Thursdays, 1pm CDT
4 June - 25 June
60 minutes
The methods that we explore in this class, although light hearted in nature, are aimed at bringing the prefrontal cortex (the planning, future oriented, personality part of the brain) and the parasympathetic nervous system (associated with rest, healthy digestion, and a slowed heart rate) into a state of regulation and quiet, so that we might simply learn to be in a state of evenness and balance.
Through integrating techniques from clown, Qi Gong and Hatha Yoga we can regulate our nervous systems and have fun, by remembering how to play, laugh, and vocalize our way into the present moment.
When we find ourselves in times of trouble, how do we navigate the waves of (inner and outer) turmoil which threaten to overtake us? When the Gazelle is chased by the Cheetah and, somehow, manages to escape with its life, it doesn’t hold that trauma in its body, it employs time tested tools to shake out the adrenaline and cortisol.
The word Meditation comes from the Tibetan word Gom which means “to become familiar with.” To become familiar with play is to remember how to be buoyant in the middle of the ocean. When we see great masters like HH Dalai Lama, we find that they are often smiling wide and laughing. That is because they are in a constant state of gom, so intimately familiar with the reality of impermanence, suffering, compassion, and equanimity that there is no expression more fitting than laughter.
Nick Demeris is a two time TEDx participant (speaker and host), actor, singer, and facilitator of community building through music, turning audiences into orchestras all around the globe.
In his fourth year as a singer, creator, and teaching artist at Carnegie Hall in New York City, Nick works with master musicians, Public School teachers, aspiring artists, and young people in the juvenile justice system, to improvise, write, produce, and record original music.
Nick travels the globe performing original music and teaching #humaninstruments workshops at retreats and conferences internationally.
Nick holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theatre from Illinois State University. He studied clown with Paola Coletto (Jacques Lecoq alumni teacher), has completed All the Way In, the year long training in jazz and vocal improvisation with master singer Rhiannon (member of Bobby McFerrin’s Gimme 5), and is a three-time participant in Bobby McFerrin’s weeklong Circle Songs training where he also has led workshops. www.NickDemeris.com
