Fourth Annual CUNY General Education Conference

Geraldine Deluca, Ph.D. English Department

Brooklyn College

Helene Dunkelblau, Ph.D.Department of Basic

Educational Skills Queensborough

Community College

Rick Repetti, Ph.D.Department of History,

Philosophy & Political Science Kingsborough

Community College

Alexandra Tarasko, R.N., M.A., C.S.Department of Nursing

Queensborough Community College

Opening breath meditation

Agenda

1. Brief overview of contemplative practices & benefits

2. The presenters will discuss: What they do in their classesWhat is happening on their campuses

3. PracticumExperience a sample of contemplative practices

4. Brief Q&A5. Planning session aimed at CUNY-wide network6. Brief closing meditation

Types of contemplative practicesWhy?

“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

Meditation: the paradigm caseOne-pointedness (candle flame, image, mandala, etc.)

Other forms of meditation

Mindfulness (non-judgmental observing) Thoughts, breath, bodily sensations, walking, etc.

Visualization and guided imageryBreathing exercisesMantraInformal: Reflective dwelling, reverie, or free

associating on a topic, image, word, idea, variations

Ram Dass: “Undigested experiences”

Sample Mandala

Other forms

Close reading of a passageLectio divina

1. Visual reading aloud 2. Mental reading, silently 3. Receptive listening, creative opening

WritingFocused, reflective, journaling, free writing,

etc.

Effects of contemplative practicesMindfulness, heightened awareness

Clarity of mindFocused attention

Inner calmPresence (cf. art studio atmosphere)Sense of connectedness to others and the work

Broadening of perspectiveMetacognitive processes Intrinsic curiosity

Geri Deluca’s classPractices used:

1. Meditation and body scan2. Lectio divina3. Close listening and saying back what you

hear4. Reading texts with a “spiritual”

orientation:considering the connection between great literature and a deep sense of values

Helene Dunkelblau’s classPractices 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

Rick Repetti’s philosophy classesCalming breath, mindfulness, lectio divina

Post-meditation free-writing, post-reading journaling

Content-related meditations Sample 1: Identity

“What if…?” Imagine a different childhood, career All things considered: Who am I? What am I?

Sample 2 : What would it be like to be a brain in a vat? Sample 3: If in an experience machine, why be moral?

Sociology teacher uses calming breath before exams

Alex Tarasko’s 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

3. Focused breathing meditation to help students diminish their distractive thoughts at beginning of

lecture as stress reduction prior to an exam

At Brooklyn College

Weekly meditations open to faculty, staff, students

Formerly: Monthly meetings of the involved faculty

Periodic (1/semester) meetings with KCC/QCC faculty

At Queensborough CC

Monthly meetings of the faculty from Queensborough and from Queens College

Periodic (1/semester) meetings with BC & KCC faculty

Presentations at conferences

At Kingsborough CC

FIG’s weekly meditations for faculty/staff, 1 release hour

Periodic (1/semester) meetings with BC’s & QCC’s faculty

Presentations at conferences on teachingPSC-CUNY grant to research use of meditation in

my classes

Also:Contemplative classes at Vassar College summer

program

Practicum: Hands-onTechniques:

Lectio divina – followed by:Reflective free-writing

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: You’re sitting here with us, but you’re also out walking

in a field at dawn. You are yourself the animal we hunt when you come with us on the hunt. You’re in your body like a plant is solid on the ground, yet you’re wind. You’re the diver’s clothes lying empty on the beach. You’re the fish. In the ocean are many bright strands and many dark strands like veins that are seen when a wing is lifted up. Your hidden self is blood in those, those veins that are lute strings that make ocean music, not the sad edge of surf, but the sound of no shore.

- Rumi

(Born in Afghanistan, 1207, fled to Turkey to escape Mongol invasion, became a scholar, mystic, died 1279.)

Reflective Free-writing 5 minutes, non-stop writing. Uncensored,

unedited. Stream of consciousness. Whatever comes up. Or whatever came up.

Q&A and Planning StageQ & A?Questions to address:

What would a CUNY-wide network look like?What sorts of events would we plan?How would we connect and organize activities?

http://cunycontemplatives.pbwiki.com Sign our email list, and you’ll get an e-vite to the

wikiWhat would we read?What kinds of funding could we seek?Other questions, comments?

Closing meditation

Thank you!http://cunycontemplatives.pbwiki.com

Geri Deluca (BC): [email protected]

Helene Dunkelblau (QCC): [email protected]

Rick Repetti (KCC):[email protected]

Alexandra Tarasko (QCC): [email protected]