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Mindful CSUSM

Mindful CSUSM

mindfulness CSUSM Logo

"Mindfulness is paying attention to your life, here and now, with kindness and curiosity" - Amy Saltzman  

We acknowledge that we are on the traditional territory and homelands of the Luiseño/Payómkawichum people. For more information please go to the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center.

 

Mission Statement

We wish to foster a community of awareness and appreciation for our own and other's experiences through contemplative practices, pedagogy and research. We affirm that in an increasingly interdependent world, learning to listen with kindness and curiosity  generates compassion, connectedness and the ability to see the world from diverse perspectives.

Purpose & Inspiration

We wish to foster a community of awareness and appreciation for our own and others' experiences through contemplative practices, pedagogy and research.

  • 80.8% of students felt exhausted (not from physical activity) anytime within the last 12 months.
  • 84% of CSUSM students felt overwhelmed by all they had to do anytime within the last 12 months.

National College Health Assessment II (ACHA-NCHA II)/Spring 2018

"A new C.D.C survey indicates that young people, as well as Blacks and Latinos of all ages, are showing signs of  deteriorating mental health and some are resorting to substance abuse." 

- August 2020

Sustainability

Zoom & In person Mindful CSUSM is committed to:

  • Environmental sustainability by offering zero to minimal carbon footprint at events.
  • Human sustainability by fostering increased energy and resilience for all of the CSUSM Community,

Academic Success

We promote compassion, connectedness,  and the ability to see the world from a variety of  perspectives.

  • 74% of CSUSM students surveyed expressed an interest in contemplative practices.
  • 100% of faculty  members in t the FLC remarked that contemplative practices helped reduce stress, increased focus, create a sense of  community and interconnectedness.

 

Do you feel that doing mindfulness practices  contributed to the creation of a more inclusive classroom?

"Yes, because we were all doing this exercise together it felt like a community and made us a more open class."

"Yes, it made it so that we were all doing the same thing with no fear of being judged."

"Yes, it made everyone feel involved in a singular activity which in turn made them feel more at ease to openly discuss with one another."

Culture of Care

Contemplative practices:

  • Prepare students to be active participants in their own learning.
  • Facilitate relationship building among faculty across disciplines and departments.
  • Are foundational to building an empathetic campus culture that prioritizes the well-being of all.

People

Mindful CSUSM serves:

  • Students (400 served):
    • Social Justice Summit, Tukwut Leadership Circle, Latin@ Center, Gender Equity Center, Athletics, Housing residents, Student Union employees, Student Organizational leaders, California Indian Culture Center/American Indian Student Association, FUERZA Students.
  • Faculty (75 served)
    • Faculty Center workshops, Compassion Faculty Learning Community, Faculty Learning Community on Contemplative Practices and Social Justice
  • We serve Faculty, Staff, Administrators and students through workshops such as:
    • Instructors of First Year Students
    • Staff Center
    • Student Center Employees and Staff
    • "Mindful of Race" book discussions
    • Ongoing programming with the Staff Appreciation and Development, and FACES initiative
    • Free Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction class each semester (in Spanish and English)

Weekly Mindfulness Sessions & Programs

Come join us for our daily dose of mindfulness sessions. No prior experience or registration is necessary. You can drop in for a while or stay the whole time. Open to the entire campus community.

Sessions typically take place in a space that is quiet and distraction free. This may prove to be challenging during a time when many families are now home together--working, learning, and caring for each other. It may be fun to practice together. The sitting practice can begin by sitting quietly, either on a chair or the floor, closing your eyes or allowing your gaze to rest softly on the space in front of you, focusing on either your breath or other body sensations. It is very normal for your mind to be easily distracted during practice; the overall goal is to notice that distraction each time it happens and to bring your attention back to the area of focus.