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MINDFULNESS
RESOURCE GUIDE
2
Learn to Apply and Teach Mindfulness
in Academic Advising
2016 Annual NACADA Conference
Atlanta, GA
Jennifer Jones
Fairmont State University
Dedra Cobb
Fairmont State University
Julien Nguyen
West Virginia University
Dr. Irene Maundu
West Virginia University
Table of Contents
Overview 3
Mindfulness of Breathing and
Meditation 4
Mindfulness of Thoughts 5
Mindfulness of Imagery 6
Mindfulness of Silence 7
Mindfulness of Listening 8
Mindfulness of Walking 9
Mindfulness of Gratitude 10
References 11
Resources 12
3
Overview
What is Mindfulness?
Contemplative practices encompasses a wide variety of exercises, practices, and actions that support
one’s journey to be fully present, to center oneself, to value the humanity inherent in human beings, and
to maintain self-care.
How do I get started with Mindfulness?
Though these practices are quite simple, they require a commitment of regular practice from you at work
and/or home to realize the full benefits. It is about incorporating the contemplative practices into your
daily life.
You can start by trying one of these practices and adding more once you feel comfortable. Look at some
of the websites listed under resources and references. This is a beginner’s guide and will help start your
research in areas that spark your interest. There are many facets of contemplative practices that are
available for you to discover.
Are there benefits of adding one more thing to my busy life?
As higher education professionals, we are often pulled in many directions and have large numbers of
students and/or responsibilities. Burnout, compassion fatigue, anger, frustration, and feelings of being
overwhelmed are common complaints in the field.
Learning ways to provide self-care and realizing it is not selfish to look after one’s self can be pivotal to
enjoying one’s career.
The awareness that one can maintain peace and calm regardless of the circumstances or time in the
academic year may be surprising.
Adopting contemplative practices may aid in:
balance
energy
compassion
physical health
psychological health
“Contemplative practices, though quite varied, have much in
common. They all cultivate greater focus; some lead to
insight, wisdom, and compassion.”
(Barbeszat & Bush, 2014, p. 89)
4
Mindfulness of Breathing and Meditation
Allows practitioners to relax into breathing techniques and calm their minds. It takes practice to
develop this discipline so be gentle and forgiving with yourself when you become distracted. Deep
breathing takes discipline to remember to breathe into your stomach instead of your diaphragm.
Hold the breath in for a moment and then release.
Arrange a space for your regular meditation at your workplace and/or at home. It can be
wherever you can sit easily with minimal disturbance. Arrange what is around you so that you
are reminded of your meditative purpose, so that it feels like a sacred and peaceful-space.
Select a regular time for practice that suits your schedule and temperament. If you are a morning
person, try adding it in before breakfast. If evening fits your temperament or schedule better, try
that first. Begin with sitting ten or twenty minutes at a time. Later you can sit longer or more
frequently. It can bring regular cleansing and calming to your heart and mind.
Find a posture on the chair or cushion in which you can easily sit erect without being rigid. Let
your body be firmly planted on the earth, your hands resting easily, your heart soft, your eyes
closed gently. At first feel your body and consciously soften any obvious tension. Let go of any
habitual thoughts or plans. Bring your attention to feel the sensations of your breathing. Take a
few deep breaths to sense where you can feel the breath most easily, as coolness or tingling in
the nostrils or throat, as movement of the chest, or rise and fall of the belly. Then let your breath
be natural. Feel the sensations of your natural breathing very carefully, relaxing into each breath
as you feel it, noticing how the soft sensations of breathing come and go with the changing
breath. After a few breaths your mind will probably wander. When you notice this, no matter
how long or short a time you have been away, simply come back to the next breath. Before you
return, you can mindfully acknowledge where you have gone with a soft word in the back of
your mind, such as "thinking," "wandering," "hearing," "itching.' After softly and silently naming
to yourself where your attention has been, gently and directly return to feel the next breath.
Later on in your meditation you will be able to work with the places your mind wanders to, but
for initial training, one word of acknowledgment and a simple return to the breath is best. As you
sit, let the breath change rhythms naturally, allowing it to be short, long, fast, slow, rough, or
easy. Calm yourself by relaxing into the breath. When your breath becomes soft, let your
attention become gentle and careful, as soft as the breath itself. Like training a puppy, gently
bring yourself back a thousand times. Over weeks and months of this practice you will gradually
learn to calm and center yourself using the breath.
