This is the first webinar in the series “Making Contact: A Series of Conversations with Polly Young-Eisendrath, PhD.” Bringing mindfulness into our relationships, especially in times of emotional distress, will allow you to make contact with yourself and others in a whole new way. Each week, Polly will give a short introduction to the topic and then give you a chance to go into depth about your own concerns on these topics that are so important in our lives right now.

This is the second webinar in the series “Making Contact: A Series of Conversations with Polly Young-Eisendrath, PhD.” Bringing mindfulness into our relationships, especially in times of emotional distress, will allow you to make contact with yourself and others in a whole new way. Each week, Polly will give a short introduction to the topic and then give you a chance to go into depth about your own concerns on these topics that are so important in our lives right now.

This is the third webinar in the series “Making Contact: A Series of Conversations with Polly Young-Eisendrath, PhD.” Bringing mindfulness into our relationships, especially in times of emotional distress, will allow you to make contact with yourself and others in a whole new way. Each week, Polly will give a short introduction to the topic and then give you a chance to go into depth about your own concerns on these topics that are so important in our lives right now.

This is the fourth webinar in the series “Making Contact: A Series of Conversations with Polly Young-Eisendrath, PhD.” Bringing mindfulness into our relationships, especially in times of emotional distress, will allow you to make contact with yourself and others in a whole new way. Each week, Polly will give a short introduction to the topic and then give you a chance to go into depth about your own concerns on these topics that are so important in our lives right now.

In this short class, we will look deeply into the meaning of uncertainty and what it can teach us. In the face of uncertainty, typically we try to increase our sense of control, but in our current circumstances we do not know enough about the future to exercise this kind of control. Consequently, we have to learn a new skill — living in the present moment — or we will become more anxious or depressed as time passes without a resolution to this crisis. Find some relief from the pressure to “stay safe” and recognize that you are safe.

In states of threat and high alert, we want to find “the enemy” and vanquish it. It’s an impossible and destructive intention. We don’t rule this planet. We have to get along here. And our human world is a world of life-and-death, not a world of “life” separated from “death”. The two are bound together for humans on earth. We cannot wage war on one side without making war on the other. Join this exploration of coming to terms with death as a part of life.

Our biggest problems as individuals take place when we think our own memories, ideals, opinions, and beliefs are beyond reproach. We are 95% unconscious of what we are saying and doing, more subjective in our perceptions than we believe, and highly motivated to promote ourselves as “good” or “nice” or “better than” (sometimes called “virtue signaling”). This creates obstacles to open-minded and civil conversations with people who think or feel things differently from ourselves.

Many of our emotional and physical difficulties reside in the area of our overwhelming desire to predict the future, control outcomes and protect/promote ourselves in times of threat – emotional, financial or physical. Living within these lock-down and shut-down conditions, we may have lost our ability to listen when conversations get difficult. In this class, we will find out how to lower emotional threat levels and keep open our ears while sorting out what is going on in our minds when we are triggered.

At this moment in our national history, we must become aware that we need both sides on the big issues if we are going to find lasting results. In order to bring this about we need to end the humiliation-rage cycle in which one side humiliates and enrages the other, and then that cycle is repeated on the other side. We need to hear both kinds of contrarian voices: those from our own tribe and those from the others. In this class, we will learn how to invite and manage open-minded dialogue with people who disagree with us and we will touch on a few of the topics we all need to be talking about as the lock-downs end.