PSYC 2620 - Mindfulness Skills: Science and Practice

2 credit hours
Life is challenging, but practicing new ways to handle our thoughts, feelings, and actions can make a difference. Mindfulness skills–specific techniques for paying attention to present-moment experiences in a nonjudgmental way–have been shown to improve self-criticism, attention, relationships, physical health, and mental health. The course will address some of the historical, cultural, and spiritual traditions related to mindfulness practices throughout the world, but will focus on the ways that specific mindfulness skills are currently implemented in psychological, medical, and educational contexts. We will address cognitive, emotional, neurological, and relational processes linked with mindfulness practice. Students will consider past research, practice a range of scientifically supported mindfulness skills, and investigate their own hypotheses about mindfulness.