Play, Meditation, and Meaning (In-Person)

Play connects us to our aliveness, and to the life in the world around us. It’s what makes us cultural beings. It’s also the antidote to isolation and disconnection, as it fosters collaboration and connection. Play ignites compassion and combats dehumanization. Without play, life becomes boring, disconnected, and empty. In this deep dive into play, we'll use meditation and other techniques to visit that meaningful, revelatory space only play can conjure. Expect meaningful dialogue, a focus on keeping things lively and engaged, and experiential activities that are seriously playful.

This program is being offered IN-PERSON, and will NOT be recorded.

All times are CT. Please contact onlinelearning@junghouston.org with any questions.

Please register early. Programs with four or fewer participants are subject to cancellation, 48 hours prior to their start.

*The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council (TBHEC) has stopped pre-certifying ANY Continuing Education or Professional Development for mental health providers.  The Jung Center cannot guarantee that the programs we provide will qualify for continuing education or Professional Development, nor can any other agency.  The Jung Center uses high educational standards when selecting to designate events as "potentially appropriate for CEs", and in evaluating the outcomes of our educational services, and we believe them to meet the requirements of state licensing bodies.  To find out more about the TBHEC changes to Continuing Education and Professional Development, click here.

Alejandro Chaoul (PhD) is the founder and director of The Jung Center’s Mind Body Spirit Institute. He has been a student of Tibetan Buddhism since 1989, studying with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, and Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche. He is currently supporting the Integrative Medicine Program of MD Anderson Cancer Center, where since 1999 he has been leading people with cancer and their family members through mind/body/spirit techniques aimed at reducing stress and facilitating healing. Alejandro, who received his PhD in religious studies from Rice University, was recently named a fellow of the Mind and Life Institute and is a senior teacher of The 3 Doors.

A sociologist, psychotherapist and social worker, Ross Ellenhorn’s work focuses on the importance of social worth and connections in psychiatric recovery.  In 2002, he founded Ellenhorn, a robust program serving individuals experiencing extreme events and disruptive states of mind and mood, outside of residential and hospital settings.  Ross is also the co-founder of CARDEA, a groundbreaking practice centered around psychedelics, assisting individuals seeking to overcome psychological anguish and looking for greater experiences of meaning in their lives.  He has published three books on human behavior, the most recent – Purple Crayons: The Art of Drawing a Life, published by Harper Collins – exploring the significance of play in modernity.