About

THE MINERVA INSTITUTE, a 501(c)(3) organization, is located in Orlando, FL. We are a heart-centered learning community that offers diverse programs in self-discovery. Our mission is to cultivate inner peace and wisdom. We envision Orlando as a “Blue Zone” – a place of peace and learning for living longer, happier lives.

Heart-centered

What does it mean to be heart-centered? It means you have the personal courage to take an inward journey to find true purpose, peace and happiness in life. It means that you have an inner aching and dare to address your heart’s longing. According to poet, Oriah, it is when you want to know “what sustains you from the inside
 when all else falls away…if you can be alone with yourself
 and if you truly like 
the company you keep 
in the empty moments.”

We invite you to read The Invitation by Oriah. It is an exquisite expression of what it means to be heart-centered.

Learning

In his poetry, Rumi speaks of two types of intelligence. One that is acquired to earn rankings in life and one that is a freshness in the center of the chest…Rumi says that “this second knowing is a fountainhead from within you, moving out.” Heart-centered teachings that connect people to their core being. This is the focal point of all Minerva programs.

Community

When we speak of community, we refer to the wisdom of Margaret Meade:

“…When one joins with others, the accomplishments are greater than what individuals can do on their own. This requires a harmony that generates ideas, inspiration, and momentum for growth and action. And, when the right combination occurs, the results are like a fire feeding upon fire… and can illuminate the world…never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

We believe in having like-minded individuals convene to conduct conversations about what’s important and real in life. We see Minerva fueling an inside-out movement of peace, person by person – creating a fire feeding upon fire.

Self-Discovery

The Minerva Institute is an organizing body that respects and responds to the need for self-inquiry and self-discovery. To live the questions now, as Rainer Maria Rilke suggests, is the work of the moment.

“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.” 

— Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

Vision

We envision Orlando as a Blue Zone – a place of peace and learning for living longer, happier lives. According to The Blue Zones research and book, 25% of how long we live is dictated by our genetic make-up, which means that 75% is determined by how we live and perceive things.

The most powerful insight offered in The Blue Zones for living a long and happy life is increasing our feeling of connectedness. Feeling connected to our purpose in life, to our family and community and also to a spiritual practice. All of this affirms the need and purpose for establishing the Minerva Institute in Orlando.

We see Minerva as a place where like-minded individuals can gather to deeply discover what’s important in life and to connect to one another in a heartfelt way. It’s imperative that we all slow down and catch up with ourselves. The Blue Zones teach us that there is nothing more important than this for increasing peace, wisdom and longevity in life.

It is our belief that once you are at peace with yourself; you can be at peace with others and the world.

Please consider this vision and what Minerva has to offer you personally and the community at large. Join us in making it a reality. The commitment to self-discovery and heart-centered living is essential for building a kinder, more reflective and connected community.