Practices for Human Flourishing

In a 2-part series, VASCO GASPAR will share different methodologies and approaches to human flourishing, to help us realize our potential for goodness and compassion, and understand the interconnectedness we share with each other and the world.

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Like my Portuguese ancestors who explored the world in search of goods, during the last decades I've also been exploring different tools, methodologies, and approaches that contribute to "human flourishing" the blossoming of the human spirit, and full realization of our potential for goodness and compassion, as well as the understanding of the interconnectedness we share with each other and our environment.

These include awareness-based practices like Mindfulness and Presencing; trauma-informed methodologies like Polyvagal Theory, Internal Family Systems, and Compassionate Inquiry (Gabor Mate's methodology); and heart-rooted approaches like Giftivism and the timeless wisdom of Heartfulness, which is where I find my spiritual "home."

At some point during this quest, I started to see and sense connections between the different fields, and how they could be brought together to allow us to flourish into our potential. That led to the design and craft of experiences, retreats, and programs we’ve delivered to hundreds of people worldwide in the past years. We call it “awareness-based human flourishing” since there is the underlying notion that, by increasing our awareness about different aspects of ourselves, we can also become more conscious of our innate basic wisdom, our underlying sanity, and, from a space of deeper consciousness, to be capable of acting in the world in ways that are wiser, saner and more compassionate toward ourselves, other people, and Life as a whole.

In sharing these practices and resources, I encourage you to be the scientist on your journey of spiritual experimentation. See how the practices resonate with you. Take everything you find helpful and leave the rest.

Integral awareness