Brown University

1) Extending Wakefulness into Daily Life: A Benefit Weekend - WB

December 4 - 6, 2009

Everyday experiences are opportunities for wakefulness. This non-traditional weekend will engage contemporary and classical methods and perspectives that can deepen the integration of meditation practice into daily life. Several dimensions of awakening will be explored, from transforming emotional habits and raising ecological awareness to drawing inspiration from the meditative arts and from findings in contemplative neuroscience.

2) Metta (Lovingkindness) Retreat for Scientists & Educators - MSE

January 8-15, 2010

This meditation retreat is an opportunity to advance the study of the human mind, in the company of researchers, educators, therapists and others involved in the broad areas of the mind and social sciences.

Recent studies have demonstrated the positive influence that love and compassion can have on our lives and in our society. These qualities form a foundation for empathy and emotional intelligence to arise, allowing humanity – in all its diversity – to live and work together in greater harmony.

Participants will receive an in-depth training in metta (lovingkindness) meditation. Metta is the term for friendship or lovingkindness in Pali, an ancient Indian language. Conforming to the spirit of empirical science, it is simply a means of training our minds to become more keenly concentrated and aware while cultivating our innate capacity for an open and loving heart. Traditionally, it is taught along with other meditations that enrich compassion, joy and equanimity. Although drawn from the Buddhist meditative tradition, these practices do not in any way require an adherence to Buddhism or a rejection of personal faith.

3) Mindfulness: Foundation for Teaching and Learning

March 19-21, 2010

Daniel Siegel, Keynote Address
From Me to We: A New Look at Resilience and Well-Being

Friday, March 19, 2010, 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm; Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Kresge Auditorium

Cost: $35 (includes Dr. Siegel’s new book Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation, Bantam, 2009)

Dr. Siegel, clinical psychiatrist, researcher, writer, and award-winning educator, will speak about the reflective skills of mindsight and the role their cultivation plays in activating brain circuits that underlie resilience, well-being, empathy, and compassion. Sponsors: Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values, Lesley University

Conference for Educators, Counselors, and Administrators

Saturday, March 20, 2010, 9:00 am – 4:30 pm; Lesley University – University Hall

Cost: $80 (includes breakfast and lunch) Certificates of participation provided for teachers
Research shows that mindfulness practice enhances concentration, attention, emotional balance, physical well-being, and openness to learning. Educational institutions including early childhood centers, public and private schools, and universities have embraced mindfulness as a valuable educational practice. Join educational colleagues from across disciplines to explore the role of mindfulness in learning.

Plenary Panel
Sara Lazar, PhD, Instructor in Psychology, Harvard Medical School Amy Saltzman, MD, Founder and Director, Association for Mindfulness in Education Paul Wapner, PhD, Assoc Professor, School of International Service, American University
Interest Group Sessions

Early childhood education; Teaching young children in elementary school; Teaching children in middle school; Teaching young adults in high school; Teaching university students; Teaching teachers; Research on mindfulness; Developing a personal practice; Integrating personal practice and work; Parenting

Sponsors: Lesley University, Mindfulness in Education Network, Center for Contemplative Mind in Society, Friends Council on Education, Association for Mindfulness in Education, Courage & Renewal Northeast

A Day of Courage and Renewal
Sunday, March 21, 2010, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm; Lesley University – University Hall
Cost: $60 (includes lunch) Certificates of participation provided for teachers
In this full-day retreat, emerging from principles described in Parker Palmer's book The Courage to Teach, participants will engage in a wide range of contemplative practices to explore the inner landscape of the teaching life. Facilitators will support experiences engaging heart and mind in reflection and insight.

Workshop Facilitators
Sharlene Voogd Cochrane, PhD, Professor and Dean of Faculty, Lesley University Irene McHenry, PhD, Executive Director, Friends Council on Education Pamela Seigle, MS, Executive Director, Courage & Renewal Northeast
Sponsors: Lesley University, Courage & Renewal Northeast, Friends Council on Education

In an effort to better the web experience for those involved with Contemplative Studies, I have redesigned the website with a different aesthetic, layout, and organization. I hope everything is at least functionally equal to the old site. I tried to improve some features and added a few others, along with a new look.

The videos, suggested readings, scholarly works, and fellowships have been consolidated under 'resources.' The 'events' have been updated with a calendar view. Also, I am working on putting together some profiles on concentrators in the 'people' section. The former 'About Us' has been labeled 'mission.' All else remains the same, I think.

Please have some patience with anything I may have overlooked. Please contact me with any feedback, especially with problems at:

If you want use the old site, it's still available here. (I left it intact, if anything disastrous happens.)

If you want a trip down memory lane, I dug up the older site here.

Professor Harold Roth, director of the Contemplative Studies Initiative, gave a lecture on "Against Cognitive Imperialism" at the Pacific School of Religion. He was interviewed on Pacifica Radio regarding the lecture and the Contemplative Studies Initiative. Go to the scholarly works page to listen to this interview.

Further, Professor Roth has turned this lecture into a paper published by the Journal of the Institute for World Religons. The paper and a response written by B. Alan Wallace are available for download and reading on the scholarly works page.