NON-JUDGEMENTAL ATTENTION WITH INTENTION: MINDFULNESS IN THE CURRICULUM AT HOME AND ABROAD

Extensive research has been conducted on the effects of mindfulness on the human brain and psyche, demonstrating that stress, rumination, and anxiety can decrease, as creativity and attentiveness increase in subjects who practice mindfulness regularly (Kabat-Zinn 1982, 2009; Hölzel et al., 2011). Mindfulness has been shown to have multiple benefits across fields such as medicine, psychology, and business. According to proponents, living mindfully, with an unobstructed availability to experience, allows us to exercise greater awareness and emotional self-regulation, can foster transformative learning (Barner & Barner 2011), and can increase well-being (Singleton et al., 2014). These outcomes have supported the exploration of mindfulness in the field of education where it has been shown to increase focus and concentration, promote creative thinking and mental flexibility, and decrease distractedness (Berkovich-Ohana et al., 2017; Zeidan et al., 2010). Moreover, mindfulness shifts the focus from a self-referential narrative to one that is more open to and accepting of others. Its practice can improve social cooperation, through more altruistic and compassionate decisions and behavior (Donald et al., 2019; Iwamoto et al., 2020; Condon et al., 2013). In this hands-on presentation, using the vehicle of study abroad, we suggest ways in which mindfulness can be successfully incorporated into education at multiple levels. The presentation will include a brief theoretical framework to illustrate the principles of mindfulness and contemplative pedagogy (Barbezat & Bush 2014; Palmer & Zajonc 2010; Owen-Smith 2018), followed by specific praxis, such as statio , visualization, or loving kindness meditation. Attendees will be guided in simple techniques that they can use in their respective classrooms or institutions. A time for individual and collective reflection will follow each practical activity.