| Type | Individual Learning Contract |
|---|---|
| Title | Plants, Spirituality, and Technology |
| Term | Winter 2015 |
| Credits | 16 |
| Related experience | My experience for the “growing” aspect of this work has mainly come from my personal studies in plants, meditation, and yoga. I have grown my own veggies in backyards, and have been practicing yoga and meditation for about five years consistently, and have been teaching free yoga classes for two years. My experience with ornament has come from many visual and musical art classes, as I attended two different arts academies. I studied metalworking, woodworking, stone carving, painting, drawing, clay, and various textile works. I also played the piano and saxophone extensively. |
| Evergreen faculty I have worked with | Arlen Speights
Sarah Williams |
| Student collaborators | |
| Contract description | Growing Ornaments and Making Plants is a contract designed to explore the connections of plants, consciousness of humans, ancient languages such as Sanskrit, and modern day art as an extension of the human mind. The student will learn about some ways to intuitively learn from plants, the history and usage of Sanskrit, and further their knowledge of yogic and meditation practices through attending classes and teaching. The end result will be a hybrid, artistic project containing aspects of new technology like 3d printing and old technologies, like growing a plant from a seed. I believe I will be growing a bean sprout while exploring the lotus flower in connection to the lotus yoga pose. The academic work will focus on the class required readings, plus The Secret Teachings of Plants; Buhner, The Metamorphosis of Plants, Goethe, The Grammar of the Lotus, Henry, and a book on sanskrit language. |
| Area of study | Consciousness Studies |
| Sponsor support | My faculty sponsor will meet with me throughout class times to discuss my project.
My faculty sponsor will suggest additional readings on the topic. My faculty sponsor will read and respond to my work via email and/or paperwork |
| Evaluation of work |
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Learning Objectives and Activities
| Learning objective | Activities | What my sponsor will evaluate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| To study plant life and connect the yogic practice through Sanskrit language to explore the internal and external metamorphosis of growth. | Being a coordinator for The Evergreen Yoga Service Collective, I will increase my knowledge of yoga and meditation practices with the community and strengthen my own practice as a student and teacher. I will read books such as The Secret Teachings of Plants, Buhner, The Metamorphosis of Plants, Goethe, The Grammar of The Lotus, Henry, class selected readings,and watch Yoga Unveiled to increase my knowledge on these subjects.
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My material artistic projects along with the writing in which I will display an understanding of selected texts and/or videos. | |
| To grow a plant from a seed, and 3D print its growth process. | I will grow a plant from a seed and document its growth through 3d scanning the plant through its growth process. The seed represents the physical growth that we experience through time. | My physical project as well as my writings pertaining to the subject. | |
| To document my or an individual’s growth in a yogic practice through pictures of the same set of poses practiced nearly every day. | Being a coordinator for The Evergreen Yoga Service Collective, I will increase my knowledge of yoga and meditation practices with the community and strengthen my own practice as a student and teacher. I will attend weekly yoga classes mainly by Vivian at The Bandha Room yoga studio, and learn through the movie Yoga Unveiled. | My physical project as well as a writings pertaining to the subject. | |
| To research people and learn from people who have studied and worked with related subjects | I visited Joseph, an individual who has lived off-grid and almost completely immersed in nature for several years and learned about his connection with plants and nature. I will practice with Vivian, a teacher who has been trained by the renowned bringer of Ashtanga Yoga, Patthabi Jois. I will continue research on other individuals and learn through the readings. | My writings on the subject as well as physical projects. |