Wednesday, Nov. 13
9:30 am to 12:30 pm
Todd Hall
Guided by Adam Kane, principal translator for Tsoknyi Rinpoche, this meditative workshop will guide participants through the three pillars of Fully Being's course: Grounded Body, Warm Heart, and Clear Mind. Through practices rooted in these principles, participants will explore how grounding the body fosters stability, a warm heart nurtures compassion, and a clear mind opens the door to imagination and insight. With these foundations, we can support deeper creative exploration and personal growth, allowing for a fuller expression of being.
Wednesday, Nov. 13
5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
Cathedral of the Assumption
The 28th Annual Festival of Faiths, Sacred Imagining, opens with a multifaith, multicultural celebration in the historic Cathedral of the Assumption. All are welcome to this program, which will feature diverse faith traditions. The evening will include inspiring messages that reflect this year’s festival theme of imagination and musical offerings from Will Oldham, Wu Fei, the Praying Hands Quartet, and students from the Louisville Academy of Music.
Thursday, Nov. 14
8:30 am to 9:30 am
Main Lobby
Hospitality · Exhibits · Demonstrations · Movement · Merchandise and Bookstore
Thursday, Nov. 14
9:30 am to 11:00 am
Bomhard Theater
How do we bring imaginative thought into our own experiences and faith? How does sacred imagination empower us and deepen our understanding? Can we imagine a future full of potential for all? Join us for this first session as we consider these questions and explore what major religions say regarding the origin and use of imagination. The panel will offer a framework for embracing the imaginative spirit through a lens of faith and applying it to lived experiences. Featuring a musical interlude by Barbara Bogatin (cello, San Francisco Symphony)
Thursday, Nov. 14
11:00 am to 1:30 pm
Lexus Lounge
Grab-and-go options will be available for purchase.
Thursday, Nov. 14
12:30 pm to 2:00 pm
Bomhard Theater
This session will tackle the potentially damaging properties of some imaginative thought and how these shape our perceptions and social interactions. We will explore the power of deconstructing negative narratives and replacing them with positive ones, and consider how religious beliefs and spiritual practices can influence these perceptions and be harnessed to promote unity and deeper understanding. Features a musical interlude by Stephanie Nilles (jazz piano. Louisville Academy of Music).
Thursday, Nov. 14
2:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Main Lobby
Hospitality · Exhibits · Demonstrations · Movement · Merchandise and Bookstore
Thursday, Nov. 14
2:15 pm to 2:45 pm
South Lobby
Katherine Martin will guide you through the 7 levels of tension, a method used in theatre to explore the dynamics of character and emotion, as an entry point into the physicality of mask performance. Masks are often seen as something to hide behind, but she will explore the intersection of embodiment and freedom by intentionally playing in the mask through the lens of defying the ordinary, creative permission and igniting the imagination into worlds previously unseen and unspoken.
Thursday, Nov. 14
3:00 pm to 3:30 pm
North Lobby
Bhakti yoga, also known as the yoga of love and devotion, is one of the four paths to spiritual liberation as described in the Bhagavad Gita. One of the core practices of bhakti is the chanting of the holy names. The practice of chanting these ancient and sacred Sanskrit mantras helps to awaken the divine love within, which is our true nature. During this session led by Emily Joan Smith, you are invited to either join us in chanting or to simply open yourself to the healing and sacred sounds through listening.
Thursday, Nov. 14
3:00 pm to 3:45 pm
MeX Theater
“Compassion Warrior” Stephanie Barnett will share elements from the Compassion Cultivation Training created at Stanford University designed to build capacity to meet suffering in ourselves and others. Through guided imagery and reflective practice, we will take apart myths we have about each other and focus on embracing our inextricable connectivity. Reimagine a unique vision of our common humanity that is inclusive of remarkable lived experiences and manifest our appreciation and compassion for all those in our circles of kinship.
"While compassion is an inherent quality we all possess, psychology, neuroscience, and clinical medicine show that it is an orientation and skill that can be cultivated and strengthened to increase the well-being of individuals, communities, and society" - The Compassionate Institute.
Thursday, Nov. 14
3:45 pm to 4:15 pm
South Lobby
Embrace Sacred Imagining with Erica Sartini-Combs in this 30-minute gentle movement meditation. Experience a transformative journey inward as we explore organic, non-linear pathways of movement to enhance the mind-body connection. This practice invites you to step out of the mind and tune deeply into your body, promoting introspection, re-sensitization, and a soothing of the nervous system. Discover how fluidity and embodiment can ignite your inner vitality and cultivate greater presence and insight.
Thursday, Nov. 14
4:30 pm to 5:00 pm
North Lobby
Following the imagining kinship workshop, participants will incorporate the guided imagery provided through the meditative process of reimagining our common humanity to create a visual representation of a new world. The ChooseWell Communities' KYnship team will lead this expressive art experience, inviting the collaboration of a physical manifestation of this vision.
