The Mindfulness ProjectWellbeing

The Mindfulness Project is dedicated to exploring, researching, applying, and promoting mindfulness and contemplative practices in education and life for all members of the Gustavus campus community.

Mindfulness Overview

“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally.” (Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, founding Director of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.)

When we focus our minds on the present moment, we are aware of our thoughts, feelings, and actions, without attaching judgment to them. Mindfulness can help us to embrace reality and the present moment, instead of jumping to the past or to the future. There are many different ways to practice mindfulness, including meditation, and it is associated with many benefits.

For an in-depth discussion of the definition of mindfulness, you can go to the Mindfulness Research Guide.

What are the benefits of mindfulness?

Mindfulness is often used as one aspect of treatment for a range of issues, such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, binge eating disorder, chronic pain and cancer. Several studies with college students suggest that the practice of mindfulness leads to decreases in stress and anxiety, improvements in concentration and attention, and increases in self-awareness and overall emotional wellbeing. Practicing mindfulness meditation for brief periods, even 5 or 10 minutes a day, can improve your health.

What are easy ways to explore mindfulness?

There are many ways to practice mindfulness, including meditation, yoga, and tai chi. Mindfulness can also be part of your daily routine:

Walking: Be aware of the sensations of walking, like the quality of the pavement under your feet and how your body feels. Notice when your mind wanders and, without judgment, come back to awareness of walking.
Taking a shower: Notice how the water feels on your body and the movements of your body as you shower. This is a good time to focus on your breath as well.
Brushing your teeth: Pay attention to all of the sensations, tastes and movements involved. Since we begin and end the day with this task, it can also be an opportunity to give yourself compassion or loving kindness. Click here for a three-minute loving kindness mediation.

Are there any reasons not to meditate? Are there any signs I should stop meditating?

Keep in mind that meditation is never a substitute for psychological or medical care. If you feel upset, overwhelmed, or agitated while meditating, it’s important to stop. Gustavus students can get confidential counseling at the Counseling Center.

Is mindfulness or mindfulness meditation a religious practice?

Although the concept of mindfulness emerged from Eastern philosophies (including Buddhism and Taoism) thousands of years ago, research has found that mindfulness can be considered a quality of human consciousness that can be measured and studied empirically. Mindfulness meditation practices have been formalized in programs such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP), as well as other programs. It can be considered a beneficial psychological or stress-reducing practice, regardless of religious beliefs.

If you are concerned that the practice of mindfulness might contradict your religious beliefs, please contact the Office of the Chaplains.

Building Personal and Community Practice

The Mindfulness Project embraces multiple perspectives and approaches to provide guidance, resources, and opportunities for members of the Gustavus community to deepen self-awareness, personal growth, and resilience. Through the application of mindfulness and contemplative practices, The Mindfulness Project empowers individuals to lead more fulfilling, meaningful, and healthy lives; it also aims to support a growing community for practice and reflection.

The potential benefits of mindfulness related to health and wellbeing has important implications for the field of education. Educators and administrators are introducing mindfulness techniques into professional development, classrooms, and other aspects of college life. The Mindfulness Project supports and participates in the research and application of mindfulness in educational settings to foster an environment that promotes health, happiness, and the transformation of campus culture.

Weekly Meditation and Yoga

The Mindfulness Project supports various meditation and yoga classes throughout the week during the academic year. Meditation sessions and student-led yoga classes are open to all Gustavus students. Registration for weekly sessions is not required. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) classes and staff-led yoga classes are available for all Gustavus employees. Registration for MBSR is required. The Mindfulness Project also hosts special workshops and programs for the entire Gustavus community.

Class schedule below begins at the start of the fall semester on September 2nd, 2014. For daily updates, please follow Gustavus Wellbeing on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Meditation

Students may participate in weekly guided meditation sessions every Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m. The group medication is enriched with teachings from a Sri Lankan monk, who guides participants through breathing meditation techniques to foster introspection and healthier thought patterns. These weekly meetings provide an opportunity for students to leave stressors and obligations behind for an hour to bring attention to the present moment, relax and rejuvenate the body, regulate emotions, act more compassionately, and develop tools to improve overall wellbeing. There are strong elements of Buddhism in the lectures, but all are welcome to join in cultivating mindfulness.

