Offerings and Events
The Center for Spiritual Life coordinates programs and events that are open to students from all or no faith backgrounds.
Regular offerings include:
Weekly Mindful Moments Meditation
Mindful Moments are half-hour gatherings that include staff- and student-led meditations, approachable and open to everyone on campus. The practices vary week to week, but are mindfulness-based and encourage a break from stress and unconscious reactions, while nurturing a more grounded state of being. For more information, contact Diane Lauber.
Yoga HUB
Yoga HUB embodies a commitment to cultivating a Healthy body, Uncluttered mind, and Blissful soul. Offerings include a 6 week certificate course and special programs on yoga, meditation, and the yogic diet, with timeless wisdom extracted from revered classics such as the Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras, and traditional Ayurvedic texts. Contact Hindu & Dharmic Chaplain Partha Biswas for more information.
Interfaith Events
The Center for Spiritual Life hosts a variety of student- and staff-led interfaith events. In recent years these have included a coffee house, speed friending, a panel of speakers from various faith traditions, and a series of conversations concerning the spiritual implications of questions from everyday life (e.g. Does God Care How We Vote?). To find upcoming events, see our calendar.
Conversations that Matter
Over the course of five weeks, this fellowship explores some of life’s big questions (like “What does it mean to lead a good life?”) in order to explore the assumptions and values that make us tick. Students leave with a clearer view of their own take on the world and new insight into how others see things. It also develops skills for handling potentially challenging discussions -- in residence halls, classes, clubs, internships, and beyond.
Applications for the next cohort of Conversations that Matter open at the start of each semester. Learn more about Conversations that Matter. All undergraduate and graduate Brandeis students are welcome to participate. Contact Lara Ericson for more information.
Retreats
The Center for Spiritual Life offers occasional retreats off campus. Past retreats have included a Sophomore Retreat with opportunities to reflect on one’s future with the support of mentors, a First Year Retreat, service-learning trips, and contemplative retreats.
Current annual retreats include:
Mind Body Spirit Retreat
This one-day retreat happens each year as a collaboration between multiple chaplains. The schedule normally includes yoga, cooking together, meditation, journaling, and time outside. For more information, contact Christian Chaplain Karl LaClair, or Hindu & Dharmic Chaplains Anjum Biswas or Partha Biswas.
Storytelling Retreat
This retreat will explore how the art of storytelling can help us to both find ourselves and express ourselves to others. We’ll see how the stories we love can reveal more about who we are! Through group sharing, activities, and some mindfulness practices, this retreat will help us to connect more deeply with the power of stories. For more information, contact Christian Chaplain Karl LaClair.
Peer Engagement Coordinator Events
The Center for Spiritual Life's paid student team, the Peer Engagement Coordinators, plan and lead several events each semester. In the past these gatherings have included: Grief in Community: Climate Anxiety and How to Make Sense of It, Spirituality of Music, Nature & Spirituality Walks at Middlesex Fells Reservation, and Breaking the Stigma of “Non-traditional Faith.” If you’d like to get in touch with them about future events or suggestions, contact Lara Ericson.
