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One’s environmental space, whether it be at home, at work, or on campus, can play a huge role in one’s mental health and physical well-being.

For three years, from 2017 through 2020, I was the Health Promotion Expert and Integrative Health Coach at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, Germany. During this time, I was inspired to explore the diverse environments that existed throughout the main campus to not only inspire my students but also to enhance a course that I taught on Mindfulness, Meditation, and selected Somatic Methodologies. I took into consideration the landscape, architecture, as well as how much light, or noise, as well as different colors that were dispersed in these different environments.

I believe as teachers of contemplative pedagogy it is important to give some thought to how we can creatively explore our surrounding environments (especially throughout campus) that play a supportive role in one’s contemplative pedagogy.

Webinar takeaways: 

• Creatively explore and find environments throughout campus that support one’s contemplative pedagogy.
• Understand that incorporating diverse environmental spaces in one’s contemplative pedagogy can build on students' mind-body-environment connection.
• Be familiar with potential nurturing spaces/environments that can promote relaxation, inspiration, and acknowledgement.
• Impart an understanding of how different spaces and environments may be more appropriate for different contemplative and somatic practices.
• Use a proposed perspective of integrative environmental spaces, to inspire possibilities for both teacher and students to live healthier, mindful lives in one’s environment, world, and universe.