Category Archives: Workshops

Talk Circle

TALK CIRCLE
Meaningful Conversations Exploring the Inner Journey
2nd Thursday of each month • 6:30 to 8:00pm

Be part of our ongoing circle of conversation where, each month, we explore stimulating subjects that could affect our quality of life and vitality. What are some options to inject meaning into our lives and move us farther along our paths?

Many of the spiritual authors encourage us to find purpose for being alive, one that offers a vibrant, juicy life. That purpose can be bold and noble, as in service to the planet, and it can be small and intimate, offering personal fulfillment and joy.

TALK CIRCLE offers options for self-exploration and the roles they can play in our lives and our spiritual growth, contributing to a meaningful life.

Each monthly topic focuses on a guest or two who concentrate in that field and can offer insight to its workings, and benefits derived. Group conversation is encouraged and is open to Q & A while also being facilitated by Joyce Richman, a former TV program producer & executive.

Hosted by Joyce Richman
As a former non-fiction TV program creator, producer, director and executive – she produced hundreds of talk show hours as well as many series & specials.  Joyce worked in Pittsburgh, Boston and Chicago, for national syndication, and, after producing two series in Chicago for HGTV’s inaugural year, was recruited to Knoxville as their first Director of Programming and later VP.  She’s retired from the business. 

Joyce also recently facilitated the book discussion at MLC, LIVING TAO by Ilchi Lee.

Planned Talk Circles

Topics may change based on scheduling and availability of guest speakers.

FEBRUARY 12 - What defines a meaningful life?

MARCH 12 - What is past life regression and how might it heal a person’s current life?

APRIL 9 - Buddhism, its premise and its fundamentals

MAY 14 - Sylvotherapy – or forest bathing
Related to Taoist practices, revering nature and becoming enveloped by it is the basic premise to forest bathing. Suggested reading - “The Hidden Life of Trees –what they feel, how they communicate” by Michael Wohlleben. We may also schedule a day retreat in the Smokies for a forest bathing session.

JUNE 11 - Taoism or Daoism – its premise as connection to the nature of things

JULY 9 - Life Coach, what role can they play in one’s search for direction?

AUGUST 13 – Working Through Life Struggles – divorce, death, problems with family…

SEPTEMBER 10 - Transcendent experiences – the potential for psychedelics, sound baths, deep meditation, near death experiences…

OCTOBER 8 - Aromatherapy – its benefits

NOVEMBER 12 - Acupuncture – why, how and when?

DECEMBER 10 - Reiki – what it is, how it works

Art, Science, Religion

Art, Science, Religion, Spirituality

6 Tuesday Evenings
Beginning February 17 and ending March 24 • 6:00 to 7:30pm

An exploration of David White's book Art, Science, Religion, Spirituality: Seeking Wisdom and Harmony for a Fulfilling Life. Each week we will delve into the readings from the book, share our insights and have deep discussions.

 

We humans tend to create categories around which to organize our thoughts, but we don't live from those categories. Living happens from a moving center that includes every imaginable aspect of life: the psychological, political, emotional, rational, cultural, sexual, spiritual, religious, scientific, artistic, sociological, economic, and more. It can be valuable to study the separate parts, but the only way to a fulfilled life is to act and move from the point of intersection that contains them all.

Swirling around this center are many currents that arise from both the world outside and from within ourselves. Everyone has motivations and expectations involving food, shelter, sex, pleasure, adventure, power, wealth, fame, achievement, relationship, spiritual fulfillment, and on and on. It is not hard to think about these separately, but at the living edge, where life happens, these currents do not exist in individual boxes that can be examined one by one; rather, they constantly mix and mingle. Nor do these thought-boxes have actual boundaries, but only arbitrary and shifting shades of distinction.

It is no wonder, then, that the major fields of human knowledge began with an interrelated search for the good, the true, and the beautiful. A core motivation we humans have always had, beyond taking care of our basic needs, has been to find a meaningful and fulfilled life. From our beginnings, this has involved finding wisdom concerning what is good, knowledge about what is true, and a relationship to that which is harmonious and beautiful. For thousands of years, the world's wisdom traditions have said that there is more to life than the everyday things on which we spend much of our time, and many of the best and brightest have taken up the challenge and pursued wisdom.
~Excerpt from the Introduction 

 

Copies of David's books are available Here
and at the Meaningful Life Center.

Workshop Leaders

Jerry Askew

Jerry is a husband, father, teacher, spiritual director and retreat leader.  He is an ordained Deacon in the Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee, currently assigned to St. John’s Cathedral in Knoxville.  Since arriving in Knoxville in 1985, he has served as a university dean, foundation president, healthcare executive and on the boards of over 60 nonprofit organizations at the local, state and national levels.

