For our last class of the semester (before we begin our Sunday Morning episodes), I thought it would be a good time for us to reflect on a topic we addressed during our very first meeting...stress. Many of you have suggested that you are dealing with a lot of stress right now. While I hope that our Complaint Choir exercise will help release some of these frustrations, I'd also like us to think about an approach to dealing with stress that is becoming more popular...Mindfulness Meditation. What is the science behind this approach? What are its applications? Is Mindfulness for everyone? Can we really reduce stress simply by being here, now?
For Thursday's class, please listen to the All In The Mind broadcast examining Mindfulness by going to Dr Mindfulness: science and the meditation boom. Natasha Mitchell, the host of the show, does a great job interviewing several researchers studying Mindfulness. They discuss empirical investigations of Mindfulness as well as applications of this technique to deal with a variety of psychological issues. Of particular interest, they discuss Mindfulness from the perspective of clinical, cognitive, and neuropsychology.
On Thursday, we'll discuss our reactions to this broadcast in class. We will also consider the works of Jon Kabat-Zinn who has been primary in bringing Mindfulness meditation to the mainstream. In particular, we'll think about how we might be able to apply some of these ideas, practically, to our daily lives.