During the first semester, students will establish a daily mindfulness practice and learn the theoretical and empirical foundations of mindfulness. This foundational semester will then prepare students for the second course in this sequence in which they will deepen their conceptual and experiential understanding and begin to acquire the skills to teach mindfulness to others. This class is open to all U of I students who have an interest in mindfulness and its varied applications in mental health service delivery, organizations (e.g., wellness programs in industry and business), and education (e.g., the classroom).
In Advanced Mindfulness, the second semester course, students will continue to advance their understanding and practice of mindfulness meditation. Students will also have a chance to apply these skills by learning to lead mindfulness meditations and teach beginning mindfulness skills to others. Students will have the opportunity to lead stand-alone workshops or multi-week classes depending on each student's level of mastery and the opportunities that arise in the community (e.g., bringing mindfulness into a classroom with students, to the staff of a human service agency, or to a registered student organization on campus). This class is designed for psychology and other majors who intend to pursue a career related to mental health and for education majors who intend to pursue a career in the classroom.