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Meditation Garden Series Offers Space for Reflection The Museums at W&L will lead guided meditations on Saturdays from Oct. 12 through Nov. 2 in the Watson Galleries, in conjunction with Emma Steinkraus’ “Impossible Garden/Dusk & Dawn” exhibit.

By Emily Innes
October 8, 2024

meditation-garden Meditation Garden Series Offers Space for Reflection

Join the Museums at Washington and Lee University for a guided meditation series every Saturday starting Oct. 12 through Nov. 2, from 8 to 9 a.m. in the Watson Galleries.

The meditation garden events are free and open to all, but reservations are required: https://tiny.cc/museumgarden. W&L employees can earn a Live Well W&L token by attending these sessions.

The meditation garden sessions invite participants to become more present, centered and relaxed while being surrounded by the fantastical world of “Impossible Garden/Dusk & Dawn,” a current exhibit by Emma Steinkraus, assistant professor of art at W&L. The series is part of the Museums at W&L’s Mindfulness Initiative, an effort that began in Fall Term 2020 and reconceptualizes the galleries as a place for wellness and reflection for the campus community.

Catherine Epstein, a writing consultant in W&L’s Harte Center for Teaching and Learning, will lead the guided meditations and looks forward to helping participants engage with the Watson Galleries in new ways while exploring the various themes of Steinkraus’ immersive installation.

“I am excited and honored to help facilitate this mindfulness initiative at the Watson Galleries, and these sessions are a unique invitation for anyone – whether they’ve meditated before or not – to practice mindfulness while surrounded by beautiful and thought-provoking art,” Epstein said. “Impossible Garden’ is a particularly meaningful setting for this series because of its close attention to and care for the world around us – two qualities also at the core of mindfulness meditation. This is a rare opportunity to engage with the gallery in a new way, and I’m grateful to the Museums staff for pioneering this series.”

This program is co-sponsored by the Museums at W&L and Live Well W&L.

The Museums at W&L are open to the public Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. To learn more about the 2024-2025 exhibitions, visit the Museums at W&L’s website.