A Guided Practice

*Note change of time from last semester*

Learn about and practice mindfulness and meditation in these free, drop-in sessions for all of the UVA and Charlottesville community. Open and accessible to beginners and advanced practitioners alike, these guided sessions are short and provide time for questions and reflection. Led by the Contemplative Sciences Center and guest instructors from 11:30-11:50am Monday-Fridays. Instructors are available until 12PM for questions and reflections. We meet in the Contemplative Commons on the 4th floor in Studio 4A. 

Instructors:

Monday: Sam Cole

Tuesday: Polina Mischenko

Wednesday: CSC Staff

Thursday: Than Grove

Friday: Connie Kresge

Mid Day Mindfulness has truly been a gift for me. As an international student, I arrived not knowing anyone, and every face was new. I felt overwhelmed not just with studies but also with navigating a whole new culture and environment. I discussed this with Tish, who directed me to these sessions, and they’ve become my best space on campus. Unless I’m engaged officially, I always like to attend.

The Mid Day Mindfulness sessions have been so welcoming and gave me permission to pause amid the day’s chaos and slow down. They’ve helped me feel calmer, steadier, and even notice my breathing and blood flow becoming more regular. After the first few weeks of classes, I often felt overwhelmed, but the regular in-person practice guided by your team has helped quiet my mind and reminded me that everything can wait for a few mindful moments.

— Ugyen, Doctoral Student, School of Education & Human Development 

Sam Cole

Sam Cole came to contemplation slowly, and at times unknowingly. Sam grew up in the world of Quaker education, attending a small Quaker school in Charlottesville named Tandem Friends School. As part of his education he participated in weekly Meeting for Worship which consisted of 30-45 minutes of silence shared among all of his school mates. He came to enjoy the silence and the practices associated with Quakerism and chose to continue his education at Guilford College, a Quaker affiliated college. He dove headfirst into college activity, even going so far as to join the varsity lacrosse team. Though this period brought immense opportunities for growth, it also coincided with a lot of pain in his life. Following the passing of his twin brother during his senior year, he began to seek shelter in unhealthy coping mechanisms and lost himself. As this challenging time became less sustainable, he made the decision, with a lot of support from those around him, to seek help. Through this help he was introduced to Qigong, Sound Healing, Reiki, and a variety of other contemplative practices associated with wellness. Through exploration of these practices, he began to realize that he had been engaging in contemplative practice throughout his life and hopes to encourage others to explore where they may already be engaging in contemplation in their own lives. Contemplation is an innately human experience, and something that he wants to encourage newcomers to explore. Though new to formal training around contemplation, this has not discouraged him from jumping in and hoping to help others to be brave and explore new ways to engage in their wellbeing. Read more about Sam Cole.

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Than Grove

Nathaniel (Than) Grove was introduced to Western contemplation in his late teens through an academic course in high school on Jungian psychology and one in his college freshman year on Thoreau’s Walden. However, it was an Introduction to Buddhism course in his sophomore year with the well-known Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman that ignited his passion for Buddhism and hence meditation. He spent the next year in Varanasi on the University of Wisconsin-Madison year in India program, where he was exposed to Goenka’s teachings on meditation and further delved into the Tibetan tradition. Eventually landing in Charlottesville, he studied with Jeffrey Hopkins and received his PhD in Tibetan Buddhism from UVA in 2004. Contemplation has been a thread throughout his adult life. Than leads body and breath mindfulness, open awareness, and loving-kindness meditations. Read more about Than Grove.

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Connie Kresge

Connie Kresge began her contemplative journey as a college student in the late 1990s where she was introduced to Iyengar yoga, Tai Chi and meditation. She has been practicing yoga in some form or another since that time, with a preference for Forrest Yoga. In 2011 she attended a 10-day Vipassana retreat with S.N. Goenka and has maintained a semi-consistent practice since. Given the demands on her time with two kids and a husband who often travels for work, she attends online courses when she can to deepen her understanding and practice. Notably, she has taken multiple online courses with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. She pulls inspiration from many sources, from pop culture to humor to conceptual art. Read more about Connie Kresge.

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Polina Mischenko

Polina Mischenko, PhD, has been an educator and contemplative practitioner for over 20 years. She has studied contemplative practices in India, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States. Over the past decade, she has researched, developed, and implemented contemplative programs for youth, educators, and the University of Virginia community. Her approach is shaped by a long-term Vipassana practice, CARE for Educators, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, and more than 10 years of training in the Iyengar Yoga tradition. It is also informed by a deepening exploration of the Four Fields and the joy, sadness, and trust of learning through lived and embodied experiences. Polina serves as the Assistant Director of Programs at the Contemplative Sciences Center. She offers mindfulness practices as a simple invitation to pause, breathe, and reconnect during the workday through body–mind awareness, intention setting, and loving-kindness practices. Read more about Polina Mischenko

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