Mindfulness for Emerging Adults (MIEA)

The 8 weeks of Foundations of Mindfulness are a unique, experiential opportunity for students to ground themselves in contemporary mindfulness practices. Students will learn 12 different practices that include elements of mindfulness-meditation, breathwork, silent retreat, mindful movement and guided visualization rooted in evidence-based programs like Koru Mindfulness and iRest Yoga Nidra. The key goal of this course is to learn and embody tools that cultivate greater self-awareness, self-regulation and resilience. Students will also understand the cultural roots of various techniques and develop a customized routine for deepening their personal practice.

The Mindfulness Teacher Community is comprised of a wide range of Dartmouth staff, faculty, and community members who have been trained through the Mindfulness Institute for Emerging Adults®.  This training was sponsored and made possible by the Student Wellness Center as a way to expand our mindfulness-based resources. 

Adam J. Knowlton-Young, Community Standards

Alleah E. Schweitzer, Student Wellness Center

Carmen M. Rodriguez, Academic Skills Center

Erin P. McMahon, Office of Residential Life

James F. Graham, Department of Economics

Joel Lazar, PhD.,  Community Physician

Judith Hills, MD., Geisel School of Medicine 

Laura Beth White, Student Wellness Center 

Sandra Maruszak, MD., Geisel School of Medicine

Matthew M. Benzing, Dartmouth Libraries 

Sarah L. Berger, Pre Health Advising

Siddhant M. Babla, Student Wellness Center 

Stefanie Marques Jordao, Dartmouth Counseling Center

Willow Nilsen, Outdoor Programs Office

Mindfulness Basics

Basics: During this 4-week class you will be introduced to the practice of mindfulness and learn several skills, including meditation, for managing stress and enriching your life.

Week One

We explore what mindfulness is and learn how to start incorporating it into our lives through two breathing exercises (Belly Breathing & Dynamic Breathing) and a guided Body Scan meditation.

Week Two

We dive a little deeper and investigate how to cultivate more awareness through shared discussion, a Walking meditation, and the repetition of a Gatha, or meditation poem.

Week Three

We learn how to relax through the use of Guided Imagery followed by a meditation to help us release our thoughts by way of recognizing, observing, & labeling them.

Week Four

We conclude with an Eating meditation (when is the last time you paid attention solely to the food you were eating without looking at your phone, reading a book, or doing school work?) and will build on the Labeling Thoughts meditation we practiced in week three.

*In a randomized controlled trial, college students who went through MIEA reported feeling more calm, more mindful, more rested, and had less self-judgment than students who did not go through the MIEA program.

To find out when the next class is scheduled, please see above or contact the Student Wellness Center.

Prerequisites for this course: Mindfulness Basics

Week One

We revisit what mindfulness is and learn how to continue incorporating it into our lives through a breathing exercise (Ocean Breathing), guided mindful movement (chair yoga series), and using a Gatha (repetition of a series of words).

Week Two

We'll revisit the chair yoga series each week and also explore the notion of compassion, for ourselves and others, through a loving-kindness meditation.

Week Three

This class will follow a different schedule than the other classes as we will come into a mini silent retreat. The purpose of this class is to introduce you to the format and style of meditation retreats and give you the chance to experiment with silence.

Week Four

We conclude with reviewing past skills and practices and discuss ways to maintain a mindfulness practice.