Courses, Workshops and Retreats
~ Courses to Find Your Flow, Your Happiness, and Well-being ~
Creativity and meditation Courses can enhance our abilities, refine our perceptions, and expand our beliefs about what what we currently think is possible for us. We can learn the art of flow, letting go of fears and anxieties around creating art, or around any of life’s issues – all of which affect our happiness and confidence as humans and as creators.
*All courses are taught by Douglas, either online or on location in the US or in Europe. See course descriptions for details.
Current Events
Pure Being – A Silent Meditation Retreat, April 17, 18 & 19, 2026
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Together, we will explore a simple and direct approach to meditation that enables you recognise your authentic Self. The focus is not on a complicated technique, but on learning how to access clarity, ease, and presence in a natural and sustainable way. We will also address practical questions about personal practice—such as how to settle quickly into inner stillness during daily life, and how to avoid some of the common obstacles and misunderstandings that can arise on the spiritual path. Along the way, we will explore how we can free ourselves of old habits and mental clutter and develop a confident, intuitive relationship with our own wisdom practice.
This is a silent retreat, offering a supportive and peaceful environment for deep rest and insight. The retreat begins on Friday evening and concludes on Sunday evening. All levels of meditation practitioners are welcome, and no prior experience is necessary.
Accommodation is tent camping only. Please bring everything you need for your comfort, aside from food, which will be provided.
Cost is €130 for the weekend.
To sign up or for inquiries, Contact Barbara at 918 845 078
(*Note: Scholarships are available to those who are having financial difficulty.)
“My take on meditation is very simple – it’s not about learning complicated techniques or straining to try to get rid of thoughts. It’s not about trying to change ourselves or trying to fit ourselves into some spiritual ideology. It’s about becoming familiar with our own true essence, in a natural, relaxed way, and then staying connected to that through practice—not just on the cushion, but in the midst of daily life, while doing the so-called mundane things we regularly engage in.
About the teacher:
Douglas Paul Smith is the author of the book, ‘The Infinite Artist,’ and the founder of The House of Flow, a support site for creatives. He has taught meditation and creativity classes and workshops in the United States in Los Angeles, at Inner Way LA (formerly Asian Classics Institute), and at Three Jewels Buddhist Center in New York City, and Three Jewels in Tucson, Arizona. He currently teaches meditation classes on Tuesdays at A Fonte in Benfeita.
Since 1999, Douglas has been a practitioner of Yogic and Buddhist meditation in the traditions of Tibetan Gelugpa, Shambhala, and Soto and Rinzai Zen Buddhism, as well as in Vipassana, Insight methods as taught by Sayadaw U. Pandita. Douglas is a graduate of Asian Classics Institute Los Angeles, and Shambhala Art International in Los Angeles, California.
Luminous Awareness – Explorations in Consciousness and Awakening
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This course is weekly, and each session will consist of a guided meditation, lecture, and discussion.
We will meet at A Fonte in Benfeita on Tuesdays from 6pm to 7pm, starting on November 18, 2025.
The class will be ongoing, and cost is 6 euros per class, to be paid per month in advance (24.00 euros at the beginning, for every 4 sessions.) Drop-ins are 8 euros per class.
About the teacher:
Douglas Paul Smith is the author of the book, ‘The Infinite Artist,’ and the founder of The House of Flow, a support site for creatives. He has taught meditation and creativity classes and workshops in the United States in Los Angeles, at Inner Way LA (formerly Asian Classics Institute), and at Three Jewels Buddhist Center in New York City, and Three Jewels in Tucson, Arizona. He currently teaches meditation classes on Tuesdays at A Fonte in Benfeita.
Since 1999, Douglas has been a practitioner of Yogic and Buddhist meditation in the traditions of Tibetan Gelugpa, Shambhala, and Soto and Rinzai Zen Buddhism, as well as in Vipassana, Insight methods as taught by Sayadaw U. Pandita. Douglas is a graduate of Asian Classics Institute Los Angeles, and Shambhala Art International in Los Angeles, California.
