The Lecture: Mindfulness, Contemplative Neuroscience and the Pillars of Wellbeing
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23 May 2023
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM - University Campus Bohunice, Aula B11/234, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Bohunice, Czechia
Lecture by Nava Levit-Binnun from Reichman University, Israel
The profound paradigm changes that occurred in the study of the brain, have given rise to the new scientific field of “contemplative neuroscience”. The last two decades of research in this field have demonstrated the ability to use brain training techniques, many of which are inspired by contemplative practices originating in ancient traditions, to cultivate greater mental health and resilience. In this talk I will present the highlights of contemplative neuroscience, and specifically the study of mindfulness programs, as well as the recently emerging neuroscientific models of wellbeing that outline the main pillars of wellbeing and how they can be cultivated. I will also show how these pillars are being integrated into medical practice to support staff resilience and patient recovery. The talk will include short experiential practices.
About the speaker
Nava Levit-Binnun, Ph.D. is a scientist and social entrepreneur, currently serving as an associate Professor and the director of the Sagol Center for Brain and Mind at the Reichman University, Israel. She received a B.Sc in Physics from the Hebrew University and a M.Sc and doctorate in Neuroscience from the Weizmann Institute of Science. She is also a fellow of the Mind & Life Institute.
The Sagol Center@RU which she heads is a unique research center dedicated to driving change in various sectors in Israeli society, such as education and health, through rigorous scientific work and its dissemination. The center focuses on understanding psychological and physiological underpinnings of healthy qualities of mind such as resilience, mindfulness, compassion, and reconciliation as well as intervention research to study the effects of mindfulness-based programs and its adaptations to various cultural and conflictual contexts.
As part of the greater societal vision of Sagol Center, Nava founded in 2009 the Muda (in Hebrew "Aware") Institute for Mindfulness, Science and Society which has been promoting public awareness of the scientific basis of mindfulness and other contemplative practices. It is the only academic center in Israel to train and accredit mindfulness instructors (MBSR and MBCT protocols), providing scholarships to support training of mindfulness instructors from minority communities, and with more than 250 graduates of its teacher training programs. Another social initiative that Nava founded and is currently the academic director is the Sagol Purple Schools Initiative, a whole-school program intended to create a profound paradigm shift in the Israeli schooling system through the dissemination of mindfulness and compassion based social-emotionallearning with system-based tools. The Purple Schools Initiative works with schools, municipalities, and the Ministry of Education.
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