Jerry received his BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was a Morehead Scholar, MS from the University of Memphis and Ph.D. from the Ohio State University. He and his wife Robyn, an attorney, have two adult children.

Jerry has led On Being Human, Third Half of Life, Sacred Reading and other workshops.

Ronda Redden Reitz

Ronda is a Clinical Psychologist and depth therapist practicing primarily in the Jungian tradition. A devotee of the inner life, Ronda is at home in the imaginal world. Both personally and professionally, she enjoys dreamwork and using dream images to spark creative endeavors. Off and on, she pursues analytical training. Ronda has been married to Carl for 47 years. Together, they have three children and four grandchildren. The children are wonderful; the grandchildren perfect.  For nearly 25 years, Ronda has been involved with the Meaningful Life Center and its predecessor, the Quest for Meaning. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, hiking, gardening, and needlework, primarily knitting and needlepoint.

Mindfulness Practices for Life

Mindfulness Practices for Life

Five Wednesday Evenings
Beginning February 4 and ending March 4 • 6:30 to 8:30 PM
Half-day Retreat on Saturday February 28 • 1:00 to 5:00pm

This course starts from the belief that we don’t practice mindfulness to get better at
meditation; we practice mindfulness to get better at life. The course will draw from the
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) curriculum as well as from Deeper
Mindfulness (Williams and Penman, 2023). Both of these sources integrate rigorous
science and experiential knowledge from the wisdom traditions to offer practices
consistently resulting in positive outcomes beneficial to beginner and experienced
practitioners.
This five-week course will focus on
1. Introducing and cultivating practices that can be integrated into daily life
2. Coming to our senses through pausing and grounding
3. Coming to recognize the feeling tones* pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral and
their role in perception and response.
4. Restoring balance, gratitude, and appreciation.
*“Mindfulness of feeling tones is one of the master keys that both reveals and unlocks
the deepest patterns of our conditioning.” Joseph Goldstein

Workshop Leader: David Patterson, Ph.D.

David is a professor emeritus of the University of Tennessee College of Social Work. He is a certified MBSR Teacher through the Brown University Mindfulness Center and has had a daily sitting practice for over three decades. He has trained a wide array of individuals and groups in mindfulness practices. For five years, he taught the MBSR 8-week course to UT graduate students in social work, counseling, and psychology.

“In Asian languages, the word for mind and the word for heart are same. So if you’re not hearing mindfulness in some deep way as heartfulness, you’re not really understanding it. Compassion and kindness towards oneself are intrinsically woven into it. You could think of mindfulness as wise and affectionate attention.”
– Jon Kabat-Zinn –

First created in 1979, by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., MBSR now has 40 years of outcomes research highlighting statistically significant reductions in symptoms for various physical and behavioral health conditions including anxiety, depression and chronic pain, along with positive changes in risk factors that may lead to more serious chronic ailments. The 8-week MBSR course integrates a range of meditation practices including body awareness and gentle yoga with the intention to aid participants in enhancing self-care and improved emotional and physical adaptations for healthier living. Participants will learn experientially and conceptually how and why this public health intervention that is “secular, scientific, evidence-based practice has become an accepted part of mainstream medicine”[1] and behavioral health.

Sacred Singing

Come Sing With Us!

Everyone can sing, whether you think you can or not...

As children we sang for the love of it without worrying about our 'performance.' We are a group of people who still love to do that.

We get together to sing all kinds of songs: traditional American, sacred chants from all over the world, pop songs from the Beatles to Bob Dylan to Joni Mitchell, and so on. We find that singing is good for body and soul, for friendship and camaraderie. We'd love to have you join us for an afternoon songfest.

We have songbooks so you don't need to bring anything, but if you have a guitar or other instrument and would like to accompany the singing, please bring it.

Although there's no charge, we would like you to register below so we have a good idea of how many people might show up. We'll have light snacks; no need for you to bring anything unless you'd like to.

We hope to see you then!

Sunday
November 16
2:00 to 4:00pm

Third Half of Life

Third Half of Life

A Workshop for Men and Women as they Approach and Pass that Amazing Milestone of 60 Years

To be resceduled

Somewhere along the way, as our lives approach 60, then move on to 65, to 70, and beyond — the questions change, sometimes subtly, sometimes dramatically. But there are still questions. Profound questions. And decisions. And opportunities. Join us for an exploration of the questions and possibilities that arise during this important time of life: a time of seeking — and a time of finding.

