PSY 451 The Roots of Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a ubiquitous term in contemporary Western mental and physical healthcare. While commonly applied as a secular “skills training” in Western medicine, most practitioners know little about the idiosyncratic culture from which mindfulness emerges, where this concept is embedded in the Japanese ethos. Similarly, the Japanese practice of forest therapy is gaining increasing popularity in the West. Yet between the two countries, the practice varies widely due in part to varying cultural conceptions regarding nature and health. This course provides an immersive exploration of the intersection of mindfulness and forest therapy as they relate to physical and environmental health.

Credits

3

Cross Listed Courses

ENS 257

Prerequisite

PSY 110 or PSY 111 is recommended.