Daily morning meditations also take place during Daily Sabbath from 10 a.m. to 10:20 a.m.

Yoga and Other Movement-based Classes

The Health and Exercise Science Department offers yoga and other body-based practices several times during the week. These classes are taught by dynamic, experienced teachers who focus not just on physical fitness and health, but also on connecting to our center and finding peace through meditation-in-movement.

Interfaith Space

The Leadholm Interfaith Space is a comfortable, relaxed, and dedicated space for reflection, meditation, or silent prayer among students and faculty. The Interfaith Space is located on the lower level of the C. Charles Jackson Campus Center, adjacent to the Office of Residential Life and the Diversity Center.

Mindfulness Programs and Events

Special events, guest lectures, and workshops hosted by The Mindfulness Project will examine spirituality and how it relates to our everyday lives. Check back in Fall 2014 for more information about specific programs and events.

Mindfulness Resources and Media

Meditation Instructions

Here are some simple steps that you can use as a guide:

If you can, find a quiet space to use regularly. This can be very challenging in college! You can try the library; or if the noise in your residence hall isn’t too loud, you can practice meditation that focuses on becoming aware of the sounds around you. For example, you can pay attention to the number of sounds, the quality of them, and how they come and go.
Sit or stand in a comfortable posture, erect but relaxed.
Begin to focus on your breathing, the feeling of inhaling a sustaining breath of air, holding that air in your lungs for a few seconds, and then slowly exhaling. You may experience racing thoughts, fatigue, or restlessness—this is all normal. Keep bringing your attention back to the inhale and exhale of your breath.
Once you are somewhat settled in your breath, notice what is happening in the room and in your body—including sounds, sensations, thoughts, emotions. There’s nothing you have to do about them; just notice them and then bring your attention back to your breath and the present moment with gentleness.
Establish an intention for the meditation—for example, to be aware of body sensations, to give yourself compassion or loving kindness, or to notice that thoughts come and go.
Use guided meditations to help yourself remain focused. See the links below for meditations on the web and phone apps you can download.
Once you have practice with guided meditations, you can meditate on your own, noticing what works best for you.
It’s important to start slowly: try 5 to 10 minutes a day and gradually increase to a maximum of 45 minutes a day.
DON’T GIVE UP! There is no such thing as meditating “wrong.” The more you practice, the easier it gets to stay present.

Click here for a more in-depth discussion of how to meditate.

Thrive Audio Tools

In partnership with the Counseling Center, the Wellbeing Center offers several free audio tools to resolve real-time personal issues and achieve goals. These tools include a range of themes, such as reducing test anxiety and improving self-discipline.

The Wellbeing Center thanks Learning Strategies Corporation for the opportunity to provide these tools to all members of the campus community, free of charge.

Click here to access the tools.

Phone Apps

There are many phone apps available for mindfulness; here are two worth trying:

Three Great Guided Meditations
Simply Being

Mindfulness Awareness Research Center at UCLA

This site has several brief meditations you can download or listen to on the web.

Mindfulness Research Guide

This site is a comprehensive electronic resource and publication database that provides information to researchers, practitioners, and the general public on the scientific study of mindfulness. It also provides the Mindfulness Research Monthly Bulletin with the latest publications on mindfulness.

Campus Resources

The Counseling Center provides confidential appointments, referrals, and crisis counseling.
Health Service provides a range of confidential services to support mental health and general health.
The Office of the Chaplains offers programs and resources, including contemplative practices based in different faith traditions.
The Wellbeing Center offers experiential programs and resources to support the exploration of mindfulness.

The Mindfulness and Contemplative Practices Working Group

The Mindfulness and Contemplative Practices Working Group is composed of employees, students, and alumni dedicated to exploring how mindfulness and contemplative practices can contribute to the health, wellbeing, and resilience of individuals learning, teaching, and working in education.

Our 2014–2015 academic year focus areas include:

Exploration of research and application of mindfulness in education
Mindfulness for personal and professional development
Mindfulness and the arts
Mindfulness and athletics
Weekly group meditation sessions
Mindfulness meditation retreats

To join us, please contact: Cinde Wiebusch at x7607 or cwiebusc@gustavus.edu.