There will be many cycles in this process, stormy days alternating with clear days. Just stay with
it. As you do, breathing deeply, you will find the breath helping to connect and quiet your whole
body and mind.
*Tip for professional use: When our schedules are booked, we can be drained quickly. Taking a few
minutes to breathe deeply can aid in relaxing and rejuvenating so we can complete the busy days
without depleting our resources. This is a helpful resource that can be practiced with a few deep breaths
during an academic advising session, a staff meeting, or an informal conversation to help you relax and
focus.
**Tip for student use: Working on breathing can aid students in relaxing before tests if they battle test
anxiety. The practice can also be a strategic way for students to break up their studying time and help
them transition to the next material. Offering guided meditation session for your campus can be
beneficial for students, staff, and faculty. Refer students to meditation apps that they can add for free to
their electronic devices, see Resources.
5
Mindfulness of Thoughts
Promotes the realization of where our minds take us and the freedom to acknowledge those
thoughts while gently and intentionally allowing ourselves to guide our thoughts if that is desired.
Start this activity being mindful of your breathing. Allow yourself to notice any thoughts that
come into your head as you are aware of your breathing. Notice, pay attention to and accept
these thoughts, without judgment. Thoughts are not bad or good, positive or negative, they just
are what they are – the thought that you happen to be having at this particular moment.
You may become aware that you are having difficulty thinking about your thoughts – so think
about that. You may be thinking: “I can’t do this very well.” Well, that’s a thought too. Allow
yourself to think about that.
Some people like the metaphor of allowing the thoughts to just float like leaves on a stream, or
clouds in a sky, noticing each passing thought and then the one that comes after it, and then the
one that comes after that. A Buddhist idea is to think of thoughts as pages written on water.
You may notice that just at the moment you become aware of a thought, it passes and is replaced
by another thought. That’s what happens – thoughts come and go.
Finally, bring yourself back to awareness of the breath.
*Tip for professional use: Often people do not consciously pay attention to the thoughts that run
through their minds each day. Paying attention to our thoughts and guiding them to our present
conversation or project can aid in efficiency.
**Tip for student use: As we guide students in positive classroom behaviors, we can teach them the
importance of being aware of their thoughts when in a lecture class for attention building.
“How amazing that without being fabricated, this mind,
which is unborn and primordially pure, is spontaneously
present from the beginning! This self-awareness is naturally
free from the very first. How amazing that it is liberated by
just resting at ease in whatever happens!”
Shabkar Tsokdrug Rangdrol, The Flight of the Garuda
6
Mindfulness of Imagery
Imagery is the process of being aware of the mind and body as a whole. Guided imagery is the
process of freeing our minds of unnecessary thoughts and feelings by imagining them leaving our
minds and bodies through meditation.
Start this activity by entering a state of relaxation. This may be in a sitting or lying position. Be
mindful of your breathing and be aware of your surroundings. As you are becoming more aware
of your surroundings, turn your attention to what your thoughts are, and how your body is
feeling.
As you are becoming aware of how your mind and body is feeling, and if you choose, you can
focus your mind on a specific area of the body that may feel more tensed such as your shoulders
and neck. However, you can guide your mind to focus on the body as a whole.
As you are in this state of meditation, you may find that your mind is drifting away from what
you are focusing on, but be aware and bring your image back into focus. It is natural for our
minds to drift from one thought to another. Notice this, accept it, and bring your image back into
place.
Try to free your mind of unnecessary thoughts by imagining them leaving your body. Continue
your awareness of your breathing. Imagine feeling refreshed and invigorated. You can imagine
how a waterfall feels cascading over your body starting from your head, over your shoulders and
downward. As the water is taking this path, envision your unnecessary thoughts and stress
leaving your body.
As you feel them leaving your body, continue to focus on your breathing. Once you feel that they
have left your body, slowly, very slowly become aware of the room.
*Tip for professional use: Spending 2-5 minutes each day practicing guided imagery allows us to
reduce muscle tension, lower our respiration rate, lower blood pressure, and relax our minds and bodies.
Taking a few moments to practice this technique before appointments, teaching, or meetings can help
boost confidence and clear our minds to focus on the task at hand.
