Contemplation by Design (CBD) is a campus-wide, multidisciplinary event designed by BeWell to encourage all members of the Stanford community to enjoy the power of the pause.
In November, free events are offered all around campus that further balance, tranquility and creative excellence. Faculty, staff and students will have the opportunity to take a short break from their high-level output of productivity and innovation in order to rest and renew the mind-body-spirit.
Each event is designed to bring the Stanford community together in recognizing the importance of quieting the thinking mind and refreshing oneself through quiet contemplation. Events include research on the neuroscience of contemplation, skill-building, campus arts and experiences with the natural beauty found right here on campus.
View the 2017 Schedule of Events
CBD events are designed to help people experience PEACE:
Pause: settle the dynamic, active mind to renew the mind-body-spirit connection.
Exhale: breathe deeply in stressful situations to restore balance in the nervous system and facilitate the ability to respond skillfully to stressors rather than react or repress.
Attend: be aware of the present moment experience by mindfully attending to sensations from each of the senses.
Connect: compassionately connect to what is happening now intrapersonally, interpersonally and as a communitymember — and discern how to relate in ways that sustain health and happiness for oneself and others.
Express: oneself in authentic, creative and compassionate ways —including design, art, scholarship, friendship and community service and volunteering.
These skills, summarized in the acronym PEACE, offer a way of living by which solutions are created, well-being is enhanced and excellence is sustained.
