Healing Landscapes: Restoring the Human Land Reciprocal Relationship

Restoring the human-land connection mutually benefits ecosystems and human communities. Our project will build on our established community land stewardship programs and initial programming with the local Indigenous community. Healing Landscapes centers local Indigenous youth in culturally specific frameworks. Goals: (1) Pilot programming that engages youth in transformative experiences that integrate healing mindfulness practices and …

A B O U T  – I T: Accelerating Buffalo’s Opportunity to Upsurge Transformation-from the Inside OuT

ABOUT-IT: Accelerating Buffalo’s Opportunity to Upsurge Transformation – from the Inside ouT Embodiology is a contemplative mind-body practice that optimizes individual human performance and well-being while integrating community flourishing through breath, rhythm, and movement. In Fall 2022, Dr. S. Ama Wray, creator of the award-winning Embodiology®, began the first phase of About-It, a wellness arts …

Mind the Conflict in Hura’s Bedouin Community

This project emerged from the Mind and Life 2018 PEACE grant to Professor Levit-Binnun, where the MtC mindfulness-informed conflict transformation program was tested in the context of discussions on controversial issues in schools. Nufoth Al Qalawi, who joined the research project as a Palestinian pedagogy expert and facilitator, will now bring this contemplative approach to …

Mindfulness Trainings for Mothers and Teachers of Escuela Don Luis Braille in Asunción, Paraguay

This project seeks to implement Mindfulness Trainings based on the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Protocol (MBSR) consisting of 8-week courses, with weekly sessions of 2 hours each session and an informative/taster session with a duration of 60 minutes prior to the beginning of the course (total amount of hours: 17 hours). The target population of …

Mindfulness Practices for Indigenous Youth

Mindfulness Practices for Indigenous Youth serves Indigenous students grades 6–12 living in McKinley County New Mexico. These young people are participants in Project Venture, an evidence-based, culturally responsive positive youth development program tailored to Indigenous youth. The project aims to co-create culturally responsive mindfulness practices, with the input of an advisory committee of Indigenous elders. …

Forest Therapy for People with Cancer in Three Public Hospitals in Chile

This project seeks to facilitate Forest Therapy sessions for socioeconomically vulnerable cancer patients from public hospitals in three cities in Chile. These walks will be implemented as a wellness tool from an integrative approach, addressing the physical, psychosocial, emotional and spiritual needs of people with cancer. In addition, through this contemplative practice, it is hoped …

Contemplative Art Therapy for Children and Adolescents Coping with Self-Harm

Several schools from marginalized communities around La Paz have reached out to Fundación Astra to request intervention to prevent an increased tendency to suicidal behaviors. This proposed project, a series of art workshops using creative expression, with the goal to promote mental and emotional well-being, will address some of the endemic risk factors leading to …

Embracing the Heart: Yoga for Mental Health and Community Building in Dzaleka Children and Youth Refugees

Dzaleka refugee camp, in Malawi, was designed for 10,000 people, but hosts over 60,000 refugees. Communities are torn by ethnic and religious conflicts. Children carry intergenerational traumas which impede their future. Traditional support is of great relief, but labor-intensive and expensive, reducing its availability. Yoga is a cost-efficient and sustainable practice for improving mental health, …