Dissolving Cultural Norms of Shame as an Act of Resilience

Shame and fear are intertwined cultural norms that are used, unconsciously, to keep us from finding our inherent worth. Tuyet will share her experiences opening up to and dissolving shame as a part of her meditation path and how this led to a better understanding of confidence.

Tuyet Cullen has been in public education for 15 years in Madison, Wisconsin. Her path as a meditator and her path as a teacher are one in the same. Meditation has given her space to be present and compassionate with her students and co-workers and teaching has given her an understanding of the spaciousness of the human heart. Mining these experiences has given her the tools to constantly build, tear-down and build again a container in her classroom where students feel seen for who they are and a little bit more confident in taking risks. Her path continues to support constant reflection and adjusting of her craft as a teacher, especially in how she works with children who feel unrepresented in the public institution of education. She is a member of the Core Mindfulness Team for the Madison Metropolitan School District, where she provides experiences for teachers to cultivate and sustain a mindfulness practice. She also currently serves as the Director of Practice and Education for the Madison Shambhala Center.