Mindful Moments: Using Meditation for Student and Staff Wellbeing in the Classroom

Abstract

This article discusses the increasing concerns for student mental health within higher education and the specific need for anthropology to consider the effects of our teaching content on student wellbeing.  I reflect on using mindfulness in the classroom as a coping strategy for the challenges faced during the Covid-19 pandemic, and how meditation helped to create a supportive, relaxed learning environment. Acknowledging the limits of this practice, I consider meditation to be one resource within a wider pedagogical toolkit that embraces student-centred learning. My argument does not intend to further burden teaching staff with the responsibilities for student welfare, but instead demonstrates how using pedagogies that prioritise wellbeing can increase student engagement, promote inclusivity and lead to positive transformations for students and staff.