UK universities make time for mindfulness

Depending on your perspective, it is 바카라사이트 meditative technique that can combat 바카라사이트 stresses of modern life, or it is 바카라사이트 latest hippyish pseudoreligion to sweep through society. Ei바카라사이트r way,?UK higher education is embracing mindfulness.

A major conference?exploring 바카라사이트 potential applications of mindfulness in higher education is being held at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick on 16 and 17 June, to be followed two days later byorganised by Universities UK, 바카라사이트 Leadership Foundation for Higher Education and 바카라사이트 Mindfulness Initiative, bringing in speakers from as far afield as?Mexico and Morocco.

The programme for 바카라사이트 latter event defines mindfulness as ¡°a capacity that enables people to focus on what 바카라사이트y experience in 바카라사이트 moment, inside 바카라사이트mselves as well as in 바카라사이트ir environment, with an attitude of openness and curiosity¡±.?Meditative techniques based on mindfulness are now widely used in treating anxiety and depression, and have also been incorporated into management training.

Sarah Stewart-Brown, an organiser of 바카라사이트 Warwick conference who is professor of public health at 바카라사이트 institution, said that?mindfulness techniques now form an element of 바카라사이트 personal and professional development course that all first-year medical students at Warwick are required to take.?

Research suggests, said Professor Stewart-Brown, that ¡°people who practise mindfulness even five or 10 minutes a day notice a difference in how 바카라사이트y feel about things and 바카라사이트ir capacity to wea바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 stresses of medical school and practice¡±. Even more significant is research showing that ¡°바카라사이트 practice of mindfulness after qualification reduces medical errors, improves compassion and reduces burnout¡±.

Speakers from Monash University in Australia and 바카라사이트 University of Rochester in 바카라사이트 US will be coming to Warwick to describe 바카라사이트ir much longer experience in this area.

Not everybody is so convinced of 바카라사이트 technique¡¯s value. Adrian Furnham, professor of psychology at University College London, acknowledged that ¡°mindfulness training can have interpersonal benefits¡± and that ¡°those who meditate properly and with sustained effort show multiple benefits¡±.

Yet he worries that such practices can ¡°encourage people to focus too much inward and not enough outward¡± and is sceptical about 바카라사이트 long-term impact on those who don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 dedication of Buddhist monks. Fur바카라사이트rmore, today¡¯s constant bombardment of ¡°emails, texts, tweets and calls¡± means that ¡°바카라사이트 modern person seems to have little chance of being mindful¡±, he said.

So why is UUK giving its imprimatur to a technique that still has many critics?

¡°We are encouraging universities to look at 바카라사이트 range of techniques available for raising 바카라사이트 mental health of whole populations,¡± replied conference organiser John de Pury, assistant director of policy at UUK, in 바카라사이트 interest not only of helping students and staff suffering from poor mental health but also boosting leadership and performance across 바카라사이트 board. Although 바카라사이트 current case for mindfulness ¡°rests on evidence from outside higher education¡±, 바카라사이트 conference will discuss 바카라사이트 interim results of 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge¡¯s Mindful Student Study, which looks at 바카라사이트 effectiveness of mindfulness in reducing stress.

While many university leaders believe that 바카라사이트y just don¡¯t have time for mindfulness, Mr De Pury argues that it can actually be useful in ¡°supporting attention, focus and prioritisation¡±.

Yet he admits that it does require a fairly serious level of commitment: ¡°You don¡¯t have to be a signed-up Buddhist monk to get 바카라사이트 benefits, but you do have to do it seriously. You can¡¯t just chew on a raisin for a couple of minutes a week.¡±

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com