CoursesMindfulness and Human Development
EDUC 2551

Mindfulness and Human Development

This course will introduce the student to the many ways in which mindfulness is currently being implemented to support the health and success of students of all ages.  Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), in particular, which utilizes secularized practices from Asian and South Asian traditions for the remediation of various health concerns, has revolutionized behavioral medicine, and the scientific evaluation of MBSR has shed new light on the bio-mechanical pathways linking mind and body.

Thursdays, 3:30 PM – 6:29 PM

This course will:

  1. explore fundamental principles underlying mindfulness,
  2. the scientific data on its effects, and
  3. the ways in which mindfulness is being applied to educational settings.

 

Through readings and class discussions, it is intended that students will acquire a deep appreciation for how the contemporary exploration of mindfulness is changing the way we understand the human mind, the interface between mind and body, and the tools at our disposal to promote well-being as well as to address dysfunction. Attendance is mandatory and keeping up with readings is important.  Although I will present you with a lot of information for which you are responsible, I encourage you to find answers to your own questions. The experience of the search for answers transmutes into new knowledge. My goal is to guide you in a journey of discovery and to help you think for yourselves. Some of this experience will transpire in class discussions, so be sure to be here and be prepared.  We will have the opportunity to practice mindfulness and learn mindfulness-based skills that you can practice on your own.

Working Syllabus

 

Other Courses of Interest

PSYC 3446-001

The Science of Well-Being

Instructor(s)

  • Martin Seligman

Semester

Spring 2024

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:00 pm-1:29 pm

The course consists of weekly 90-minute lectures on Positive Psychology: The topics include Well-Being as a Life Goal, Good Character, Learned Helplessness, Optimism, Coaching, Therapy and Prevention, Positive Education, the Positive Corporation, Agency, and Artificial Intelligence. In addition, there will be weekly recitation sessions and exercises for students to measure and to increase their personal well-being.

Class Format: TUESDAYS: 90-minute lectures on Positive Psychology. THURSDAYS: Students meet in small groups (“recitation sessions”) to complete exercises that measure and increase their personal well-being.

Instructors: Martin Seligman, Frank Jackson

Learn More
ANTH 3666-401

Crafting an Ethnography of Vulnerability

Instructor(s)

  • Ernesto Pujol
  • Deborah Thomas

Semester

Spring 2024

Wednesdays, 1:45 pm-4:44 pm

Crafting an Ethnography of Vulnerability What if we could practice a radical ethnography of vulnerability because we believe that truly democratized, ethical engagement requires the unconditional vulnerability of the ethnographer: the relinquishing of all academic, professional, and project power bullying through a humble transparency and personal permeability that immediately triggers trust by de-enshrining the intellectual, by bravely including the emotional and spiritual life of the empathic ethnographer.

Learn More