Inspirations and practices to build a contemplative multifaith and natural spaces to nourish undergraduate students in body, heart, and spirit

• In Event: Highlighted Session: The Power of Contemplative Learning for Integrating our Body, Heart, Mind and Spirit, and for Radical Re-envisioning of Education

Proposal

I was fortunate to take Dr. JL’s contemplative practices course early in my academic and student affairs career. This course offered me an essential foundation for understanding that learning and human development involves our whole person: body, spirit, mind, and heart. These lessons have girded my scholarly work as well as my efforts in managing a contemplative multifaith religious center and meditative garden on campus. During my presentation, I especially will consider the role of the garden space in providing an emotional breathing space for students during the COVID-19 pandemic, as made evident through students’ writings from the period. I will talk about other spaces and activities that foster students’ growth holistically.

Author

• Denise McHugh, University of Maryland