Contemplation by Design (CBD) is a campus-wide, multidisciplinary program and annual summit designed to encourage all members of the Stanford community to enjoy the power of the pause.

From October 30 – November 8, 2018 — rain or shine, CBD Summit events and sessions will be offered all around campus that further balance, tranquility and creative excellence. Faculty, staff, students and members of the greater Stanford community are given opportunities to connect with their deepest humanity as a way to their highest possibility.

Participants pause from their high level of productivity and innovation to experience multi-faceted, transformational learning that cultivates individual and community well-being, and supports sustainable whole-hearted, ethical, purposeful engagement in service, teaching and/or research benefitting the region, the nation and the world.

All events are free but registration is required:
View the complete schedule and register for individual events.

A BeWell Berry is awarded to for registered participation.

Each event and session is designed to bring the Stanford community together in recognizing the importance of quieting the thinking mind and refreshing oneself through quiet contemplation. Events this year include talks by Ron Tyler, JD, addressing how contemplative practices support civic engagement; Mannish Saggar, PhD, speaking on the neuroscience of contemplative practices; and keynote speaker Roshi Joan Halifax on finding freedom where fear and courage meet. The CBD Summit will also include creation of the Compassion Sand Mandala in the lobby of the Alumni Center, daily guided meditations, book discussions, nature hikes, mindful yoga, the Contemplative Concert in Bing, and so much more.

Carillon Concert: On Wednesday, October 31, the Hoover carillon bells will be ringing to signal the university’s commitment to emotional well-being. At noon, all members of the Stanford community are invited to gather in Dorhmann Grove, the Oval ear and Meyer Green to receive fresh flowers and share the pre-concert activities, the carillon concert (12:30-12:50 p.m.), and a closing contemplative pause (12:50-1:00pm).  The Carillon concert will also be broadcast live on KZSU radio at 90.1 FM and streamed online at kzsulive.stanford.edu.

PEACE

CBD events are designed to help people experience PEACE, which is also an acronym for the skills of contemplation that offer a way of living by which solutions are created, well-being is enhanced and excellence is sustained:

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 community member — 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.

Learn more:
Strength in contemplation
Thriving with resilience: The role of contemplative practices