For the second year in a row, Dartmouth is hosting a week-long program exploring mindfulness with senior monastic teachers in the Plum Village tradition: scholar, poet, peace activist, and Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. providing.
Embodying Mindfulness: A Week of Monastic Wisdom, to be held at Dartmouth from April 22-28, will include classroom visits led by teachers from Deer Park Abbey in California and Magnolia Grove Abbey in Mississippi. , will include meditation practices, lectures, retreats, and share strategies. To apply mindfulness to everyday life challenges.
“We are very fortunate to have 11 monks sharing their wisdom and mindfulness practices with the Dartmouth community,” said Dr. K., associate professor of epidemiology, medicine, and pediatrics, and one of the organizers of the visit. said Diane Gilbert Diamond ’98. “Over the past year, many local residents have expressed how meaningful it has been for them to witness the deep peace and well-being that the monastery represents.”
This residency is a collaboration between the Student Wellness Center, the William Jewett Tucker Center, the Geisel School of Medicine, and a group of staff, faculty, alumni, and students who work to collectively promote mindfulness-based practices and principles. Brought to you by members of the Mindful Dartmouth Initiative. The Dartmouth community has grown.
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Meditation is not something to do alone as many believe, but it can actually help us reaffirm our deep connection to each other.
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Brother Phap Luu ’97, Deer Park Abbey
Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist Zen master, is internationally known for his best-selling books on mindfulness and peace and for popularizing a passionate Buddhist movement that employs Buddhist teachings to bring about social change. I was there.
Beginners and experts alike are invited to take part in activities that cover themes such as mindful eating, hope for climate change, peace and reconciliation, and include qigong, walking and sitting meditation, deep relaxation sessions, This includes community meals. Registration is required for meals and retreats.
“We know from research that these practices help members of our community reduce stress and anxiety, increase mental focus, build self-compassion, increase compassion for others, and improve communication. We know this is one way we can improve, develop interpersonal skills, and benefit other individuals and our community.” said Caitlin Barthelmes, Director of the Student Wellness Center. says.
Last year, 10 monks and nuns, including Brother Phap Lu (’97), a predecessor of Douglas Bachman, who is returning again this year, spent a week on campus leading discussions, practicing meditation, and sharing food. shared with participants. More than 1,000 people from the greater Dartmouth and Upper Valley communities attended.
The Rev. Nancy Vogel ’85, Chaplain and Tucker Center Director, said the 2023 training was “incredibly transformative” for students, staff, and faculty, adding that the convent not only learned about mindfulness and well-being. , because it helped them learn what to actually experience. I felt so mindful and happy.
“Their deep happiness helped us derive our own happiness,” Vogel says. “It was so beautiful to see events like this happen this past week. I know this year’s visit will build on last year and make Dartmouth a more caring place.”
Phap Lu said she and her convent brothers and sisters are looking forward to returning to Dartmouth. Dartmouth feels like a natural place to practice mindfulness because of its beauty, walkability, and “humanity.”
As he watched students, staff, and professors pour into Rollins Chapel for morning meditation, “it was like the whole campus was somehow designed for that,” he says.
And they look forward to new opportunities to participate in university life and make some positive contribution.
“Meditation is not something to do alone, as many people believe. It is actually something that helps us reaffirm our deep connection to each other,” says Phap Lu. “By such a radical act of sitting and following our breath, we affirm our common humanity and build community.”
Barthelmess said the residency will be part of Dartmouth’s strategic plan for student mental health, which includes integrating opportunities to build self-awareness throughout the Dartmouth experience and centering wellness in and out of the classroom. It points out that this reflects the priorities set in the
And, she said, “Our honored guest’s visit will highlight the powerful and ongoing practice opportunities available to students, staff, and faculty to build self-awareness skills here at Dartmouth.” says.
The upcoming training will set the stage for “Mindful May,” part of Mental Health Action Month, which will bring Dartmouth to the practice of mindfulness, presented by MDI members and hosted by the Student Wellness Center and Wellness at Dartmouth. Invite students, staff, and faculty.
Other co-sponsors include Biology 3: Mindful Physiology. Office of the President; Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dartmouth Design Initiative. Thayer School of Engineering; Tuck Compass; Guarini Graduate School of Advanced Studies; Dartmouth Office of Sustainability; Irving Institute; Hopkins Center for the Arts. Dartmouth Learning Advancement Center. house community. and Wellness at Dartmouth.
