2018 Conference

Individual Paper Presentation

In spring 2018 we taught an elective course on contemplative practice and resilience to explore how contemplative practice can help sustainability learners and leaders develop individual resilience, in ways that support the development of resilient communities, who can then work collaboratively toward resilient socio-ecological systems. Each class includes short group practices - yoga asana, breathwork, reflective journaling, and meditation – with longer weekly explorations of other contemplative practices – nature study, tea ceremony, music, forest bathing, and art, among others – as well as creative and contemplative readings and open dialogue. Our community of sustainability learners are eager, committed, and engaged. Showing up to do this hard work every day in an academic culture that values speed and linearity over process and reflection can introduce the very real risk of burning out. This course is designed to introduce students to skills to prevent, rather than promote, this burnout, while also creating a community of practitioners who can share these commitments to whole person wellbeing. Contemplative practices can help students find balance in their commitments, as they strengthen their inner reserves and develop skills to not only cope, but to flourish in the academic and activist environments. As well, working with breath and body can re-ignite a connection one’s whole self in a way that can inform environmental learning and practice, while also healing and sustaining one to do good work on behalf of communities and the natural world. This presentation will: 1) describe our pedagogy, 2) describe our course structure and framework, 3) present results from pre-post psychological well-being and socially responsible leadership metrics we used in the course, and 4) share qualitative observations from student reflective journals and the instructor-practitioner experience.