Micro-Residencies

Dr. Imani Okafor-Lindqvist - March 9–20, 2027

Imani Okafor-Lindqvist is a composer and sound artist whose work sits at the intersection of acoustic ecology, contemplative practice, and public space. Her installations have been presented in libraries, hospitals, and transit stations across North America and Scandinavia. She holds a PhD in Music Composition and has trained for more than a decade in mindfulness-based and deep listening practices. Her current research examines how sound design can support well-being in high-stress institutional environments.

Project Title:
Listening Rooms: Ambient Sound as Contemplative Architecture

Project Description:
During her microresidency, Imani will record the acoustic signatures of several Grounds locations, including the Lawn at dawn, the Contemplative Commons, and the stacks of Alderman Library. She’ll then compose a series of short, site-responsive ambient pieces meant to be listened to in the spaces where they were recorded. The project asks how sustained, attentive listening can change our relationship to familiar places and to the people we share them with.

Working with CSC staff and students, she’ll also build a simple “listening walk” guide that pairs short audio tracks with prompts for reflection, which will be available on the CSC website after the residency ends.

Public Offerings:
Deep Listening Workshop, Tuesday, March 17, 2027, 5:30–7:00 p.m., Contemplative Commons. Open to all; no musical experience needed.
Listening Walk and Artist Talk, Friday, March 20, 2027, 4:00–5:30 p.m., meeting at the Rotunda steps.

William Mushkin - November 12–20, 2026

William Mushkin is a Level 2 authorized teacher of Ashtanga Yoga, authorized in Mysore, India, by his teacher R. Sharath Jois, lineage holder of Ashtanga Yoga. In 2025 he trained in the Active Series with Shraddha Jois and Andrew Hillam and is authorized by the Sharath Yoga Centre to teach it. First introduced to Ashtanga in 1987, he later co-founded Ashtanga Yoga Denver, a shala offering Mysore-style practice, led classes, pranayama, and meditation. He studied philosophy at Bowdoin College, earned an MFA at the University of Colorado Boulder, and has taught at CU Boulder and Metropolitan State College of Denver. In earlier portions of his life, he traded options on the American Stock Exchange and founded both Mushkin.com and Name.com. He lives in Boulder, CO. For more, see ayd.yoga.

Nature of the residency: A two-week micro-residency at the Contemplative Sciences Center teaching the Active Series, the sequence Sharath Jois introduced in 2024 and left as his parting gift, held in the weeks around the anniversary of his passing on November 11.