Conversations that invite us to think differently about education, consciousness and human flourishing.

Gabriella F. Buttarazzi (Uma Shakti Devi) is available for lectures, talks and workshops at conferences, symposia, festivals and other events in the UK throughout the year. I am available for invited lectures, keynote talks, seminars, workshops and other speaking engagements for universities, educational organisations, professional communities and public audiences.

I welcome invitations from universities and colleges, research centres, academic and professional networks, conferences, educational organisations, contemplative communities and other groups interested in exploring these areas.

Sessions can be offered in person or online, and adapted for different audiences, contexts and levels of familiarity with the subject.

My work sits at the intersection of education, consciousness, contemplation and human development, with a particular interest in how educational spaces can become places not only for acquiring knowledge, but for cultivating awareness, curiosity, discernment, creativity and more meaningful ways of being in the world.

Drawing upon more than twenty years of experience across higher and adult education, alongside my work as a researcher and practitioner of meditation and integral yoga, I bring together academic scholarship, educational practice and contemplative traditions. My sessions can be scholarly and research-focused, experiential and practice-led, or a combination of both.

Talks and workshops can be developed around themes including:

• Contemplative Education

• Contemplative Practices

• Consciousness-Centred Education

• Meditation in, as and of Higher Education

• Heart-Centred Approaches to Teaching and Learning

• Contemplative Reading

• Contemplative Writing

• Contemplative Arts

• Meditation: Research and Practice

• Embodiment in Teaching and Learning

• Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)

• Pedagogic Integrity & Values Congruence

• Integral Approaches to Education

• Integral Yoga Studies®

• Soulful Dwelling

• Research Methods and Contemplative Studies

• Reimagining Higher Education & Educational Futures

• Sense-Making, Meaning-Making in Higher Education

• The Relationship Between Creativity, Consciousness and Wellbeing

• Lifelong Learning and Spirituality

Developing a session or series around a particular theme, question or challenge relevant to your institution, programme or community is also possible.

Lectures and Talks

Invited lectures and talks can provide an accessible introduction to an emerging field, explore a particular concept or body of research, or open up a provocative question for collective discussion. These can range from academic lectures and conference contributions to more informal conversations for professional and public audiences.

Workshops

Workshops are participatory and practice-led, creating opportunities to experience rather than simply theorise. Depending upon the context, sessions might combine short presentations with contemplative practices, writing, dialogue, reflection, creative inquiry, active listening, deep listening, or collaborative activities. Workshops can be designed as stand-alone sessions or as part of a series of professional learning and development.

START THE CONVERSATION

If something in this work connects with a conversation you are having within your institution or community, Dr. Gabriella F. Buttarazzi (Uma Shakti Devi) would be delighted to hear from you. Whether you already have a particular topic in mind or simply feel that our areas of interest might intersect, please get in touch to begin the conversation.