Maintain the momentum

Essential articles—by the recent 2011 Creating a Mindful Society gathering's speakers, and about their themes.

Follow along with these Creating a Mindful Society-related materials from Mindful.org. (Note: you can also follow along via a free livestream of much of the conference, which will be available FREE for 30 days beginning October 3, 2011 at 7 p.m. (ET).

Can’t get your hands on enough reading material about mindfulness? Check out Creating a Mindful Library: A sampling of essential books—new, classic, and forthcoming—specifically for those interested in living mindfully.

September 30–October 1, 2011

Friday, September 30

8:00 – 9:30 p.m.Welcome by Saki Santorelli, Centre for Mindfulness. The Transformative Power of Mindfulness in America and the World – Keynote talk by Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhDRelated articles:Toward a Mindful Society – an interview with Jon Kabat-Zinn
The man who prescribes the medicine of the moment  – a profile of Jon Kabat-Zinn
Meeting Pain with Awareness – Jon Kabat-Zinn teaches you how

Saturday, October 1

9:00 a.m.Keynote TalkWelcome by Michael Craft, Omega Institute. Change Your Brain by Transforming Your Mind – Keynote talk by Richard Davidson, PhDRelated articles:The Science of Mindfulness – how mindfulness so beneficial to our health
Breakout Sessions – 10:20 a.m.The Healing Power of Mindfulness – Saki Santorelli, EdD, MAExperience, first hand, a range of mindfulness practices used in the mindfulness-based stress reduction training program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.Related articles:

Letting Ourselves Heal – on uncovering our vulnerable places
Coping with Cancer – a mindfulness teacher puts her practice to the test.

Breakout Sessions – 10:20 a.m.Mindfulness & Contemplative Education – Daniel P. Barbezat, PhD, and Patricia (Tish) Jennings , MEd, PhDPromote awareness and resilience, and help teachers provide emotional and instructional support to their students.Related articles:

Mindfulness and Learning: What’s the Connection? – Tish Jennings explains.
Contemplative Education – University educators who bring mindfulness to their life and work
On Education – Jennings’ Mindful.org blog

Breakout Sessions – 10:20 a.m.The Heart of Mindfulness – Barry Boyce and Tara HealeyLearn the basics of mindfulness and mindful living in this general session that includes instruction and guided practice with leading teachers.Related articles:

Developing a Daily Practice – advice from Jack Kornfield
How Do I Bring More Mindfulness into My Life? – on avoiding going into “autopilot” mode

Keynote Talk – 11:40 a.m.Finding the Space to Lead – Keynote talk by Janice MarturanoRelated Mindful.org blog:On Leadership
Welcome – 2:00 p.m.Field Reports – 2:10 p.m.Welcome by Melvin MacLeod, Mindful.orgBeyond Stress ReductionRhonda Magee, JD
An exploration of how mindful lawyers are changing the world—and how we can all make a difference.Related articles:

Paying Mind to the Challenge of Diversity – Read lawyer Rhonda Magee’s argument for meditation—how it can help us respond to difficult situations with an open heart.  
The Law of Mindfulness
– a profile of three mindfulness programs for lawyers.

Field Reports – 2:10 p.m.Mind Over Money: Making Money MatterKristi Nelson Learn how the core principles inherent to mindfulness offer us critical opportunities to redirect our personal—and ultimately our collective—economies.Related articles:

Mind over Money – how awareness of our thoughts can ease financial tensions
Cash Values: What Are Yours? – on what mindful spending means

Field Reports – 2:10 p.m.Mindfulness, Mentoring, and YouthAli Smith & Atman Smith The founders of Baltimore’s acclaimed Holistic Life Foundation discuss how mindfulness and yoga practices for youth in high-risk environments has helped them become more centered, deal with peer pressure, and manage strong emotions.Related articles:

Inner-City Inner Peace – report on youth who have found peace through yoga

Field Reports – 2:10 p.m.Bringing Mindfulness to the Military to Enhance Performance and Build ResilienceElizabeth Stanley PhD, associate professor of security studies at Georgetown University and founder of the Mind Fitness Training InstituteElizabeth Stanley shares some of her experiences in developing mindfulness-based mind fitness training and teaching it to troops before their deployment to combat.Related coverage:

Military News – Read Mindful.org’s ongoing news coverage of mindfulness within the military

Field Reports – 2:10 p.m.Wired in the Moment: Mindfulness & Mental Focus in the Tech Sector –
Jenny Lykken
A discussion of why and how tech workers design and develop mindfulness-based programs, including successful solutions and important challenges in the delivery of mindfulness-based programs in the workplace.Related articles:

Tech Support for the Hopelessly Connected – Elisha Goldstein offers advice on how to use our digital devices to actually support us in our mindfulness practice.

Keynote Talk – 4:10 – 5:15 p.m.
A Mindful Nation – Keynote talk by U.S. Congressman Tim Ryan

Related articles:

There is no path to peace. The path is peac