Location

Zoom for online access (register for Zoom link)

Dr. Melissa Rosenkranz

Melissa holds the Distinguished Chair in Contemplative Neuroscience, an endowed position at the Center for Healthy Minds, and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. Her research is focused on understanding the underlying biology of mind-brain-body interactions through which stress, emotion, and the immune system interact. She uses a wide range of brain imaging and biomolecular tools in her work. Contemplative interventions are an important aspect of this work, where the neural processing of stress and emotion are examined as modifiable targets for treatment of chronic inflammation. In more recent work, Melissa has begun to address questions related to the impact of inflammation in the body on brain health and long-term cognitive function. She will share insights on the cycle of wellness, including the impact of the mind on the body and vice versa, along with mindfulness practices that can improve our body’s ability to fight disease. She will also explore the physiological impacts of loneliness and lead us in practices aimed at promoting connection to counter these effects.

Dr. Paris Wicker

Paris is a contemplative social scientist and an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo. Her interdisciplinary research explores the conditions and consequences of success and well-being in higher education, especially for Black and Indigenous students, faculty, and staff. Paris’s combination of counseling training, coupled with student affairs leadership has led to scholarship at the intersections of well-being, mindfulness, health equity, campus climate, anti-racist and race-conscious policy and practice, and organizational change towards equity and justice. While the problems within education are not new, her research offers innovative methodological and practical implications, and she leads with a renewed moral imperative to broaden the purpose and outcome of higher education to include well-being as not only a means to other notions of success, such as degree attainment, but also a worthy end goal in and of itself. She will share insights on the (r)evolution of relationships in higher education and the value of centering quality relationships and networks with people, space, and land in the pursuit of whole person wellness.

Schedule Overview

• 8:00 – 8:45 a.m. Optional yoga (yoga mats available)
• 8:45 – 9:00 a.m. Coffee and refreshments
• 9:00 – 9:15 a.m. Opening remarks 
• 9:15 – 10:20 a.m. Opening session with keynote presenters
• 10:30 – 11:00 a.m. Breakout Session 1 with several breakout options available
• 11:05 – 11:35 a.m. Breakout Session 2 with several breakout options available
• 11:40 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. Breakout Session 3 with several breakout options available
• 12:10 – 1:30 p.m. Lunch and Closing session

Cost

FREE for WSU students*
$35* for in-person faculty, staff, and community members
$10 for online faculty, staff, and community members
* In-person attendees will be provided with refreshments and catered lunch

Sponsors

Sponsored by:
Center for Transformational Learning & Leadership

In partnership with:
WSU Wellbeing Online, WSU Global Campus, Honors College, Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Department of Sociology, College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences

Organizers

2025 Mindfulness Symposium Committee:

• Shane McFarland, Wellbeing Online Coordinator
• Trymaine Gaither, Special Assistant to the Provost for Inclusive Excellence
• Joe Hewa, Director of the Center for Transformational Learning & Leadership
• Robin Bond, Assistant Dean of the Honors College
• Kristin Cutler, Assistant Professor of Sociology
• Blythe Duell, Associate Professor of Psychology
• Marcia Gossard, Communications and Marketing Director for the College of Veterinary Medicine
• Nitivia Jones, Academic Coordinator/Advisor, Department of Psychology
• Amanda McMahon, Assistant Professor of Kinesiology
• Skye McKennon, Associate Professor and Thread Director for Pharmacology and Interprofessional Education at the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine

2024 Mindfulness Symposium
March 30, 9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Location

Spark G45 for in-person event in Pullman

Zoom for online access (register for Zoom link)

Keynote Presenter

This transformative event will feature keynote presenter Kelly Boys. Through a series of presentations and guided practices, Kelly will share insights from her vast experience training UN humanitarian workers, inmates in prison, and engineers at tech companies like Google in mindfulness. She specializes in NSDR or “non sleep deep rest”, which is an evidence-based contemplative practice for increasing neuroplasticity and creativity, and for downregulating your nervous system and getting better sleep. You’ll come away with tools to work with anxiety and tools to increase sustainability in school performance and in life. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from a mindfulness expert who has worked with leading organizations worldwide. For more details, visit Kelly Boys’ mindfulness website.

