The UF Mindfulness program is a self-funded, interdisciplinary partnership between different faculty, staff and students from various colleges at the University of Florida (UF). A short attention span, learning stress and anxiety, attachment to Googling and enticing apps rather than being present to the moment are by-products of our busy and fast-paced time. Mindfulness practices allow enhancing t
he very things UF is about – enjoy learning, increase learning outcomes and well-being, and open student-student and student-teacher interactions. This means deep integration of mindfulness practices, such as meditation, breathing techniques, and body-based practices in the learning process and life on-campus. The objectives are to (i) infuse mindfulness practices in existing courses and curricula, (ii) offer a new cross-disciplinary ‘mindfulness in STEM’ suite of short courses, and (iii) use the new UF meditation room to practice mindfulness, find space to unlock creativity, spin-off collaborative interdisciplinary research projects, and find new meaning in a complexifying world. Silos of mindfulness that exist on-campus will be integrated into the ‘Mindful Gator Program’ consisting of new interdisciplinary mindfulness trainings. The paradox of our modern time is that mindfulness is inherently simple and human and available anytime and anyplace; yet many of us have forgotten about it. This project aims to reconnect us to ancient truths, breath-by-breath taming the anxious mind.