 

Jerry Askew

Jerry is a husband, father, teacher, spiritual director and retreat leader.  He is an ordained Deacon in the Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee, currently assigned to St. John’s Cathedral in Knoxville.  Since arriving in Knoxville in 1985, he has served as a university dean, foundation president, healthcare executive and on the boards of over 60 nonprofit organizations at the local, state and national levels.

Jerry received his BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was a Morehead Scholar, MS from the University of Memphis and Ph.D. from the Ohio State University. He and his wife Robyn, an attorney, have two adult children.

Jerry has led On Being Human, Third Half of Life, Sacred Reading and other workshops.

Beyond The Void: Finding Meaning in a Post-God World

Beyond the Void: Finding Meaning in a Post-God World

NOW MONTHLY • Join Any Time
3rd Monday of each month • 6:00 to 8:00pm

Nietzsche’s declaration, “God is dead,” was not a declaration of triumph but a warning: without a connection to transcendence, how do we find meaning in our lives? In a world unmoored from traditional beliefs, how do we navigate purpose and connection? This monthly workshop explores diverse perspectives on transcendence—spiritual, philosophical, psychological, and experiential—to discover how we might live in relationship with something greater than ourselves. From non-duality to near-death experiences, creativity to simulations, we’ll engage with thinkers, mystics, and artists to reimagine meaning in a post-Enlightenment age. 

Before each meeting participants may have readings, videos, or podcasts, fostering rich discussions in a supportive, curious community. 

For ANYONE:   

  • Who leans toward a materialist worldview but are curious about its limits and open to exploring possibilities of meaning beyond the physical universe.
  • Those wrestling with traditional notions of transcendence within their faith or belief systems, seeking alternate perspectives on what it means to connect with something greater.
  • Curious minds eager to engage in thoughtful dialogue about purpose, spirituality, and existence in a supportive, open community.

 

Workshop Leader: Chris Austin

Husband, father of three, and electrical engineer by training. A spiritual refugee and lifelong seeker who values liberty, personal responsibility, and learning how to live in harmony with truth.

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction – MBSR

Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

Orientation Class (Required): Wednesday, September 17 - 6:00pm
8 Weekly meetings beginning Wednesday, September 24 - 6:00 to 8:30pm
Full Day Retreat at The Meaningful Life Center: Saturday, November 1

MBSR is an 8-week evidence-based, experiential program designed to provide participants with intensive and systematic training in mindfulness meditation and movement practices, integrating into daily life what is discovered and learned through the process of participating in the program. For beginners and advanced meditators alike, this course offers practices that have consistent, research demonstrated, positive outcomes including increased self-awareness and growing capacity for present focused attention.

ESSENTIALS:
• No prior meditation experience needed.
• 8 weeks of instructor lead sessions
• Guided meditations & course materials include
  - Recorded and guided instruction in mindfulness meditation practices
  - Recording of the body scan, sitting meditation, and gentle mindful movement guided meditations
  - PDF Workbook provided
• Easy instructor access via email

“In Asian languages, the word for mind and the word for heart are same. So if you’re not hearing mindfulness in some deep way as heartfulness, you’re not really understanding it. Compassion and kindness towards oneself are intrinsically woven into it. You could think of mindfulness as wise and affectionate attention.”
– Jon Kabat-Zinn –

First created in 1979, by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., MBSR now has 40 years of outcomes research highlighting statistically significant reductions in symptoms for various physical and behavioral health conditions including anxiety, depression and chronic pain, along with positive changes in risk factors that may lead to more serious chronic ailments. The 8-week MBSR course integrates a range of meditation practices including body awareness and gentle yoga with the intention to aid participants in enhancing self-care and improved emotional and physical adaptations for healthier living. Participants will learn experientially and conceptually how and why this public health intervention that is “secular, scientific, evidence-based practice has become an accepted part of mainstream medicine”[1] and behavioral health.

Workshop Leader: David Patterson, Ph.D.

David is a professor emeritus of the University of Tennessee College of Social Work. He is a certified MBSR Teacher through the Brown University Mindfulness Center and has had a daily sitting practice for over three decades. He has trained a wide array of individuals and groups in mindfulness practices. For five years, he taught the MBSR 8-week course to UT graduate students in social work, counseling, and psychology.

The Living Tao: Timeless Principles for Everyday Enlightenment by Ilchi Lee – book discussion group

Photo of a woman's silhouette looking out over a scenic sunrise. The workshop title and the tao calligraphy are included on the right

Registration Closed
The Living Tao: Timeless Principles for Everyday Enlightenment by Ilchi Lee
- A book discussion group

Monday evenings 6:30 to 8:00, August 4 to September 22
Limited to 15 participants. (No meeting Labor Day September 1)

Together we'll comment, question, investigate and offer our own experiences and insights from this wonderful book. We'll hold space to explore ways laid out in the book that can help us find peace and truth in our lives.

