The Method in Madness Institute
Writing, Literature, and Meditation
A Study of the Mind
STAY CONNECTED
Writing Practice as a
Zen Practice
How to Read the Classics in
World Literature
Meditation
Philosophy and Method
Past Events
"Method in Madness" Two-Day Opening Retreat
Saturday February 17 & Sunday February 18, 2024
A two-day Sit Walk Write retreat focused on how to read the classics, applying those guidelines while watching Shakespeare's play "Hamlet" (Kenneth Branagh version), and analyzing part of the text of Scene 2 Act 2, which contains the expression "method in madness."
If you signed up for the retreat, you can watch the recording here.
"Is Hamlet Mad?"
Half-Day Reading Down the Bones Retreat
Sunday March 10, 2024
A 3.5-hour retreat showing how the play "Hamlet" defines madness by closely reading the text and noticing that, already in Act 1, many passages implicitly unfold the different dimensions of the concept - especially when practicing, as readers, what Zen calls "don't know mind."
If you signed up for the retreat, you can watch the recording here.
"Feel What You Feel"
Half-Day Sit Walk Write Retreat
Sunday April 7, 2024
The first of three Spring 2024 "Writing Practice & Mindfulness" Retreats built around the theme "The Propensity to Be Bothered" as mentioned in Pema Chödrön's book How We Live Is How We Die. The April event focuses on the first step in working with difficult emotions (as writers, readers, and in daily life): how to turn towards and "be with" them.
If you signed up for the retreat, you can watch the recording here.
"Turning Poison Into Medicine"
Half-Day Sit Walk Write Retreat
Sunday May 5, 2024
The second of the three MiMi Spring 2024 "Writing Practice & Mindfulness" Retreats built around the theme "The Propensity to Be Bothered" as mentioned in Pema Chödrön's book How We Live Is How We Die. This event explores how to deal with difficult thoughts and emotions by transforming them into compassion and wisdom.
If you signed up for the retreat, you can watch the recording here.
"Beautiful Monsters"
END OF SPRING
Half-Day Sit Walk Write Retreat
Sunday June 2, 2024
The last MiMi Spring 2024 "Writing Practice & Mindfulness" Retreat built around Pema Chödrön's book How We Live Is How We Die studies the traditional third method to deal with difficult thoughts and emotions: using them as a path to awakening who we truly are by discovering the wisdom inside them.
If you signed up for the retreat, you can watch the recording here.
"Arthur Rimbaud - Je est un autre"
Half-Day Sit Walk Write Retreat
Saturday July 27, 2024
The first MiMi Summer 2024 "Writing Practice & Literature" Retreat, built around the central theme The Roots of Writing Practice, studies one of the main sources of influence on Beat Generation writers: the French rebel poet Arthur Rimbaud. His work is a perfect illustration of a key writing practice rule, "go for the jugular."
If you signed up for the retreat, you can watch the recording here.
"Jack Kerouac - Spontaneous Prose"
Half-Day Sit Walk Write Retreat
Sunday August 18, 2024
The second MiMi Summer 2024 "Writing Practice & Literature" Retreat, built around the central theme The Roots of Writing Practice, dives deeper into Kerouac's writing method valuing "first thoughts" and keeping the hand or typewriter moving - another key writing practice rule.
If you signed up for the retreat, you can watch the recording here.
"Allen Ginsberg - Poetry & Meditation"
Half-Day Sit Walk Write Retreat
Sunday September 15, 2024
The third MiMi Summer 2024 "Writing Practice & Literature" Retreat, built around the central theme The Roots of Writing Practice, studied a text by Allen Ginsberg in which he describes writing as a "spiritual quest," inspired by both previous French and English writers and Buddhist philosophy.
If you signed up for the retreat, you can watch the recording here.
Rereading as a Study of the Mind
Half-Day Sit Walk Write Retreat
Sunday October 20, 2024
The MiMi Fall 2024 "Writing Practice & Mindfulness" Retreat Program is built around the central theme ZEN & REREADING.
We kicked off the season with the October Retreat, studying the first half of the Writing Down the Bones "Rereading and Rewriting" chapter and passages from Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. The event focused on the importance of clearly understanding Zen teachings or the "view" to study the mind as a Zen practice, including during rereading notebooks.
If you signed up for the retreat, you can watch the recording here.
Compassionate Rereading
Half-Day Sit Walk Write Retreat
Sunday November 17, 2024
The second MiMi Fall 2024 "Writing Practice & Mindfulness" event, the Compassionate Rereading Retreat, combined meditation, writing practice, the study of the second half of the Writing Down the Bones "Rereading and Rewriting" chapter, and passages from Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind.
What does Zen teacher Suzuki Roshi mean when he writes that a beginner's mind is the mind of compassion?
If you signed up for the retreat, you can watch the recording here.
Egoless Rereading
Half-Day Sit Walk Write Retreat
Sunday December 15, 2024
The third and last MiMi Fall 2024 "Writing Practice & Mindfulness" event, the Egoless Rereading Retreat, combined meditation, writing practice, the study of Norman Fischer's Training in Compassion - Zen Teachings on the Practice of Lojong, and passages from Khentrul Lodrö T'hayé's The Power of Mind.
To reread writing practice as a study of the mind from an egoless perspective, we need to train the mind in "absolute bodhicitta." Lojong teachings provide us with the "view" and meditation techniques to learn how to do so.
If you signed up for the retreat, you can watch the recording here.
Support Us
Writing, literature, and meditation should be available to all, regardless of background or financial circumstances.
We're deeply grateful for any donation to the MiMi Scholarship Fund (one-time or recurring)
helping those who may need it to benefit from our educational services and community too.
Stay Connected
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed of all upcoming courses, writing retreats, literature workshops, and discounts.
When you hit the “send” button, you will receive a confirmation email. Please remember to click on the link to validate your MiMi newsletter subscription!
