{"id":60787,"date":"2024-12-10T00:06:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-10T08:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.usc.edu\/?p=60787"},"modified":"2025-01-22T10:37:00","modified_gmt":"2025-01-22T18:37:00","slug":"fostering-conditions-for-kindness-with-mindful-usc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.usc.edu\/fostering-conditions-for-kindness-with-mindful-usc\/","title":{"rendered":"Fostering conditions for kindness with Mindful USC"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero no-image\"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  \n\n    \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n\n    <span class=\"title\">\n      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fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M9.5 12.2002L8.7 11.1002L2.4 2.1002H5.1L10.2 9.4002L11 10.5002L17.6 19.9002H14.9L9.5 12.2002ZM11.9 9.4002L19.3 0.700195H17.5L11 8.2002L6 0.800196H0L7.8 12.2002L0 21.2002H1.8L8.6 13.3002L14.1 21.2002H20.1L11.9 9.4002Z\" fill=\"#990000\"\/>\n          <\/svg>\n        <\/a>\n\n      \n    \n      \n        <a class=\"a2a_button_linkedin\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#linkedin\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" aria-label=\"LinkedIn (link is external)\">\n          <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_linkedin\">\n            <svg enable-background=\"new 0 0 19 19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n              <path d=\"m15.4 0h-11.8c-2 0-3.6 1.6-3.6 3.6v11.8c0 2 1.6 3.6 3.6 3.6h11.8c2 0 3.6-1.6 3.6-3.6v-11.8c0-2-1.6-3.6-3.6-3.6zm-9.6 15.9h-2.8v-8.6h2.8zm-1.5-9.7c-1 0-1.6-.6-1.5-1.5 0-.9.6-1.5 1.6-1.5.9 0 1.5.6 1.5 1.5s-.6 1.5-1.6 1.5zm11.7 9.7h-2.7v-4.6c0-1.2-.5-2-1.5-2-.9 0-1.4.5-1.5 1-.1.2-.1.5-.1.7v5h-2.8c0-7.8 0-8.6 0-8.6h2.8v1.2c.4-.6 1-1.5 2.5-1.5 2 0 3.3 1.2 3.3 3.8z\" fill=\"#990000\"\/>\n            <\/svg>\n          <\/span>\n        <\/a>\n\n      \n    \n      \n        <a class=\"a2a_button_email\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#email\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" aria-label=\"E-mail (link is external)\">\n          <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_email\">\n            <svg enable-background=\"new 0 0 20 13\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 13\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n              <path d=\"m20 1.3v.2 10c0 .8-.7 1.5-1.5 1.5h-17c-.8 0-1.5-.7-1.5-1.5v-10c0-.1 0-.1 0-.2l8.5 7.4c.9.8 2.2.8 3.1 0zm-9.5 6.2 8.5-7.4c-.1-.1-.3-.1-.5-.1h-17c-.2 0-.4 0-.6.1l8.5 7.4c.4.3.8.3 1.1 0z\" fill=\"#990000\"\/>\n            <\/svg>\n          <\/span>\n        <\/a>\n\n      \n    \n  <\/span>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  <div class=\"text-container\">\n    \n    \n          <span class=\"subtitle\"><p>Mindful USC offers mindfulness-related programming and events designed to foster connection and compassion among Trojans.<\/p>\n<\/span>\n    \n          <div class=\"meta\">\n                  <span class=\"date\">June 10, 2026<\/span>\n        \n                  <span class=\"author\">By <a href=\"https:\/\/today.usc.edu\/tag\/chinyere-cindy-amobi\">Chinyere Cindy Amobi<\/a><\/span>\n              <\/div>\n    \n  <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On a warm afternoon, seven Trojans joined <a href=\"https:\/\/mindful.usc.edu\/about-us\/\">Mindful USC<\/a> instructor Heidi Shaw for an hour of nature-filled bliss at a location many often overlook on their busy commutes.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sandwiched between the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences\u2019 physical education building and the Bovard Administration Building on USC\u2019s University Park Campus, Associates Park hides in plain sight for those rushing to the nearby student bookstore or food court.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In arguably the most wooded area on campus, participants stood in a circle amid a background cacophony of skateboards and rolling backpacks hitting concrete, passersby chatting, a raven making percussive sounds in the distance, and flights to and from Los Angeles International Airport rumbling overhead.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<div class=\"video-embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mindful USC Sense and Savor Nature Walk\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hWXN3IMOIwk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To kick off Mindful USC\u2019s \u201cSense and Savor\u201d Nature Walk, Shaw led participants through a grounding exercise where they were encouraged to notice the feeling of their feet on the ground, take deep breaths \u2014 and pay attention to the sounds and smells of the world around them.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOftentimes for participants, this is the first time they were able to slow down on campus and actually enjoy it and see its natural beauty,\u201d said Shaw, a psychotherapist and mindful meditation teacher.