Past and Upcoming Events
The Sedona Method Course (Completed)
The Sedona Method is a simple, powerful, and easy-to-learn technique that shows you how to uncover your natural ability to let go of any painful or unwanted emotion. By identifying and then removing our deep seated negative emotions and subconscious blocks, we free ourselves from them permanently.
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As we put the method into practice, we learn to look inside and take control of our own experiences of life instead of giving away our power to others. We can discard the ‘victim mentality’ we used to live by, and step into our authenticity and joy of life with much more ease and grace.
This is a powerful practice you can use anytime, anyplace, to improve any area of your life. It is remarkably effective when used on childhood issues and negative mental programming received from parents, peers, or traumatic events.
This course is weekly, and each session will consist of a guided meditation, lecture, and Q & A.
We will meet at A Fonte in Benfeita on Tuesdays from 6pm to 7pm, starting on January 21.
The class will be ongoing, and cost is 6 euros per class, to be paid per month in advance (24.00 euros at the beginning, for every 4 sessions.)
About the teacher:
Douglas Paul Smith is the author of the book, ‘The Infinite Artist,’ and the founder of The House of Flow, a support site for creatives. He has taught meditation and creativity classes and workshops in the United States in Los Angeles, at Inner Way LA (formerly Asian Classics Institute), and at Three Jewels Buddhist Center in New York City, and Three Jewels in Tucson, Arizona. He currently teaches meditation classes on Tuesdays at A Fonte in Benfeita
Since 1999, Douglas has been a practitioner of Yogic and Buddhist meditation in the traditions of Tibetan Gelugpa, Shambhala, and Soto and Rinzai Zen Buddhism, as well as in Vipassana, Insight methods as taught by Sayadaw U. Pandita. Douglas is a graduate of Asian Classics Institute Los Angeles, and Shambhala Art International in Los Angeles, California.
Meditation for the Artist (Upcoming)
Meditation for the Artist is a free creativity workshop followed by a seven week course, where we use meditation together with the creative process to amplify the benefits of creativity—to learn the art of flow and wake ourselves up to our creative potential. We will learn to transcend the thinking mind, to see more clearly and to create with authenticity. By delving deep into our Flow, we sharpen our innate intelligence, going beyond the illusion of separation toward an experience of the sublime.
More Info
This seven week course will teach meditation and include contemplative art exercises (‘Art as Meditation’) to awaken both the creative and viewing processes. The first three weeks will focus on perceptual and awareness exercises, meditation, and expressive brush and ink painting that will assist you in experiencing the creative process with fresh eyes, heightened senses, and an open mind and heart.
During the second half of the course, we will incorporate object arrangement and exploratory painting exercises, using these methods as a practice of creative mindfulness that you can apply to any creative medium. In addition, you will learn simple, easy methods for accessing the creative Flow state, and discover how to direct emotions and to dissolve blocks using the art of flow.
Douglas Paul Smith is the author of the book, ‘The Infinite Artist.’ He is the founder of The House of Flow, which empowers artists and creative people to find their true potential and authenticity, and to achieve their creative goals. Douglas’ passion for creativity coaching was born from a decade of teaching ‘Art As Meditation’ classes in the United States — his own version of the Eastern principles of creativity as taught by the late Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche in the 1970s and 80s. As well as being a professional visual artist and designer for over 25 years, Douglas also studied Yogic philosophy and meditation extensively in the traditions of Tibetan Gelugpa, Shambhala, and Soto Zen Buddhism, and is formally trained as a Contemplative Arts Instructor at Shambhala Art International, in Los Angeles, California.
Check back for Course dates, and
Stay tuned for more Courses and Creativity Workshops like this…
More Past Courses and Creativity Workshops:
The Art of Meditation
and
the Science of Awakening
Benfeita, Coimbra, Portugal
Tuesdays 6 – 7pm, starting Sept 17, 2024
at A Fonte, Benfeita
This course is designed to give you all the tools you need to develop a practice where you can easily and simply tap into your essential nature and inner bliss.
