A Week of Mindfulness & Science at Dartmouth College

From April 1–7, 2025, Monastics from around the U.S. visited Dartmouth College for a transformative gathering of mindfulness practitioners, students, scientists, and curious newcomers for Zen and the Art of Mindful Living: Mindful Week at Dartmouth, for the third year in a row.

The week included a full schedule of workshops, meditations, and public talks featuring ten Buddhist monastics from Deer Park Monastery, Blue Cliff Monastery, and EIAB. Grounded in the Plum Village tradition of Engaged Buddhism established by Thich Nhat Hanh, the events invited participants to pause, breathe, and reconnect with themselves and the world around them.

There were also many playful moments of togetherness between monastics and students – including meeting the GOATs of Dartmouth as well as playing volleyball on the green. 

Throughout the week, Rollins Chapel became the heart of practice, beginning each morning with guided meditations such as “The Foundations of Mindful Breathing,” “Flower Fresh, Mountain Solid,” and “Freeing Oneself from Distractions.” These sessions encouraged participants to return to their breath and cultivate peace and joy in the present moment. The serene mornings were followed by community walking meditations outside Rollins Chapel and on Baker Library Lawn, where students and faculty mindfully walked together in silence.

Lunchtime offered a special opportunity to practice mindful eating with the monastics. Participants brought their own meals and were guided through the art of slowing down, chewing with awareness, and fostering gratitude for the food and those who made it possible. In the afternoons, gentle practices like Qigong and mindful movement helped release tension and stress.

Each day was a Dharma door, featuring interactive sessions and thought-provoking discussions. “How to Chill,” “How to Find Balance,” “How to Connect,” and “How to Handle Emotions” were among the Q&A offerings with the monastics, where attendees explored practical applications of mindfulness for managing daily stress and emotions. Public talks such as “Who is Thich Nhat Hanh,” “Loving Speech and Deep Listening,” and “Hiking Zen: Train Your Mind in Nature” deepened the exploration of how Buddhist teachings could intersect with contemporary life.

Art and mindfulness met at The Hood Museum, where monastics led a session combining gallery talks on Buddhist-inspired artworks, chanting, and seated meditation. Meanwhile, retreats like the 4.5-hour practice session in Collis Common Ground and the two-day immersive retreat at Rollins Chapel invited deeper reflection. These longer experiences offered a sanctuary for collective healing and contemplation, addressing personal and global challenges with presence and compassion.

The mindful dinners—offered to undergraduate, graduate, and alumni communities—brought students together with the monastics over nourishing vegan meals. These intimate gatherings cultivated meaningful connection through shared silence, stories, and insight.

The week culminated in The Buddha The Scientist Symposium held on April 7. This visionary event, inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh’s belief in the potential of scientists to serve humanity, brought researchers and mindfulness practitioners together for reflection and dialogue. On Sunday evening, renowned scientist and mindfulness teacher Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn gave a powerful keynote at Filene Auditorium, discussing the integration of mindfulness into modern life and scientific inquiry. The following day, the Hanover Inn hosted a full day of mindful dialogue between scientists and monastics, centering on creativity, resilience, and ethical responsibility in scientific communities.

By the end of the week, hundreds of participants had engaged in practices that offered simple, powerful tools to meet the present moment with clarity, kindness, and joy. Whether newcomers to mindfulness or seasoned practitioners, all left with a deeper understanding of how to integrate mindfulness into daily life—and how, by doing so, to transform not only themselves but the communities and systems in which they live and work.

We extend our sincere gratitude to Dartmouth (and additional sponsors and partners listed below) for supporting students in practicing mindfulness in daily life.

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The event is sponsored by The William Jewett Tucker Center and The Student Wellness Center; with additional support from the Dartmouth President's and Provost's Office, The Thich Nhat Hanh Center for Mindfulness in Public Health at Harvard, The Dartmouth Synergy Clinical Science and Translation Institute, The Design Initiative at Dartmouth, The Geisel School of Medicine Department of Epidemiology, The Wright Center for the Study of Computation and Just Communities, The Dartmouth Cancer Center. The Arthur L. Irving Institute, The Center for Molecular Epidemiology, The Center for Quantitative Biology, The Hood Museum of Art, Wellness at Dartmouth, Dartmouth Athletics and Recreation, The Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies, Tuck Compass, The First Generation Office, The Dartmouth Center for Teaching and Learning, The Dartmouth Outdoor Programs Office, and the Undergraduate House Communities at Dartmouth.

Watch the Symposium talks on YouTube: