Two Stanford faculty will describe a new program at Stanford that seeks to integrate contemplative studies into the undergraduate curriculum and attract faculty and students, whether or not they are initially interested in meditation or mindfulness. The program, called LifeWorks, offers its own courses, which blend traditional cognitive learning with mindfulness practices and workshops for …
Continue reading “Concurrent Session 5 – LifeWorks at Stanford”
Mindfulness training for youth is growing tremendously across the nation; however, few studies rigorously assess its effects. Studies that employ mindfulness training have shown promise in increasing emotional and cognitive regulation among youth, including those who are highly vulnerable. Rigorous controlled trials are vital for increasing our understanding of the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions for …
Neuroscience research on contemplation usually considers only internally induced (self-directed) methods for attaining mindfulness (e.g., meditation, prayer). We explored other “external methods” for cultivating mindfulness, focusing on architecture that we design and inhabit. Our study evaluated if buildings designed for contemplation would elicit brain activation patterns similar to those found under contemplation. We used a …
Contemplative Practice Starts with The Body: Understanding Somatic Awareness, Brain Dynamics, and Healing Presence in Mindfulness and Other Disciplines
An ever-growing number of studies provide evidence for the benefits of mindfulness-based interventions within a variety of clinical and nonclinical contexts. For the field to develop and solidify, it will be essential to go beyond demonstrating clinical effectiveness and to develop an evidence-based understanding of the psychological, physiological, and neural processes that underpin the reported …
Mindfulness within Tibetan Buddhism is equated with the notion of “remembrance,” and distraction as its opposite is equated with “forgetfulness.” Psychologically, it can be said that suffering arises because the tendency to “remember the things we should forget and forget the things we should remember” has become habituated. Within psychotherapy, mindfulness can be utilized from …
Mindfulness practices have become mainstream in many leading organizations, such as Google, Aetna, and the U.S. military. In stark contrast with the substantial knowledge guiding mindfulness practices in contemplative and clinical contexts, very little is known about mindfulness’s workplace integration and impacts. To catalyze similarly rigorous scholarship and standardized practices, this discussion will consider why …
Continue reading “Concurrent Session 4 – The Growing Art and Science of Contemplative Management”
Without meaning or purpose, students view higher education and the working world beyond as irrelevant and as overwhelming stressors. Our institutions address academic malaise by creating environments in which engagement can occur. This experiential paper proposes that beyond fostering stimulating environments, educators must teach students how to engage. Through tapping into neuroplasticity, mindfulness, and yoga, …
Continue reading “Concurrent Session 4 – Yoga and Mindfulness: Engaging the Undergraduate Learner”
This paper explores the Won-Buddhist approach to mindfulness that encompasses several layers of consciousness: the subconscious, the mind, and six sense faculties (preconsciousness). These layers function simultaneously but play distinctive roles depending on the external environment. The proper function of the six sense faculties leads to the weakening of negativity stored in the subconsciousness. This …
This panel presentation will bring the audience up to date on Cultivating Emotional Balance (CEB), a secular emotion regulation and meditation training designed by Drs. Paul Ekman and Alan Wallace at the request of His Holiness the Dalai Lama following the 2000 Mind and Life meeting on destructive emotions. CEB is a 42-hour training in …
