Quote and Overview
"Each time we struggle with something difficult, we gain a little skill and a little confidence about our ability to take on challenges."
Holly B. Rogers writes about mindfulness in “Resilience: Surfing the Waves with Style,” an excerpt from her 2016 book The Mindful Twenty-Something. Rogers explains that mindfulness helps with resilience because it exposes you to a healthy dose of difficulty and teaches you how to take a productive approach to challenges. Introduced by Dr. Stacey Pearson-Wharton, this text offers advice for tackling minor issues that young people face every day, like fighting with partners or being late for work.
Holly Rogers
- Common Reading Visiting Author SeriesCOMMON READING LECTURES
Holly B. Rogers, MD
Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018—7:30 p.m.
Rogers is a developer of the Koru Mindfulness® program, founder of the Center for Koru Mindfulness® and a psychiatrist at Duke University.
Holly Rogers, MD, is one of the leading experts on teaching mindfulness to young adults. She is a psychiatrist and mindfulness teacher at Duke University's student counseling center. Rogers also developed Koru Mindfulness, the only evidence-based mindfulness training program designed for college-aged individuals, with Margaret Maytan.
Discussion Questions
1. Rogers discusses how the act of meditating builds resilience. What are some reasons why meditating works so well?
2. Can you think of any other activities you can do that can help you through difficult times?
3. The text defines equanimity as "a state of open, balanced peace of mind that is cultivated by the mindfulness." When have you felt a state of equanimity?
In-Class Activities
1. Have students research meditation and how it is proven to help individuals during hard times.
2. Show students the meditation tutorial and have them experiment with it in or out of class.
