Bridging Education and Mindfulness Practice

• In Event: 47.098 - Sheraton Roundtable Session Eight - Osgoode Ballroom
  In Roundtable Session: 47.098-3 - Conceptions of Learning

Abstract

This paper argues that the understanding of mindfulness practice within education, requires a dialogical encounter between education and mindfulness parallel to an on-going dialogue between Buddhism and science. It then develops one such dialogical encounter discussing education and mindfulness as two distinct traditions of practice that have a history of interpretations associated with their aims, conceptualization, critique and ways of practice. Based on a common typology of educational aims the paper explores how mindfulness practice features within three possible educational orientations: socialization, acculturation, and individuation. The paper shows that though each orientation sets a different priority for education, assuming serious implementation, mindfulness practice can contribute to each. Contemporary examples are brought to exemplify this point.

Author

• Oren Ergas, Beit Berl College and Hebrew University