Deborah J. Haynes
Professor
Department of Art and Art History
Director, Libby Residential Acaddemic Program
University of Colorado at Boulder
175 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0175
303-735-4206
deborah.haynes@colorado.edu
"Mindfulness Practices in The Dialogue of Art and Religion"
I believe that teaching students techniques of awareness, concentration, and means of disciplining their attention is absolutely essential in our era of fragmentation, ever-increasing speed, multi-tasking, and continuously interrupted attention. Rooted in the world’s religious traditions, contemplative practices can enhance the educational experience in unique ways. The word mindfulness is often used to describe contemplative practice. In its most basic form, it means moment-by-moment present awareness, which is available to everyone, regardless of religious orientation.
In "The Dialogue of Art and Religion," the course I will teach in Spring 2009, students will study about Russian Orthodox icons and Himalayan Buddhist thangkas, two distinct traditions where artistic creativity thoroughly intersects religious belief and ritual. Students will experiment with a range of mindfulness techniques, and they will also have opportunities to undertake creative projects based on what they learn about these two traditions.
Over the past few years of incorporating mindfulness practices into classes I teach, I have collected a fair amount of anecdotal evidence from students about their experiences. However, I have not conducted a systematic assessment of their short- and long-term effects. This spring I would like to study the efficacy of contemplative practices more systematically.