A&S Faculty Field Trip:
Mindfulness Mini-Retreat

“Oh, I’ve had my moments, and if I had to do it over again I’d have more of them. In fact, I’d try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day.”   - Nadine Stair, as quoted in Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Research has shown that mindfulness meditation has a significant impact on healthcare, business, education, and other professions, as a way of helping people navigating the stresses of everyday life. The practices originally developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979 as party of the Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, are finding their way into many facets of everyday life with the aim of fostering health and well-being.

In this mini-retreat, we will explore the foundations of mindfulness as they are taught and  practiced in the MBSR program. Quiet sitting meditation, gentle yoga-inspired movement, mindful eating, body scan, and related practices will give participants an opportunity to experience a day devoted to slowing down and bringing attention into the present moment. Give yourself the gift of a few hours to be in a relaxed and quiet setting where you can at least temporarily set aside the stresses of daily life and settle into the mind and body.

Paul Salmon, Ph.D.
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences

Professor Salmon is a faculty member in Clinical Psychology with extensive experience in mindfulness-related practice, teaching, and research. He is also certified as a Health Fitness Specialist (American College of Sports Medicine) and Yoga Instructor (Yoga Alliance RYT/200).  Calming and approachable, Paul encourages practitioners to explore life with curiosity throughout the Mindfulness Retreat.