Schedule Overview

• 8:00 – 8:45 a.m. Optional yoga (yoga mats available)
• 8:45 – 9:00 a.m. Coffee and refreshments
• 9:00 – 9:15 a.m. Opening remarks with Provost, Executive Vice President, and Pullman Chancellor, Dr. Elizabeth Chilton
• 9:15 – 10:30 a.m. Opening session on mindfulness and rest with Kelly Boys
• 10:45 – 11:15 a.m. Breakout Session 1
  • Robin Bond: mountain meditation for feeling grounded
  • Shane McFarland: a scoping review of brief mindfulness interventions and their effectiveness on addressing stress
  • Cole Mercer: Dream Weavers: weaving mindfulness into your nightly routine
• 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Breakout Session 2
  • Kristin Cutler: state shifting and the difference between being mindful vs. mind full, along with an introduction to two brief mindfulness practices
  • Nitivia Jones: walking meditation
  • Greg Larson: the physiology of adaptability and ease – tuning in to heart-rate variability (HRV)
• 12:00 – 12:30 p.m. Lunch with mindful eating (catered in Pullman)
• 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Closing session on Non Sleep Deep Rest and nervous system downregulation with Kelly Boys

Cost

FREE for WSU students
$25 for in-person faculty, staff, and community members (includes refreshments and catered lunch)
$10 for online faculty, staff, and community members

What to bring/expect

• Wear comfortable clothing
• Bring a pen/pencil and something to write on
• Yoga mats provided, feel free to bring your own for restful mindfulness practices and/or optional yoga session to start the day

Sponsors

Sponsored by:
Center for Transformational Learning & Leadership

In partnership with:
WSU Wellbeing Online, WSU Global Campus, and the Honors College

Organizers

2024 Mindfulness Symposium Committee:

• Shane McFarland, Wellbeing Online Coordinator
• Trymaine Gaither, Special Assistant to the Provost for Inclusive Excellence
• Joe Hewa, Director of the Center for Transformational Learning & Leadership
• Robin Bond, Assistant Dean of the Honors College
• Kristin Cutler, Assistant Professor of Sociology
• Blythe Duell, Associate Professor of Psychology
• Marcia Gossard, Communications and Marketing Director for the College of Veterinary Medicine
• Nitivia Jones, Designated School Official, International Student and Scholar Services

4th Annual Mindfulness Symposium: Staying Present in Challenging Times

September 28, 2019 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

4th Annual Mindfulness Symposium
Staying Present in Challenging Times

Saturday, September 28, 2019 10:00 a.m. – Noon Elmina White Honors Hall Lounge

Cost for the event is $5.00 per person.

Featuring:

“Mindful Movement” with Qigong Teacher Liz Lee, “Finding Meaning In Adversity” with Trymaine Gaither (Honors College) and “Everyday Self-compassion” with Jeremy Rutherford (Cougar Health Services).

During our time together you will be introduced to practices including guided reflections, meditation and qigong.

Optional* Morning Yoga Session

8:45 – 9:45 a.m. Elmina White Honors Hall

Yoga mats provided. Bring additional props as appropriate.

Optional* Brown-bag Lunch and Silent Retreat

12:15 – 3:30 p.m.
Elmina White Honors Hall

Both optional sessions have limited capacity. After registering for the Mindfulness Symposium, you will have an option to register for one or both of the free optional events.

2017 Mindfulness Symposium Description…

CTLL Mindfulness Symposium

September 24, 2016 @ 8:00 am – 12:00 pm

 Free

Please join us for a half-day exploration of campus and regional based mindfulness resources.  You will be introduced to practices, theories and local experts all embracing the essential practices of mindfulness and compassion.

Featuring: Dave Potter, Samantha Gizerian, Lydia Gerber, and Cill Richards

*** Free for Students with an ID

Learning Objectives

Material and skills will be taught through both direct teaching and through the use of clinical examples. By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Understand the value and importance of mindfulness awareness practices.
2. Experience mindfulness practices that can inform daily living.
3. Be inspired and informed by WSU mindfulness-related research and opportunities.
4. Access networking opportunities for like minded individuals living on the Palouse.

Tentative Schedule:

• 8-8:45 – Optional Yoga with Kristine Zakarison
• 9-9:45 – Chronic Stress: Bad for the Brain, Bad for the Body with Samantha Gizerian
• 9:45-10:00 – Hands-on Practice with Lydia Gerber
• 10-10:30 –  Panel of WSU initiatives
• 10:30-10:40 – Break
• 10:40-11:00 – Guided Meditation with Cill Richards
• 11-11:45 – Mindfulness: It’s Not What You Think with Dave Potter
• 11:45-noon – Mindfulness of the Palouse with Cill Richards