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This activity is just one of the experiences curated by Mindful USC, a service offered by the USC Office of the Provost through the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life. Mindful USC provides mindfulness-related courses and events designed to foster connection and compassion between the diverse communities of USC. The program helps Trojans experience mindfulness in the format that works best for them through classes, retreats, workshops, trainings and other events that are free to faculty, staff, and present and past students.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMindfulness is a way of paying attention to what\u2019s happening within you and around you and doing that in a way that\u2019s open and isn\u2019t judgmental,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/phed\/profile\/dr-allyson-pimentel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Allyson Pimentel<\/a>, a psychologist, longtime Insight meditation practitioner and director of Mindful USC. \u201cA big part of being mindful is also being compassionate, because through mindfulness we cultivate compassion toward ourselves and for the world around us.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Mindful USC: Fostering conditions for kindness <\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">USC Dean of Religious Life <a href=\"https:\/\/orsl.usc.edu\/team\/varun-soni\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Varun Soni<\/a> co-founded Mindful USC with Professor Emeritus <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marshall.usc.edu\/personnel\/allen-weiss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Allen Weiss<\/a> of the USC Marshall School of Business in 2014. The goal of the program was to use an upstream model of care to bring techniques and technologies to the community to support well-being, increase groundedness, and make the stressors of academic and professional life more manageable.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Soni described being inspired to help create the program after noticing that more students, faculty and staff were talking about struggling to thrive and feel a sense of belonging on campus. He drew from his own university experiences seeing the potential of meditation: After spending a semester studying Buddhism and living in a Buddhist monastery, he taught friends how to meditate and saw how the practice eased their anxiety. Soni joined forces with Weiss \u2014 who at the time was also a senior instructor at InsightLA, an influential mindfulness organization \u2014 and began offering free mindfulness classes on a shoestring budget with no staff.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAs soon as we put up these free mindfulness classes, they would be filled almost immediately \u2014 and there would be a waiting list that was extensive,\u201d Soni said. \u201cWhat had changed between when I was a college student and the time where I was doing this for college students was that a lot of people are meditating now. By 2014, we didn\u2019t have to prove the concept and create a literacy campaign about meditation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many of the classes were also set up as research projects, where the pair captured data from participants to think about whether meditation could combat issues such as insomnia, substance abuse, anxiety and stress.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhat\u2019s unique about a research university is that we can do not just the practice, but also the research \u2014 and the research helps us better offer the practice,\u201d Soni said.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the program grew, Soni brought Pimentel onto the staff; the team now consists of 16 contracted instructors. While at first all offerings were in person, the team eventually developed the Mindful USC app and added an array of online classes and programming.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Soni estimates that Mindful USC provides mindfulness training for thousands of participants each year between the program\u2019s app, online and in-person engagement. As Mindful USC passes its 10th anniversary, Soni believes more than 50,000 people have gone through the program and that USC has trained more people in mindfulness than any other university in the United States.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhen we started Mindful USC, we were the largest mindfulness program in the country,\u201d Soni said. \u201cSince then, other universities have tried to take our model and build out similar programs across the country.