The University of Central Arkansas will host the inaugural Day of Mindfulness on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015. The theme for the event is “Stop. Breathe. Focus.”
Sponsored by the Office of Student Success, Learning Communities, University College and Counseling Services, the Day of Mindfulness will highlight the programs and activities that can integrate mindfulness practices into daily life, in order to control stress and improve academic performance.
The full schedule of events can be viewed at https://uca.edu/studentsuccess/dayofmindfulness.
The event will kick off at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, September 30 in the College of Business auditorium with an evening lecture on “Mindfulness in the West” by Dr. Jim Deitrick, associate professor in the UCA Department of Philosophy and Religion.
Events on Thursday, Oct. 1 demonstrate a variety of methods for developing mindfulness such as yoga on the lawn, tai chi, walking meditation, walking the campus labyrinth and other demonstrations and seminars. Events take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The idea for this event originated from positive feedback received by Amy Baldwin, director of University College, around an activity in her University Studies class. Every semester she takes her class through a guided relaxation exercise to give them a tool to increase their focus and reduce stress.
Baldwin said, “Many college students have trouble getting out of their head and it can make them their own worst enemy. A focus on mindfulness can counteract that noise in the head and give students the best chance of success.”
Dr. Julia Winden-Fey, director of the Office of Student Success, was excited to be a sponsor for this event, “The concept of mindfulness in an academic environment is becoming more common in the K – 12 environment and my hope in sponsoring this event is that we can bring the mindfulness movement to the college level.”
Ultimately, Winden-Fey hopes the event results in students becoming more familiar with and comfortable using the mindfulness resources on campus.
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