Meditation, Mindfulness and Health

This course provides an overview on the relation of meditation and mindfulness (the ability to attend in a nonjudgmental way to one’s own physical and mental processes during ordinary, everyday tasks) with various health outcomes and disease risk factors such as depression, anxiety, diet, substance use, and cardiovascular disease. Mechanisms by which mindfulness may influence health will be addressed. The course will assess studies in the field for methodological rigor, and students will be taught strengths and weaknesses of current research. Students will be taught various mindfulness practices including direct experience with mindfulness meditation.