Rituals, Coffee, and Health (In-Person)

Rituals are part of everyday life. Whether experienced in connection with others or as part of a personal practice, whether intended to connect us to the sacred dimension or to our deep ancestral roots, a ritual can be helpful in giving us a renewed sense of self, or a moment to pause and reconnect. One such ritual activity can include the consumption of a beverage such as coffee or tea – in the morning to start the day, in the middle of the day to refresh, or later in the evening to help with a sense of calm. Explore the potential health benefits of mindfully engaging in drinking coffee as part of everyday life, and learn some of the scientific benefits behind the beverage itself in this interactive morning workshop! Join us for the opportunity to use the experience of drinking coffee as a moment for meditation – bringing our attention inward, and pausing from the many distractions that surround us.

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.

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.

Dr. Gabriel Lopez is an Associate Professor and Medical Director of the Integrative Medicine Center at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in the Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation, & Integrative Medicine. His primary clinical focus is conducting integrative oncology consultations in the Integrative Medicine Center. Dr. Lopez received his medical degree from the Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois. He received training in Internal Medicine at The University of Texas at Houston Medical School. Following his residency, Dr. Lopez completed a fellowship in Palliative Care and Symptom Control at MD Anderson and then a fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. Dr. Lopez is fluent in Spanish, and has clinical interest in the areas of integrative oncology, supportive care, and symptom assessment.