In the face of mounting climate crises, a growing number of contemplative researchers are exploring the connection between mindfulness practices and our relationship with the natural world. While writers, mystics, and sages have long described moments of profound connection with nature, less is known about how to cultivate such experiences and their impact, not only …
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4 Ways Mindfulness in Nature Can Help Us Heal Ourselves and the Earth
Increasingly, Mind & Life presenters, grantees, and partners are exploring the healing benefits of mindfulness in nature. Below are highlights from this growing area of inquiry. Practicing mindfulness in nature isn’t just about getting outside and experiencing the natural world; it’s about cultivating awareness of our interconnection by immersing ourselves and being fully present to …
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Mansi Kotak—Seeding the Future Through Contemplative Gardening
Investigating Nature-based Contemplative Education
As in many countries, more children in India—up to 11 percent—are growing up with attention deficit disorder, often combined with hyperactivity. This can lead to behavioral difficulties and academic challenges. While enhanced diagnosis and awareness of mental health issues partially explain these trends, researchers also point to the isolation students experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic …
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Lessons from the Milpa: Exploring Indigenous Contemplative Practices for a More Sustainable and Connected Future
For millennia, Indigenous cultures in Mesoamerica have relied on an agricultural system known as the milpa. Milpa involves the growing of corn, beans, and squash, often with other crops and trees. Together, they enter into a harmonious, symbiotic relationship. Strong corn stems support climbing beans. Bean plants transform nitrogen from the atmosphere into soil nutrients. …
Sharing the Power of Nature-Based Contemplative Practices for Inner Peace and Collective Well-Being
In the northwestern United States, two interconnected upland wet meadows are surrounded by densely packed Douglas Firs, Western Red Cedars, Western Hemlocks, and other common evergreen flora of the southern Cascade mountain range. A group of youth take off from a nearby parking lot and are led through a restored grassland, the surrounding woods, and …
Bridging Contemplative Practice and Climate Action: One Community’s Experience
If climate change, as many now assert, is a crisis of epic disconnection, then how do we go about rekindling our relationship with one another and the natural world? And what role can contemplative practice play in relieving climate grief, inspiring climate action, and reminding us of the interdependence of all life? A group of …
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A Future We Can Love Livestream
Friday, June 9 1:00 pm Honolulu | 4:00 pm Los Angeles | 7:00 pm New York Join us for the launch of the new book, A Future We Can Love: How We Can Reverse the Climate Crisis with the Power of Our Hearts & Minds, by Susan Bauer-Wu, President of the Mind & Life …
Combining Mindfulness Training with Climate Education: One Researcher’s Journey
In recent years, California has become ground zero for climate-related natural disasters in the U.S. from out-of-control wildfires and violent flooding to devastating drought. To equip students with the knowledge to better understand—and take action—in the face of climate change, the University of California (UC) launched a multidisciplinary curriculum, Bending the Curve, in 2017. The …
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Turning Over a New Leaf: 2023 President’s Letter
The beginning of a new year evokes a fresh start. The phrase “turning over a new leaf” dates back to the 16th century when the pages of books were called leaves. To turn over a new leaf was to turn to a new page. Collectively, I’d like to think of all of us as turning …
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