Mindfulness Workshop Series

Stress Less, Breathe Deep

Woman sitting on rock looking into the distanceThe College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is pleased to offer:

A FREE Mindfulness Practice Workshop Series for the CU community

8 online zoom sessions during the summer term
Tuesday evenings from 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
June 9 - July 28, 2020

Facilitated by Jeff Franklin, PhD, Professor of English, certified by the Engaged Mindfulness Institute as a mindfulness instructor

This workshop is not an academic course; it is an experiential, practice-based workshop. In this time of stress and uncertainty, we are pleased to offer this noncredit program as a free benefit to the entire University of Colorado community. However, we do ask that all participants commit to attending and actively participating in all 8 zoom sessions. Suggested practice homework will be assigned each week, but grades will not be assigned, and participants will be encouraged to take ownership of their learning. 

Enrollment for the summer series in now closed, please check back for more opportunities in the fall or beyond!

Workshop Series Description

This introductory workshop will show you how to practice mindfulness so that you can decide if you want to practice it on your own. The facilitator will lead you through several standard types of mindfulness practice, including mindful movement, seated mindfulness, and compassion practice. There will be Q&A and discussion. The meetings will give you a space for quietness and peacefulness.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is taught in clinics and hospitals across the U.S. to reduce suffering from conditions such as anxiety disorders, depression, chronic pain, drug dependency, PTSD, and eating disorders. It is widely recognized as a powerful process for building self-acceptance, emotional self-regulation, and resilience. And, for many people, it feels good.

Learning Objectives

  1. Work with your breathing to assist you in self-regulating your body, emotions, and thoughts.
  2. Move mindfully in a series of yoga-like stretches in coordination with your breathing as preparation for seated mindfulness practice.
  3. Sit in a posture that is conducive to seated mindfulness practice.
  4. Practice guided mindful sitting that uses short verbal prompts as a method for focusing concentration on the body and the breath.
  5. Practice guided mindful sitting while observing your own body, emotions, and thoughts.
  6. Practice guided mindful sitting focused on cultivating kindness and compassion for one’s self and for others.
  7. Practice guided mindful walking.
  8. Talk as a group about what you experienced in doing the above practices.

Contact

For more information, please contact the workshop facilitator J. Jeffrey Franklin, PhD, Jeff.Franklin@ucdenver.edu