Public Philosophy

My inexhaustible passion for teaching has brought me beyond university walls, where I aim to help reignite a cultural sense of wonder and environmental responsibility by drawing parallels between the arts, sciences, and philosophy. Toward this end, I engage in public outreach by hosting workshops on environmental philosophy and nature-based meditation in a variety of multi-disciplinary, public festivals and forums, including:

Sonic Bloom 2019 -- "Weaving a Diverse World"

Tierra Musica: A Permaculture Retreat for Artists and Activists at Lake Atitlan, Guatemala -- "An Introduction to Argumentation in Conservation Contexts"

(http://www.bloomingbiodiversity.solutions/tierramusica)

Winter Solstice Soul-Fuel Gathering 2018 -- "Dimensions of Ecological Consciousness"

(https://www.loveatx.com/events/2018/12/21/solstice-soul-fuel-gathering)

Art Outside 2018 -- "Healing the Earth, Healing Ourselves"

Sonic Bloom 2018 -- "Healing the Earth, Healing Ourselves" (http://sonicbloomfestival.com/kimberly-dill/)

Data articulated in environmental psychology indicates that immersion in natural environments decreases stress, alleviates symptoms associated with anxiety and depression, increases positive moods, and facilitates quicker recovery rates after surgery or illness (Ulrich 1991; Kaplan & Kaplan 1989). In short, these studies confirm the commonsense intuition that time spent in non-human, natural environments is healing. They also suggest that the decline in access to green, restorative spaces due to environmental degradation directly correlates with the rise in mental illness that is so prevalent in contemporary society. Therefore, it makes sense to conclude that the healing of our human bodies and minds can only occur en masse if together we work to heal our ailing planet. In this workshop, I will pair theoretical and practical strategies to equip participants (i) to understand (philosophically, psychologically, and biologically) how individual health is connected to the health of our larger biosphere (ii) to engage in mindful, nature-based meditation techniques (including active listening to the non-human world), and (iii) to identify commonsense ways in which they can engage in environmental activism on a day-by-day basis. Thus, part I of this workshop will focus on CONTEMPLATION; part II will focus on MEDITATION; and part III will focus on ACTIVATION. Participants in this workshop will come away feeling more connected to their inner worlds, each other, and the larger, environmental landscape of which we are all part.

Art Outside 2017 -- "Warriors of Love: An Introduction to Loving-Kindness Meditation"

In this workshop, participants will gain insight into the theoretical and practical workings of loving-kindness or compassion-centric meditative practices. Loving-kindness meditation consists of two stages. First, one cultivates an awareness of what Buddhists have termed the 'first noble truth': life involves pain and suffering. Then, one learns to skillfully meet suffering with a heart and mind fueled by compassion. This two-stage meditative practice forges a middle path between the extremes of hyper-cynicism, on the one hand, and escapism, on the other. It is thus a practical approach that can serve as a balm to help heal the wounds of our world. Participants in this workshop will (i) think about the distinction between empathy and compassion, so as to avoid the so-called 'empathy trap', (ii) will gain a set of tools to integrate loving-kindness and mindfulness techniques into their meditative practices and daily lives, and (iii) will be given an opportunity to practice loving-kindness meditation. With these goals in mind, a portion of the workshop will be dedicated to theory, a portion to practice.