersect, creating an opportunity for practitioners to experience their own personal richness. The playful aspect of creation and the joy of discovering our unique vocal and physical qualities will be emphasized as a way of connecting us to the healing power of the voice and body. At the end of the session, Meredith will answer questions during a brief Q&A.

This special 1-hour session begins promptly at 12:10PM and ends at 1:10PM US Eastern Time.

Carol Bowman, Ed.D. is an Associate Professor of Education, E-RYT500, CRYT, MBSR Instructor, and is Program Coordinator of Mindfulness at Ramapo College with programs in MBSR and Yoga Teacher Certification. She has studied yoga for most of her life and developed the Yoga Teacher Certification at Ramapo College in 2010. This contemplative path led her to spend time with the Thich Nhat Hanh community at Blue Cliff Monastery, connecting with his teachings and eventually training at the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center as a teacher of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. Carol convenes the Contemplative Studies Minor and conducts research in yoga and mindfulness education, as well as teaching workshops for educators in yoga for the classroom and mindfulness education. Her greatest motivation is the transformation of education to embrace both mind and heart.

During this special session, Carol will lead us in a lying down yoga practice. The session begins promptly at 12:10PM and ends at 12:50PM US Eastern Time.