**Tip for student use: As we are advising students, we can use guided imagery to help students relax
before presentations or tests. This is also applicable for students who are always feeling stressed from
classes, work, family problems, etc. Guided imagery is also a technique used during the Dream phase of
Appreciative Advising as recommended by Dr. Jenny Bloom.
Buddha was asked, “What have you gained from
meditation.” He replied, “Nothing. However, Buddha said, let
me tell you what I lost: Anger, Anxiety, Depression,
Insecurity, Fear of old age and Death.”
7
Mindfulness of Silence
Silence can be used to encourage reflection, whether introspection or as part of a conversation to
allow the other person(s) time to reflect on the question before sharing an answer.
Find a quiet space where you can enjoy silence.
Turn off any noise, including the ringer on your cell phone.
Enjoy a period of silence with either your eyes closed or open.
You may want to close your eyes and think about a situation you hope to resolve. Allow your
mind to carefully consider several ways of looking at the situation. Try to envision opposing
viewpoints. Release any frustrations or defensiveness you feel as you explore other views. Once
you have explored all the ways that come to mind, reflect on any and all solutions that come to
mind. Filter the solutions and choose any that resonate as positive.
Find a space that is inspiring and exhilarating. Observe the beauty around you and allow the
silence to soak into your system. Ponder what your senses are sharing with you. What do you
smell? Hopefully it is pleasant. What do you feel? Is the wind gently blowing or is the sun
warming your skin? Can you run your hands over soft grass or rough tree bark? Are there sounds
in nature? Do you hear birds chirping or water running?
*Tip for professional use: Academic advising is a partnership between the student and the academic
advisor. If we are too enthusiastic about sharing our knowledge and thoughts, students may allow us to
run the appointment without sharing their hopes, plans, and concerns. We often have to teach students
what academic advising means on our campuses and encourage them to be candid and honest about their
goals and dreams. When we prompt them to give us answers to questions, we need to give them time
and silence to answer those questions. Most people are not comfortable with silence and we as advisors
can fall into the trap of filling the silence instead of resisting the urge to speak.
**Tip for student use: Silence is often hard to find, even while sleeping. Challenging students to
integrate moments of silence into their lives may aid in centering their thoughts and helping them adjust
to environments. For example, a moment of silence before starting a class can prove helpful to
concentration during a lecture and/or exam.
“Breathing in, I have arrived. Breathing out, I am home” Thich Nhat Hanh.
8
Mindfulness of Listening
Encourages conversation participants to be present and to intentionally listen to what the other
person is conveying through both words and nonverbal behaviors.
Focus on the person you are interacting with and attempt to focus only on what they are saying to
you. Fine-tuning focus away from ourselves and the random thoughts that speed through our
minds can be an arduous endeavor.
Gently bring your focus back to the other person. Listen carefully to the meaning behind his/her
statements and try to determine the intent behind the words.
Recognize if you feel emotions while they are speaking. Realize you are focusing on the
emotion(s) you feel and let that thought go so you can refocus on the speaker.
Be gentle with yourself as you notice yourself thinking about what you want to say next or about
other subjects entirely. As soon as you realize your focus is not on the speaker, take note of the
distraction and focus your attention on the speaker.
When the person is finished speaking, reflect the content that you heard. This is a good time to
make sure you understood his/her communication correctly and adjust the message you received
if needed.
If the situation allows for deeper communication, introduce the underlying emotions, intentions,
and beliefs you think they portrayed when speaking.
*Tip for professional use: If we are honest and take time to consider our listening skills, we will notice
that often our mind wanders to grocery lists, tasks we need to complete, after work plans, and/or the next
brilliant comment we are going to make in the conversation. When we ask students to share their stories,
goals, and plans with us, we can “hear” more when we train our minds to intentionally listen and be
present in the conversation. Often with advising, offhand comments can lead to parallel majors or
minors for our students. If we listen and prompt students with thoughtful questions, we can more easily
tailor our advising to each individual student.
**Tip for student use: Students may be surprised when you “hear” what no one else has heard them
say. When they see this practice modeled in interactions with them, they are more open to the suggestion
of using mindful listening to aid in resolving disputes and/or adopting it into their interpersonal
relationships. A specific example is to recommend this to help students interact and problem solve with
roommates.
