The fight against stress, fear, anger, or hopelessness; the quest for inner peace and connectedness with oneself and the others, are among the major projects for students pursuing a good life. While academic studies (through general-education courses, for instance) of philosophical ideas and religious perspectives may help, direct engagement in spiritual practices grounded in a religio-philosophical tradition is likely to consolidate understanding or even bring life-changing transformation. The proposed presentation introduces—from students’ as well as the teacher’s eyes—a new experiential-learning course offered in June 2019 that includes a seven-day retreat in France, at a centre where Buddhist mindfulness is taught and practiced with a modern twist. Several students will share their observations and insights gained from sustained meditation practices before and during the retreat—cultivating mindfulness through sitting, walking, eating, cooking, working, playing drums, and forest bathing, and nurturing compassion and wisdom through rituals, talks, chats, and exercise in nonviolent communication. The teacher will share lessons learnt about course design and assessment that cater to the experiential nature of the course while not compromising the intellectual rigor. While student experience will be the focus of the poster presentation, reflection on the teaching design will be the focus of the talk. A five-minute video will be shown during the poster presentation session with photos and video clips of students engaged in activities or relating their experience in interviews.
