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University of Creation Spirituality
Doctor of Ministry Degree/Certificate Program

October 2003 Intensive
Week 1: Oct. 27-31

Art-as-Meditation: The Hoop and the Tree: The Deep Structure of Wholeness - #61082

Instructor: Chris Hoffman, M.Ed., M.B.A., Licensed Professional Counselor (Colorado)

Faculty Bio: Chris holds an M.Ed. in Community Mental Health and an M.B.A. and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Colorado. He is an ecopsychologist, poet, and organizational consultant. Chris is the author of The Hoop and the Tree: A Compass for Finding a Deeper Relationship with All Life, hailed by reviewers as therapeutic, enlightening, and a joy to read and as a book with juice, that snuggles up with the best in ecopsychology, spirituality, and native studies. He has facilitated human development in business, educational, and therapeutic settings for over 22 years and is an experienced workshop leader. Chris is the author of professional papers on ecopsychology, group process, and sociometry. Chris poetry has appeared in several national journals and in the recently re-issued The Soul Unearthed: Celebrating Wildness and Personal Renewal Through Nature. His lyrics have been recorded on 2 CDs by the world-beat band Monkey Siren. More information, including comments from past workshop participants, is available at www.hoopandtree.org

Course Description: This course explores the deep structure of psychological and spiritual wholeness that helps us lead lives of balance and fulfillment. We will see how this deep structure has been portrayed in all the great wisdom traditions of the world and in modern psychology and systems science. Over the period of the week each participant will develop an artistic expression of his/her own deep structure of wholeness as a tool for personal and planetary healing. Every session will include relevant warm-up and deepening exercises, time in nature, and artistic work. The primary media for the artistic work will be collage and poetry, but anyone with an ongoing artistic practice in another medium is welcomed to work in that medium. (Those working in media other than collage should bring their own materials.) Since the course will be built around the material in Chriss book The Hoop and the Tree, reading the book is encouraged, though not required.

Learning Objectives:

Monday
  • To learn the basics of a model of the deep structure of psychological and spiritual wholeness.

  • To see (via slide show and discussion) how the deep structure of wholeness has been portrayed in the great wisdom traditions of the world.

  • To begin to explore the deep structure of wholeness in ourselves and in the natural world.

  • To begin a draft of ones own imaging of the deep structure of wholeness.

Tuesday
  • To explore the Hoop dimension of wholeness, especially relationship with the human realm.

  • To explore other aspects of the Hoop, including:
    The Hoop of energy
    The Hoop of the gift
    The Hoop of rebirth
    The Hoop of interdependence
    The Hoop of cycles of life
    The Hoop of flow
    The Hoop of healing

  • To integrate these explorations by working on a draft of ones own imaging of the deep structure of wholeness.

Wednesday
  • To explore relationship with the other-than-human realms of the Hoop: mineral, vegetable, animal, spirit.

  • To explore and understand the Hoop of Allies.

  • To explore the Hoop aspects of Taoism and certain earth-based wisdom traditions.

  • To integrate these explorations by working on a draft of ones own imaging of the deep structure of wholeness.

  • To begin exploration of the depth of the Tree dimension of wholeness (roots, darkness, gift).

Thursday
  • To continue exploration of the depth aspect of the Tree dimension of wholeness.

  • To explore the upper aspects of the Tree dimension of wholeness (aspiration and fruit).

  • To integrate these explorations by working on a draft of ones own imaging of the deep structure of wholeness.

Friday
  • To finish the draft of ones own imaging of the deep structure of wholeness.

  • To be able to present and express this imaging to the learning community in this class.

  • To help others affirm their own deep wholeness.

  • To learn about using the deep structure for personal development, professional work, and planetary healing.

Recommended Reading:
Hoffman, Chris. (2000). The hoop and the tree: A compass for finding a deeper relationship with all life. San Francisco: Council Oak Books.

Materials--Please Bring:

  • some old magazines to share. Each participant will be finding images in the magazines, cutting out the images, and pasting the images on their collages. Some magazines with useful images: National Geographic, Smithsonian, Vogue, Time, Newsweek. Any other magazines with relevant images, especially of spiritual / religious images, will be helpful. Bring as many as you can comfortably carry to add to the groups resources. Even a few will help. More will make our collages richer.

  • (optional) snapshots of relatives, friends, companion animals, locations that are meaningful to you and that you would be willing to cut up and paste on your own collage.

  • a bandana or dark scarf that you can use as a blindfold

  • writing materials (pen/pencil, pad/journal)

  • (optional) The primary media for the artistic work will be collage and poetry, but anyone with an ongoing artistic practice in another medium is welcomed to work in that medium. If you want to work in a medium other than collage, please bring your own materials.

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