Educator offers peace and Zen in 2010

Published 3:31 am Thursday, January 14, 2010

TOLOVANA PARK – The Oregon Institute for Peace, Spiritual Development and Community Transformation will sponsor three options in 2010 for members of the community to learn about and discuss peace in our lives, families, organizations and world. Each opportunity is hosted by William Eldridge, Ph.D.

A workshop titled “Violence and the Spiritual Path” will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 17, at Tolovana Hall, 3779 S. Hemlock St., at a cost of $20.

A course titled “Peaceful Lifestyles and Community” will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays, Jan. 23 through March 27, at Tolovana Hall, at a cost of $100 for the 10-week course.

To register for either class, contact Eldridge at eldridge.3@osu.edu

Finally, a 10-week “green bag” lunch series, “Peaceful Pathways to Interpersonal Harmony, Job Fulfillment, Efficiency and Effectiveness, Good Customer Relations and Workplace Balance” is offered the first week in February through the first week in April. This course is to be held on site at businesses or organizations at a cost of $10 per person or $100 per organization. For course planning and to register, call Eldridge at (503) 436-0766.

ZEN LIFESTYLES COURSE RETURNS TO ASTORIA

William Eldridge, Ph.D., will offer his popular Zen Lifestyles course from 1 to 3 p.m. Sundays, Jan. 24 through March 14, at Three Cups Coffee House, 279 W. Marine Drive. The cost is $50 for the eight-week course.

Zen Lifestyles is an interactive experience that involves learning and practicing the basic principles of relaxed thinking, mindful attention, emotional vibrancy, behavioral flexibility, soulful creativity and spiritual harmony and peace. The class involves lectures and discussions, meditation, experiential exercises and relationship building among participants. Although the theory evolved from Japanese Buddhism, Chinese Taoism, existentialism and Christian mysticism, the class is non-religious in nature and focuses on fundamental dynamics of compassion, freedom, creativity, happiness, community-building and love.

Eldridge is an existential philosopher and spiritual psychotherapist formerly with Ohio State University, and has nearly 40 years of experience in teaching, consulting, writing about and researching the dynamics of human growth and development, self-actualized living, psycho-emotional harmony and balance, inspirational being and healthy communities. He was the founder of the Center For Peace Studies and Community Development in Columbus, Ohio, and has currently organized a task force to create the Oregon Institute for Peace, Spiritual Development and Community Transformation along the coast. He has lived in Cannon Beach for four years. Contact Eldridge at (503) 436-0766 or eldridge.3@osu.edu. For further information, visit www.WDEldridge.com