"The goal of fasting is inner unity. This means hearing, but not with the ear;
hearing, but not with the understanding; hearing with the spirit, with your whole
being. The hearing of the spirit is not limited to any one faculty, to the ear, or to
the mind. Hence, it demands the emptiness of all the faculties. And when the
faculties are empty, then the whole being listens. There is then a direct grasp of
what is right there before you that can never be heard with the ear or
understood with the mind.
Fasting of the heart empties the faculties, frees you from limitation and from
preoccupation. Fasting of the heart begets unity and freedom. " Confucius
9
Mindfulness of Walking
Walking is a simple and universal practice for developing calm, connectedness, and awareness.
Walking can be practiced regularly, before or after sitting meditation or any time on its own,
such as after a busy day at work or on a lazy Sunday morning. The art of walking is to learn to be
aware as you walk, to use the natural movement of walking to cultivate mindfulness and wakeful
presence.
Select a quiet place where you can walk comfortably back and forth, indoors or out, about ten to
thirty paces in length. Begin by standing at one end of this "walking path," with your feet firmly
planted on the ground. Let your hands rest easily, wherever they are comfortable. Close your
eyes for a moment, center yourself, and feel your body standing on the earth. Feel the pressure
on the bottoms of your feet and the other natural sensations of standing. Then open your eyes and
let yourself be present and alert.
Begin to walk slowly. Let yourself walk with a sense of ease and dignity. Pay attention to your
body. With each step feel the sensations of lifting your foot and leg off of the earth. Be aware as
you place each foot on the earth. Relax and let your walking be easy and natural. Feel each step
mindfully as you walk. When you reach the end of your path, pause for a moment. Center
yourself, carefully turn around, and pause again so that you can be aware of the first step as you
walk back. You can experiment with the speed, walking at whatever pace keeps you most
present. Continue to walk back and forth for ten or twenty minutes or longer.
As with the breath in sitting, your mind will wander away many, many times. As soon as you
notice this, acknowledge where it went softly: "wandering," "thinking," "hearing," "planning."
Then return to feel the next step. Like training the puppy, you will need to come back a thousand
times. Whether you have been away for one second or for ten minutes, simply acknowledge
where you have been and then come back to being alive here and now with the next step you
take.
After some practice with walking meditation, you will learn to use it to calm and collect yourself
and to live more wakefully in your body. You can then extend your walking practice in an
informal way when you go shopping, whenever you walk down the street or walk to or from
your car. You can learn to enjoy walking for its own sake instead of the usual planning and
thinking and, in this simple way, begin to be truly present, to bring your body, heart, and mind
together as you move through your life.
*Tip for professional use: Recharge your energy and give your mind a break during the day by walking
mindfully. Choose to walk the long way to the rest room or to run an errand on campus. Employ
mindfulness of walking techniques while taking the scenic route. This can improve productivity when
you return to the office.
**Tip for student use: Adding physical exercise, even if in smaller segments, improves physical and
mental health. Inserting a walk(s) into dedicated study sessions can increase productivity after the walk.
It can also help clear one’s mind in between classes.
10
Mindfulness of Gratitude
Gratitude helps you focus on the positive around you instead of the annoyances and negative
aspects.
Find a notebook or journal that appeals to you and use it as a Gratitude Journal.
One method is to write three things in your journal each day. With this method, items can be of
any size and type. You can include anything you are grateful for, including but not limited to,
specific people, ideas, concepts, items, etc.
Another method is to write down items once or twice a week. Place an emphasis on specific
people and journal in detail about your gratitude for them, include specific examples.
*Tip for professional use: Start a Gratitude Journal at work. Take time to consider and follow one of
the above methods to track what you are grateful for at work. Some research states that by using a
Gratitude Journal, you can positively shift your mindset and interactions with others.
**Tip for student use: Teach students how to start a Gratitude Journal. They can even start one on a
calendar on one of their electronic devices if they prefer that over a paper notebook. This can help them
focus on the positives in their lives instead of frustrations, complaints, anxieties, and fears.
