Hosh dar dam, “be aware of your breath,” is the first principle in Sufi meditation. In this session we will enter into a state of subtle self-awareness by attending to the influx and outflow of the breath. Hitherto experienced as a more or less homogenous monolith, the body now reveals itself as a dynamic vortex …
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Mind and currents of sensation in the body are intimately linked. These morning classes will be an exploration of the interweaving threads of form, breathing, and gazing upon which yoga postures are strung together to produce a smooth, rhythmic flow of movement. Learning to release the palate and to follow the patterns of the breath …
Digital didactics, such as MOOCS and browser-based online programs have opened up realms of content to thousands who for reasons of geography, expense or convenience would otherwise not have had access to these materials. Allowing anyone around the world to take a course at Stanford or learn Geometry on Khan Academy has helped address educational …
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This moderated panel discussion will examine movement-based contemplative practices and the role of the body in contemplative studies. Panelists will reflect on their personal experiences of teaching, practicing, and researching embodied contemplative methods, as well as the current questions that drive their own work. Topics covered will include the body’s impact on the research process …
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Is there a way to acknowledge and transform social injustices as we take care of their impact? Inside our mind and body? Marisela Gomez will explore how to engage in social justice work that turns toward its impact on our mind and body. She will share a brief history of serial forced displacement of Afro-descendent …
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This half-day retreat is meant to integrate the objects of our research—contemplation, mindfulness, and cultivation of the mind and heart—with our conference experience. It will include guided meditations for those new to meditation practice as well as for more seasoned practitioners, and periods of sitting and walking meditation. The contemplative retreat will provide an opportunity …
With a focus on the latest in contemplative research from some of the field’s most noted scholars—a goal that’s informed the gathering since its 2012 inception—this year’s International Symposium for Contemplative Research (ISCR) is also moving beyond its roots and broadening its voice. That means lively discussions of contemplative practice in the digital age. Dialogue …
Nourished. Connected. Validated. Protected. Challenged. Humbled. Grateful. These were just a few of the words used by participants at Mind & Life’s 2018 Summer Research Institute (SRI) to describe their experience. In keeping with the event’s theme, “Engaging Cultural Difference and Human Diversity,” Mind & Life’s 15th annual SRI was the most diverse ever, bringing …
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Part 5 in a weeklong series of blog posts written by undergraduate students from the 2017 spring-semester class, “Mindfulness & Compassion: Living Fully Personally and Professionally” at the University of Virginia. Because writing is listening, I am a listener first. And long a lover of words — the way they dance off the tongue and …
Part 2 in a weeklong series of blog posts written by undergraduate students from the 2017 spring-semester class, “Mindfulness & Compassion: Living Fully Personally and Professionally” at the University of Virginia. Introduction As a second year student at the University of Virginia, I started to notice myself living in a state of frenzy. I was …
Continue reading “An Exploration of Nature, Mindfulness and Well-Being”