“Tao can only be felt and experienced.  It is something you live, day by day, moment by moment.  It’s the omnipresent oneness beyond ephemeral phenomena that expresses itself in everything. "

Ilchi Lee, an enlightened Tao master from S.Korea and New York Times author of  40+ books, has laid out a path to living Tao every day.  Along this path he guides you to an understanding of the meaning of birth, death, and everything in between, building a foundation for living a complete and whole life.

 

Key to productive discussions -
Before the group begins please get a copy of the book. We will read two chapters before each meeting. Each week's gathering will focus on the chapters we've read ahead of the meeting. The first meeting will cover the introduction. Each meeting after will cover 2 of the 12 chapters of the book.

You can order a new or used copy HERE at abebooks.com or choose your favorite bookseller.

The Tao is the ultimate truth & substance of life.  It is what all of humanity’s spiritual seekers have been pursing, and it is complete oneness.  It is the principle of life energy flowing behind all things in the cosmos, and it is the ultimate wholeness to which all things, on becoming one, return.  Although it is all things in existence, the Tao is also the source and background that causes them to exist.
~ Ilchi Lee

a calligraphy of the word tao

Joyce Richman

Joyce has attended many sessions at MLC over the years, including meditation retreats and classes with Jerry Askew and David Patterson. She’s been a lifelong seeker, reader, thinker and meditator and finds discovering various spiritual paths to be a fascinating and enriching pursuit. This book, “The Living Tao: Timeless Principles For Everyday Enlightenment” has been especially resonant and she’d enjoy sharing thoughts with others.

Now retired, Joyce used to create and manage local, regional and national TV programs and broadcast/cable departments for all genres of non-fiction shows around the country, culminating here in Knoxville for HGTV as their first Director of Programming & later VP, and finishing her career with a few creative and executive roles at Jewelry Television.

Classes – Knoxville Community of Mindfulness

Current Class Offering

Beginning Mindfulness Meditation

Waking up to the present moment

Sundays, January 4-26, 2026 - 2:00- 3:30pm 
Hybrid class: In-person at the Meaningful Life Center & on Zoom
There is no fee for this class, but registration is required.
This class will be taught by Alan Clingan & Milo Stanojevich, members of The Knoxville Community of Mindfulness and senior meditation students of John Blackburn's.

 

Many of us live with chronic stress and dissatisfaction, finding it difficult to experience peace and ease on a daily basis.  Mindfulness meditation is a practice for reducing stress and increasing one's sense of well being. These and many other benefits, experienced by millions over the centuries, are now confirmed by modern science.

This course is designed for beginners.  It is also appropriate for anyone wanting to establish or re-establish a meditation practice.   If you have had trouble being consistent in meditation, taking a class can be a good way to energize and re-dedicate yourself. After the classes end, students are encouraged to attend a weekly meeting, offered at no cost, where they can ask questions and find support for maintaining their meditation practice.

Beginning Mindfulness Meditation meets once a week for four weeks.  Each meeting lasts 90 minutes and includes instruction, meditation practice, and time for Q & A.  Currently classes are hybrid, i.e. they are simultaneously taught in-person and on Zoom.

You will receive a confirmation email of registration.  Prior to the first class, you will receive class information and materials.

General Class Information

Classes are offered by Knoxville Community of Mindfulness - Registration for these classes is through Knoxville Community of Mindfulness. The Registration link will take you to their website.
There is no cost for these classes. Please see Knoxville Community of Mindfulness website for details and to register.
Classes meet for 90 minutes once a week. Currently, classes are hybrid -- simultaneously on Zoom and  in-person at the Meaningful Life Center.
Most classes run for four weeks. Each class includes instruction, meditation practice, and time for Q&A.

Leonardo DaVinci: Documentary and Discussion

Da Vinci: Documentary and Discussion

Revered as one of the greatest painters in Western Art, for his technological ingenuity, and his unbridled curiosity and study of the natural world, Leonardo serves as a inspiration to this day.

Join us as we present the Ken Burns documentary “Inside the mind of a genius – Leonardo da Vinci” followed by a discussion of the life, work and influence of one of history’s most creative minds. Over four evenings we’ll watch a portion of the recent Ken Burns documentary which tells the story of one of humankind’s most curious and innovative minds followed by a discussion. His ability to combine art and science led him on a remarkable journey to a fulfilled and meaningful life. Join us to explore his journey.

4 Wednesdays 6:30 to 8:30pm
beginning April 2