Contemplation by Design (CBD) is a campus-wide, multidisciplinary event designed to encourage all members of the Stanford community to enjoy the power of the pause.
From November 1–9, 2017, free events will be offered all around campus that further balance, tranquility and creative excellence. Faculty, staff and students will have the opportunity to take a short break from their high-level output of productivity and innovation in order to rest and renew the mind-body-spirit.
Each event is designed to bring the Stanford community together in recognizing the importance of quieting the thinking mind and refreshing oneself through quiet contemplation. Events include research on the neuroscience of contemplation, skill-building, campus arts and experiences with the natural beauty found right here on campus.
Carillon Concert: On Friday, November 3, the Hoover carillon bells will be ringing to signal the university’s commitment to emotional well-being. All members of the Stanford community are invited to gather in Dorhmann Grove and the Oval ear to share the concert and contemplative pause. The Carillon concert will also be broadcast live on KZSU radio at 90.1 FM and streamed online at kzsulive.stanford.edu.
All events are free!
Registration is required and begins at 9 a.m. on September 12.
CBD events are designed to help people experience PEACE, which is also an acronym for the skills of contemplation that offer a way of living by which solutions are created, well-being is enhanced and excellence is sustained:
Pause: settle the dynamic, active mind to renew the mind-body-spirit connection.
Exhale: breathe deeply in stressful situations to restore balance in the nervous system and facilitate the ability to respond skillfully to stressors rather than react or repress.
Attend: be aware of the present moment experience by mindfully attending to sensations from each of the senses.
Connect: compassionately connect to what is happening now intrapersonally, interpersonally and as a community member — and discern how to relate in ways that sustain health and happiness for oneself and others.
Express: oneself in authentic, creative and compassionate ways —including design, art, scholarship, friendship and community service and volunteering.
Learn more:
Strength in contemplation
Thriving with resilience: The role of contemplative practices