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Something for everyone at Mindful USC<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pimentel said she and her colleagues aim to develop an array of classes that meet students where they are in their mindfulness practice. Courses are taught over several weeks and range from \u201cIntroduction to Mindfulness\u201d to more advanced classes such as \u201cDeveloping a Home Practice,\u201d \u201cMindful Self-Compassion,\u201d \u201cUntangling Anxiety,\u201d \u201cProcessing Climate Grief,\u201d \u201cCultivating Kindness, Compassion, Serenity &amp; Joy,\u201d \u201cMindful Writing,\u201d \u201cMindful Creativity\u201d and more. Specialized programs are designed for affinity groups including neurodiverse meditators, educators and health professionals, and meditators who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In-person events include beach mini-retreats at Santa Monica Beach, Sense and Savor Nature Walks on campus, and a new series of earth-honoring practices planned for spring. A popular course called \u201cMindful Parenting\u201d helps parents stay present and compassionate during the ups and downs of parenthood.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>New ways of reaching people during tumultuous times<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mindful USC\u2019s growing popularity is easy to understand. Instructor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chla.org\/profile\/gauri-kolhatkar-md-mph-ms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gauri Kolhatkar<\/a> said she and her colleagues have noticed concerning trends amid what U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has labeled a mental health crisis across the country. \u201cUnfortunately, rates of depression, anxiety, general distress and physical ailments have all increased post-pandemic,\u201d said Pimentel, who described present times as a moment of collective anxiety. \u201cI\u2019ve seen an increased need for practices and tools and ways of being in the world and looking at the world that support well-being.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The pandemic also gave birth to new ways of reaching people that transcended traditional, in-person gatherings. \u201cThat\u2019s been a really beautiful kind of development post-pandemic \u2014 we\u2019ve really leaned into offerings and ways of gathering in a virtual or hybrid way that feels meaningful and important,\u201d said Kolhatkar, who is on faculty at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and is an attending physician at Children\u2019s Hospital Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both instructors agreed that the past tumultuous years had revealed a kind of resilience in individuals \u2014 a quality they believe mindfulness can enhance.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhat\u2019s beautiful about mindfulness practice is that it acknowledges the strength and the resilience and the capacity and the compassion that\u2019s already there,\u201d Pimentel said. \u201cIt offers ways to develop and increase those qualities that we have inherently, that fortify us and naturally enable us to deal with the challenges that we face.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Mindful USC event a \u2018luxurious\u2019 experience<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Participants in the Sense and Savor event spent 25 minutes wandering the park and nearby areas, noticing the plants, feeling the sun and the breeze, and gazing at the sky. As they reported back, one student said a squirrel had touched its nose to her toe. Another student took the time to look at the branches of trees and notice the fibers of the wood. As participants thanked Shaw for the experience, one student described the brief window of time as \u201cluxurious,\u201d being able to pause and observe nature in between classes and meetings.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI came to Mindful USC during a stressful time \u2014 it\u2019s my senior year and I\u2019ve taken on a lot of projects, so having the dedicated time to just sit and be present was important to me,\u201d said Sophia Hammerle, a fourth-year student at USC Dornsife majoring in narrative studies and gender and sexuality studies.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fellow USC Dornsife student Lola Kark agreed. \u201cI believe the importance of mindfulness is something that should be considered every single day in a student\u2019s life,\u201d Kark said. \u201cI\u2019m on the pre-med track, but for all students at USC, they\u2019re obviously under a certain amount of stress and very hardworking. Being able to connect with one\u2019s surrounding and stay in the present moment can really help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong>STORY AND VIDEO:<\/strong> Mindful USC offers mindfulness-related programming and events designed to foster connection and compassion among Trojans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":60298,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[1154,130,1021,525,1412,25,1185,152],"news_type":[103],"class_list":["post-60787","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-university","tag-chinyere-cindy-amobi","tag-faculty","tag-interdisciplinary","tag-mental-health","tag-mindful-usc","tag-students","tag-usc-news","tag-usc-news-top-stories","news_type-usc-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is 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