Beginner Gratitude Journal
1. ______________________
2. ______________________
3. ______________________
1. ______________________
2. ______________________
3. ______________________
1. ______________________
2. ______________________
3. ______________________
1. ______________________
2. ______________________
3. ______________________
1. ______________________
2. ______________________
3. ______________________
1. ______________________
2. ______________________
3. ______________________
1. ______________________
2. ______________________
3. ______________________
1. ______________________
2. ______________________
3. ______________________
1. ______________________
2. ______________________
3. ______________________
1. ______________________
2. ______________________
3. ______________________
1. ______________________
2. ______________________
3. ______________________
1. ______________________
2. ______________________
3. ______________________
1. ______________________
2. ______________________
3. ______________________
1. ______________________
2. ______________________
3. ______________________
1. ______________________
2. ______________________
3. ______________________
11
References
Articles/Journal/Evaluation
Barbezat, Daniel & Allison Pingree. (2012). Contemplative Pedagogy: The Special Role of
Teaching and Learning Centers. In James E. Groccia and Laura Cruz (Eds.), To Improve the Academy,
31, 177-191. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Bush, Mirabai. (2010). Contemplative Higher Education in Contemporary America. See also Mirabai
Bush, “Contemplative Higher Education in Contemporary Life,” Contemplation Nation: How Ancient
Practices Are Changing the Way We Live, pp. 221-36. 2011.
Craig, Barbara A. (2011). Contemplative Practice in Higher Education: An Assessment of the
Contemplative Practice Fellowship Program. Northampton, MA: The Center for Contemplative Mind in
Society.
Coburn, Thomas; Fran Grace; Anne Carolyn Klein; Louis Komjathy; Harold Roth & Judith Simmer-
Brown. (2011). Contemplative Pedagogy: Frequently Asked Questions. Teaching Theology and
Religion, Vol. 14, No. 2, April 2011, 167-174.
Davis, D. J. (2014). Mindfulness in Higher Education. The International Journal of Religion and
Spirituality in Society, 4, 3, 1-6.
Grossman, Paul; Ludger Niemann, Stefan Schmidt & Harold Walach. (2003). Mindfulness-based stress
reduction and health benefits A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 57, 35-43.
Tang, Yi-Yuan, Britta Holzel & Michael Posner. (2015). The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation.
Nature Reviews: Neuroscience, 16, 213-225.
Books
Barbezat, Daniel & Mirabai Bush. (2013). Contemplative Practices in Higher Education: Powerful
Methods to Transform Teaching and Learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Bloom, Jennifer. (2008). The Appreciative Advising Revolution. Champaign, IL: Stipes Publishing
L.L.C.
Gunnlaugson, O., Sarath, E., Scott, C., & Bai, H., Eds. (2014). Contemplative Learning and Inquiry
Across Disciplines. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.
Kabat-Zinn, Jon. (2012). Mindfulness for Beginners. Boulder, CO: Sounds TrueGunnlaugson, O.,
Sarath, E., Scott, C., & Bai, H., Eds. (2014). Contemplative Learning and Inquiry Across Disciplines.
Albany, NY: SUNY Press.
Plante, G. Thomas. (2010) Contemplative Practices in Action: Spirituality, Meditation and Health.
Westport, CN: Praeger.
12
Resources
Items Displayed
Himalayan Salt Lamp-The lamp helps purify the air and can be calming. This is great for a
windowless office and easy to find on Amazon.
Rock collection-Students (and coworkers) tend to gravitate toward the rocks. Some will pick
them up and hold them during an appointment while others will rearrange them.
Buddha Board-Add some river rocks and water and many students enjoy writing and/or drawing
on the board during appointments. Whatever is painted on the board with water evaporates
symbolizing the importance of staying in the moment.
Live plants-Many plants help to purify the air. They can make offices seem more inviting. There
are plants that you can maintain in windowless offices.
Essential oil diffuser-The essential oil diffuser allows you to diffuse a variety of oils that are
energizing, comforting, etc.
White noise machine-Helps muffle confidential conversations and provides a soothing
background noise to the office.
Meditation
Free Guided Meditations from UCLA Health: http://marc.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=22
Calm app on phone or tablet (free guided meditations)
Websites
http://www.contemplativemind.org
http:// www.resilientworldview.org
http:// www.practicingmindfulness.com/
http:// www.mindful.org/
http:// greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/mindfulness
http://www.resilientworldview.org
“The three most important qualities in the world are kindness,
kindness, and kindness.”
William James