Thursday, Nov. 14
5:30 pm to 6:45 pm
Lexus Lounge
Thursday, Nov. 14
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Bomhard Theater
Preeminent artists will discuss sources of inspiration, overcoming challenges and the significance of sharing artistic expression with the world. Learn how creativity serves as a powerful catalyst for personal and cultural growth and receive guidance on unlocking your own imaginative potential for transformation. Hear from Louisville Orchestra's Teddy Abrams, Louisville Academy of Music's Sara Louise Callaway, singer-songwriter/actor Will Oldham and other established and emerging artists as we explore the journey from creative sparks to the full experience of fulfillment.
Friday, Nov. 15
8:30 am to 9:30 am
Main Lobby
Hospitality · Exhibits · Demonstrations · Movement · Merchandise and Bookstore
Friday, Nov. 15
9:30 am to 11:00 am
Bomhard Theater
Inspiration for growth and creativity can be found in many ways — through nature, religion, friendship, and stories of joy and lament, just to name a few. In this session, we will explore how we discover and express our imagination, what we learn in the process, and the role awe, wonder and story play in our moral and spiritual lives. The goal is to identify sources of imagination that can help us recover what Thomas Merton called our "original unity" and to highlight the imaginative potential within everyone. Featuring a musical interlude by TJ Cole (synth).
Friday, Nov. 15
11:00 am to 1:30 pm
Lexus Lounge
Grab-and-go options will be available for purchase.
Friday, Nov. 15
12:30 pm to 2:00 pm
Bomhard Theater
This session will feature dialogue between scientists and spiritual practitioners of contemplative sciences to offer a unique perspective on human consciousness. Experts will explore the use of tools such as mindfulness, insight, ethics, compassion and connection to inform the full potential of human experiences. We will then look toward the future, examining strategies to cultivate healthy contemplative practices in developing human consciousness. Featuring a musical interlude by Barbara Bogatin (cello, San Francisco Symphony).
Friday, Nov. 15
2:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Main Lobby
Hospitality · Exhibits · Demonstrations · Movement · Merchandise and Bookstore
Friday, Nov. 15
2:15 pm to 2:45 pm
South Lobby
In ancient times, yoga practitioners developed and honed their techniques during invasions, occupation, war, pandemics, famine and oppression. Laura Spaulding will introduce you to easy yoga techniques by which you can remain centered and calm in the most difficult situations. This activation is suitable for individuals of any age or level of ability.
Friday, Nov. 15
3:00 pm to 3:30 pm
North Lobby
Join Jenny Bell in brushing ensō, a form of sacred Japanese Zen Calligraphy, in which a circle of infinity is brushed with ink, to express a moment when the mind is free to let the body create. The ensō symbolizes enlightenment, the universe-thevoid, emptiness-fullness, the visible-the invisible, simplicity-profundity, as well as completeness of each moment + wholeness of experience. This sacred practice invites us to become one with the brush, one with the breath, ushering self compassion in this simple exercise of acceptance.
Friday, Nov. 15
3:00 pm to 3:45 pm
MeX Theater
In this spiritual practice, join Adam Kane in a meditation designed to quiet the mind and unlock creative potential. Through a blend of meditation, breathwork and mindfulness, participants will explore how stillness cultivates clarity and deepens imaginative insight. This practice offers a path toward greater self-awareness, balance, and emotional well-being, guiding participants to reconnect with their inner world.
Friday, Nov. 15
3:45 pm to 4:15 pm
South Lobby
Accomplished Tai chi instructor Dre Dawson will lead participants in this gentle exercise involving slow movements, deep breathing and a meditative state. This form of martial arts rooted in Chinese medicine has many potential physical and emotional benefits, such as decreased anxiety and depression and improved cognition. People of all ages and fitness levels are welcome to participate in this 30-minute activity.
Friday, Nov. 15
4:30 pm to 5:00 pm
North Lobby
Tigresse Bleu is a performance artist and poet who seeks to share their art form with others in an attempt to help them access deeper parts of themselves. This 30-minute workshop is a poetic therapeutic processing of emotions intended to unlock divinity within.
Friday, Nov. 15
5:30 pm to 6:45 pm
Lexus Lounge
Friday, Nov. 15
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Bomhard Theater
Bestselling author Dr. Jemar Tisby will reimagine the spirit of justice that once flowed through iconic moments in civil rights history within the context of our world today. Prominent thought leaders will then join the conversation, touching on themes of faith, hope, courage and imagination to create a new vision for the future based on dignity and belonging for all. These experts will guide us as we tap into the boundless energy inspired by "love of neighbor." Featuring a musical interlude by the Ambassador Chorale from Simmon’s College H.B.C.U.
Saturday, Nov. 16
9:30 am to 11:00 am
Bomhard Theater
In his "I Have a Dream" speech, Martin Luther King Jr. Said: "Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children." It's been more than half a century, and still this dream is not fully realized. Join us for an open, honest dialogue as we tap into our collective creativity with an eye toward envisioning a better tomorrow for all people. This facilitated "think-in" will be a quick-moving co-creation of ideas and imagination, and all in attendance are invited to participate.
Saturday, Nov. 16
11:15 am to 12:00 pm
Main Lobby
The 28th Annual Festival of Faiths, Sacred Imagining, closes with a community gathering to celebrate the beauty of creativity and the power of ideas to change the world. This finale will express the imaginative power of the festival. Join us for performances of art, music, and imaginative works created throughout the festival and inspire the artist and visionary in each of us.
