Pruitt Center for Mindfulness and Well-Being
Mission
The mission of the Pruitt Center for Mindfulness and Well-Being at the University of Wisconsin-Superior is to promote and enhance the science and practice of mindfulness and well-being for students, faculty, staff, and surrounding communities.
Vision
Our vision is to become nationally recognized for the integration and advancement of mindfulness and well-being in higher education. We believe education has a dual purpose: building intellectual growth and fostering the development of well-being. This provides individuals with the knowledge and skills for career preparation along with the abilities to live authentically with greater meaning and purpose. The University of Wisconsin-Superior has made a deliberate commitment to advancing mindfulness and well-being as a priority for all students, faculty, and staff to improve campus climate, reduce mental health concerns, and improve achievement and retention efforts.
Values
We believe that regardless of discipline or position, we all have the opportunity to be teachers and learners of well-being. UW-Superior’s commitment to well-being encourages all members of our campus and local community to learn what it means to be mindful, to improve relationships, to manage stress and adversity, to develop a range of interests and strengths, and to establish a sense of meaning and purpose in their lives and careers.
PERMANENT Well-Being Model
Present Moment Awareness: "Mindfulness is paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally." -Jon Kabat-Zinn
Emotional Intelligence: "The capacity to recognize our own feelings and those of others, to manage our emotions, and to interact effectively with others." -Daniel Goleman
Relationships: "The only thing that really matters in life are your relationships to other people." -George Vaillant
Meaning: "Our main motivation for living is our will to find meaning in life." -Victor Frankl
Achievement: "Every Worthwhile Accomplishment, big or little, has its stages of drudgery and triumphs: a beginning, a struggle, and a victory." -Mahatma Gandhi
Needed Sleep: "Everything you do, you'll do better with a good night's sleep." -Arianna Huffington
Exercise: "When it comes to health and well-being, regular exercise is about as close to a magic potion as you can get." -Thich Nhat Hanh
Nutrition: "Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food." -Hippocrates
Thinking: "Habits of thinking need not be forever. One of the most significant findings in psychology in the last twenty years is that individuals can choose the way they think." -Martin Seligman
Activities and Engagement
The Pruitt Center for Mindfulness and Well-Being is a gathering hub, serving to provide mindfulness and well-being resources and expertise, learning projects, and personal/professional development activities. The Pruitt Center is committed to advancing the science and practice of mindfulness and well-being, utilizing a multidimensional framework that recognizes a diverse population within the UW-Superior campus and surrounding region. The Pruitt Center is also focusing efforts on establishing partnerships and collaboration across campus and the greater community.
Mindful Mondays
This recurring event is every Monday from 12-12:30 p.m. in the Pruitt Center, Swenson Hall Room 3117 (formerly in the Library, Room 224). This is a short, informal way to practice and reflect on the experience together, and is perfect for beginning and experienced practitioners alike. Randy and Lori will lead a variety of mindful experiences and offer alternative options (short recorded guided meditations) as well. We hope to see you there!
Faculty and Staff Yoga
The Pruitt Center for Mindfulness and Well-Being has collaborated with Runa Yoga to offer FREE yoga classes to faculty and staff to promote and enhance physical and mental well-being.
- Build community through a fun and imaginative class designed to build strength, flexibility, and concentration in a non-contemplative environment
- Great for those beginning, sustaining or rejuvenating their yoga practice
Weekly Yoga Classes for Students
The Pruitt Center for Mindfulness and Well-Being has collaborated with Campus Recreation to offer FREE yoga classes to UW-Superior students to promote and enhance physical and mental well-being.
- Build community through a fun and imaginative class designed to build strength, flexibility, and concentration in a non-contemplative environment
- Great for those beginning, sustaining or rejuvenating their yoga practice
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an 8-week course consisting of weekly sessions and one all-day retreat. It is based on the highly successful program established in 1979 by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. This course if offered world-wide and was offered for the first time at UW-Superior in Fall of 2018. The course will be offered again in the spring semester of 2020. Dates will be announced soon.
Weekly sessions include:
- Instruction in mindfulness meditation practices and mindful living
- Gentle stretching and mindful yoga
- Exercises to enhance awareness in everyday life
- Group discussion centering on specific topics related to mindful living
People who complete the course report one or more of the following:
- Lasting improvements in physical and psychological symptoms
- Increased ability to stay calm and to think more clearly
- Increased self-awareness
- Greater energy and enthusiasm for life
- Reduction in pain levels and/or enhanced ability to cope with pain
- Improved self-esteem and self-confidence
- Ability to cope more effectively with short and longterm stressful situations
The course fee is $50; Spring 2020 dates to be announced soon!
For more information, please contact the Pruitt Center for Mindfulness and Well-Being.
Who We Are
Randy Barker MSE, LPC : Interim Director, Pruitt Center for Mindfulness and Well-Being
Lori Tuominen: Program Manager, Pruitt Center for Mindfulness and Well-Being
Mindfulness and Well-Being Advisory Board:
Gloria Eslinger: Director, Undergraduate Art Therapy Program and Professor, Visual Arts
Dr. Mary Lee-Nichols: Associate Professor, Teacher Education
Kristine Patterson: Director, Campus Recreation
Maureen Rappley-Larson: Assistant Professor, Social Work
Dr. Shevaun Stocker: Department Chair, Human Behavior, Justice and Diversity Department and Associate Professor, Psychology
Who We Serve
- UW-Superior students, faculty, staff, and alumni
- Regional community
- Research scholars, practitioners and lifelong learners