Engaged Contemplative Practice in Islamic Sufism: Vocal, Silent, Living

This workshop will involve three methods of engaged contemplation in Islamic Sufism, consisting of silent and vocal forms of “remembrance” (dhikr) and “remembrance in life.” The ultimate purpose of these methods is to retrain the individual’s consciousness to respond — at each moment in one’s daily life — toward one’s consciousness and whatever appears in …

Meditation Practice: Settling the Heart and Mind

Sharon Salzberg and Roshi Joan Halifax will lead a guided practice that settles the mind and body. This basic practice will be about focusing on the breath and bringing attention to the body.

Master Lectures: Minding Mindfulness: Issues, Models, and Findings in the Scientific Study of Meditation

This talk will describe attentional, emotional and physiological processes modified over the course of three months of full-time training in, and practice of, meditative quiescence (Shamatha) and beneficial aspirations for self and others (loving kindness, compassion, empathetic joy and equanimity). This multidisciplinary longitudinal, randomized wait-list controlled study is known as The Shamatha Project. Scientific measures …

Engaged Contemplative Practice in Islamic Sufism: Silent Emphasis

This workshop will involve two methods of engaged contemplation in Islamic Sufism, consisting of silent and vocal forms of “remembrance” (dhikr). The ultimate purpose of these methods is to retrain the individual’s consciousness to respond — at each moment in one’s daily life — toward one’s consciousness and whatever appears in it, responding with an …

Interoception and Contemplative Practice

Organizer Participants Interoception can be broadly defined as the sense of signals originating within the body. As such, interoception is critical for our sense of embodiment, motivation, and well-being. And yet, despite its importance, interoception remains poorly understood within modern science. This paper reviews interdisciplinary perspectives on interoception, with the goal of presenting a unified …

Bridging Contemplative Science and Business: An Emerging Global Industry, Innovation Panel co-hosted by The Eagle and The Hawk Foundation and the Aetna Foundation

A new industry is emerging before our eyes, as contemplative research grows and companies, consumers, insurers, and healthcare systems are integrating mindfulness and other meditation-related products and services at an expanding rate. Hear from leaders how the industry is emerging and how to build bridges between contemplative science, entrepreneurs, large companies, investors, and healthcare systems …

Engaged Contemplative Practice in Islamic Sufism: Vocal Emphasis

This workshop will involve two methods of engaged contemplation in Islamic Sufism, consisting of silent and vocal forms of “remembrance” (dhikr). The ultimate purpose of these methods is to retrain the individual’s consciousness to respond — at each moment in one’s daily life — toward one’s consciousness and whatever appears in it, responding with an …

Tibetan Sound Meditation

The Tibetan Sound Meditation is based on ancient texts and teachings from the Tibetan Bon Buddhist tradition as taught by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche (Tibetan Sounds Healing, SoundsTrue, 2006). Parts of this practice have been used at MD Anderson dating back to 1999. In 2008, a small randomized clinical trial using the Tibetan Sound Meditation program …