contempla tive practices
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Contempla tive practices. Rick Repetti , Ph.D. Department of History, Philosophy & Political Science Kingsborough Community College. Opening Meditation. Agenda. 1. Overview of contemplative practices What, why, how? 2. “CUNY Contemplatives ” - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Contemplative practicesRick Repetti, Ph.D.
Department of History, Philosophy & Political Science
Kingsborough Community College
Opening Meditation
Agenda
1. Overview of contemplative practices What, why, how?
2. “CUNY Contemplatives” What we do in our classesWhat is happening on our campuses
3. Practicum: Sample practice(s) and assignment(s)
4. Q&A5. Closing meditation
Why contemplative practices? “The faculty of voluntarily bringing back a wandering
attention, over and over again, is the very root of judgment, character, and will... An education which should improve this faculty would be the education par excellence. But it is easier to define this ideal than to give practical directions for bringing it about.”
- William James, Principles of Psychology
Some other reasons whyMeditation is the attention-training discipline par
excellence.Alternative mode of inquiryFocus on process (reflection), not productTime to experience slow, relaxed reflection on the contentAntidote to attention deficit disorder (ADD) Inner calm and outer composure helps with exams, better
gradesCreates a special mood in class (cf. art studio)Sense of connectedness to others and the workBroadening of perspectiveMetacognitive processes help learning & self-regulation Intrinsic curiosity: Empirically proven via TMS
Toronto Mindfulness Scale (multi-variate validated survey instrument)
Ram Dass’ reflection on his own practice: “Undigested experiences”
Types of contemplative practicesGreat variety
Yoga, zen, breathing, chanting, etc.
Other practices Journaling, free
writing, process-writing, etc.
Informal: Reflective
dwelling, reverie, or free associating on a topic, image, word, idea, variations
Meditation: the paradigm case2 types: contraction &
expansionContraction: One-
pointednessBull’s eye metaphor:
The “primary object” or target
Black lines represent attention aimed at target
Purple lines represent mind wandering from the target
Mind wanders off, refocus
Anything is a possible target:Candle flame, mandala,
spot on wall, sound, breath, etc.
Expansion: Everything is the target
Visualization and guided imageryVisualization:
Sample mandalaOthers:
Deities Symbols Numbers Etc.
Guided imagery: Journeys to idyllic
places Symbolic:
armadillos & knights
Breathing exercisesYoga “pranayama”: control (yama) of life-force
(prana)Basic: slow, deep, full, conscious, diaphram
breathingComplex: counting, ratios, speed, holding,
etc.Nadi suddhi (alternate nostril breathing)
Variations: with poses, visualizations, etc. Zen: simple counting in/out breaths, 1-4,
repeat
Mindfulness (vipassana: insight)Traditional Buddhist practicesNon-judgmental observing, watching,
witnessing“Bare seeing” of whatever is, in the here and
nowBodily sensations (body scan or sweep) or breathThoughts, emotions, mental statesWalking, eating, dishwashingAny activityExpanded: Stream of consciousness
Choiceless awareness/ZenAlternative: Noting, labeling
Of categories of experience Thinking, anger, memory, …
Other formsClose reading of a
passage: Lectio divina
Cf. 3 rings of the bell 1. Visual reading
aloud 2. Mental reading,
silently 3. Receptive
listening, creative opening
WritingReflective,
journaling, free writing, process, etc.
Geri Deluca’s BC writing classPractices used:
1. Meditation and body scan2. Lectio divina3. Close listening and saying back what you
hearWe’ll try this later
4. Reading texts with a “spiritual” orientation:
considering the connection between great literature and a deep sense of values
Helene Dunkelblau’s ESL QCC class
Practices used:1. Reflective writing
Reader response journals in conjunction with The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (spiritual content)
2. Guided imagery Stimulus for essay writing
3. Breath meditation Before high-stakes tests
Alex Tarasko’s QCC nursing classPractices used:1. Loving-kindness meditation
to develop empathy in nursing students
2. Story telling and active listening as therapeutic interventions with patients facing losses tell story about some loss, listener repeats it back
3. Focused breathing meditation to help students diminish their distractive thoughts at beginning of
lecture as stress reduction prior to an exam
My KCC philosophy classesCalming breath,
mindfulness, lectio divina Post-meditation free-writingPost-reading journalingContent meditations
Sample: Identity “What if…?” Imagine a
different childhood, career All things considered: Who am
I? What am I? Can you imagine self, without:
Arms, legs, senses? Body, brain? Consciousness?
My Vassar summer classesContemplative
Ethics Began 2-hour classes
with 20-minute meditation
Students first brought into peaceful, meditative state
Using guided body scan, deep breathing, mindfulness, etc.
Then, suggestions, questions, ideas, from readings
Followed by 10-minutes free writing
Others at KCC2 members of our Contemplative Practices
GroupSusan Ednie (Sociology) & Jay Mancini
(Physical Sciences) use 3-minute breath exercises before exams
Both are statisticians who keep detailed computerized records of grades
Both used the technique in target classes as against otherwise identical control group classes
Both had statistically significant increases in grades in the target classes
Similar results in my own classes (but no “stats” yet)
CUNY Contemplatives at BCWeekly meditations
open to faculty, staff, students
Formerly: Monthly meetings of the involved faculty
Now: 1-per-semester meetings with CUNY group
CUNY Contemplatives at QCCMonthly meetings of
the faculty from Queensborough and from Queens College
1-per-semester meetings with CUNY group
Presentations at conferences
CUNY Contemplatives at KCCWeekly meditations for faculty/staff, 1 release hourMonthly with studentsMonthly meditation-reading group1-per-semester meetings with CUNY groupPresentations at conferencesPSC-CUNY grant to research use of meditation in
my classes$10K CUNY faculty development grant & KCC
President’s Innovative Pedagogy Award for reflective learning community: “Reflective Practice: Medium & Message”Kate Garretson (ESL), Holly Krech Thomas (Speech)
& my ancient philosophy class
At CUNY School of LawContemplative class as 1-
credit electiveSkills development related to
public interest advocacyCenter for Contemplative
Mind in SocietyThey have a law program and
an academic programBecame part of the CUNY
Contemplatives last semester at our presentation at the 4th annual CUNY Gen Ed conference
Practicum: Hands-onThree techniques:
Lectio divina – followed by:Reflective free-writing – followed by:Mindful listening and verbal mirroring
Cf. 3 levels of the bell ring1. actual sound2. mental repetition of sound (cf. after-image) 3. silent, receptive, listening, opening
(creative effects)
Lectio divina Passage:
If water derives lucidity from stillness, how much more the faculties of the mind! The mind of the sage, being in repose, becomes the mirror of the universe, the speculum of all creation.
Chuang Tzu
Reflective Free-writing
5 minutes, non-stop writing. Uncensored, unedited. Stream of
consciousness. Whatever comes up. Or whatever came up.
Mindful listening & repeating
Speaker: 5 minutes, non-stop , mindful speaking. Uncensored, unedited. Stream of
consciousness. Whatever comes up. Or whatever came up.
Listener: Non-judgmental, mindful listening, noting.
Switch: Listener repeats back, 1st speaker listens
& etc.
Join the other CUNY Contemplatives?CUNY-wide network of like-minded academicsStay connected and aware of our activities:http://cunycontemplative.pbwiki.comSign email list, and you’ll get an e-vite to
the wikiNext event, big conference at CUNY
Graduate School, Friday, April 3, 2009
Closing meditation