In this course we’ll discover how the ancient “pure being” practices of Dzogchen and Advaita Vedanta (Non-dual) meditations can open us up to the flow of life, quiet our minds, and open our senses, allowing us to gently let go of separation-consciousness (ego), to live and act from a place of true authenticity and freedom. We’ll cover all aspects of the practices, including how to overcome obstacles to this or any sitting meditation practice, how to achieve consistency and discipline, and how to amp up our practice and make it blissful and relaxed. We will debunk common myths and misconceptions about how to effectively practice meditation, and touch upon some of the fundamental teachings of the path of awakening according to the ancient as well as modern wisdom traditions.
This workshop / course is for beginners as well as experienced meditators – anyone who has already begun their own practice and would like to go deeper with it (much of what will be covered in this course applies to all types of sitting meditation). The practice offered is not religious, nor do you need to change any spiritual beliefs in order to practice it.
We will hold one session per week, starting Tuesday September 17, 2024, for 6 weeks. Students will be expected to commit to a short, daily practice. Classes will be one hour long, and consist of a lecture/discussion and guided meditations, followed by Q & A.
About the teacher:
Douglas Paul Smith is the author of the book, ‘The Infinite Artist,’ and the founder of The House of Flow. Since 1999, Douglas has been a practitioner of Yogic and Buddhist meditation in the traditions of Tibetan Gelugpa, Shambhala, and Soto and Rinzai Zen Buddhism, as well as in Vipassana, Insight methods as taught by Sayadaw U. Pandita. His life’s work has been to explore the Self and to combine sitting meditation with creativity practices, following the teachings of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and traditions of creativity found in Zen Buddhism. Douglas is a graduate of Asian Classics Institute Los Angeles, and Shambhala Art International. He has taught meditation, contemplative art-making, the ‘art of flow,’ and creativity workshops in the United States in Los Angeles, at Inner Way LA (formerly Asian Classics Institute), and at Three Jewels Buddhist Center in New York City, and Three Jewels in Tucson, Arizona.
Creativity Workshop: Transform Resistance, Fear, and Anxiety Using a Creative Practice
(April, 2020)
As part of Inner Way LA’s Arts Program, Artist and author Douglas Paul Smith teaches this 4-week course / creativity workshop on how to use the creative process to liberate ourselves from resistance, fear, and the emotions that hold us back in life. Learn how to transform your fears and resistance into emotional stability, a sense of interconnectedness, and peace of mind. We will learn how to develop our own unique creative practice and easily drop into our flow. Not just for ‘creative’ types, this creativity workshop will help anyone who wants to take a leap into their creative and spiritual potential.
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Past Courses and Creativity Workshops Flyers…
more Creativity Workshops Testimonials
“I feel like we have been so fortunate to have you at this retreat – you are a natural teacher and I like the way you approached the topic of Creativity/Dharma Art. I feel like you triggered a felt sense in your class which I found extremely helpful – you made it so accessible, helping us to drop into that deeper awareness.
—Victoria, Z., Melbourne, Australia
“Thanks for the class last Saturday….Somehow in tapping into the emotions as instructed, prior to dipping our hands into the pools of paint, something deeper and more profound than just fingerpainting manifested, both in the heart and on the page.
I would do it again, anytime. Thank you for the intuitive teaching, and for your presence.
—Peter H., Los Angeles, CA
“Douglas guides the class in a gentle and compassionate way, bringing meditation and openness to the practice of intuitive ‘art.’ As a total novice I felt comfortable and the class left me peaceful and contemplative.
—Claire T., Los Angeles, CA
“Douglas gently lead our group through exploring our physicality, presence and full range of emotions through free artistic expression. Besides being fun, the experience was clarifying, liberating and empowering, giving me a deeper and more direct connection to my human experience and my creativity.
—Dmitriy Y., Los Angeles, CA
“Douglas is an exceptional teacher. He brought us to a place we could express ourselves openly in a way to better learn about ourselves and to just “let go” and be open.
—Laurie S., Los Angeles, CA
“I think this practice is an entertaining way to connect with yourself. For me, it wasn’t that much about creativity but rather tapping into your emotions. I enjoyed Douglas’ intuitive guidance. He really helped me to “stay out of my own way.” Thank you.
—Andrew P., Los Angeles, CA