Community

Fall leaves on the ground covered in frost

Contemplative Commons from across the Dell

Faith, Play, and Practice: Analog Hour

Faith, Play, and Practice: Analog Hour is a chance for students and community members to engage in hands-on and screen free activities in the Contemplative Sciences Center. Step away from your daily grind and enjoy a mid-week contemplative practice that engages your childlike sense of play.

Community, Faculty, Students

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Poster for Spiritual Roots of Yoga talk with image of a woman meditating on the beach in the background

The Spiritual Roots of Yoga — Free Public Talk and Guided Meditation

In this free public talk and guided meditation, Sister Brahmani, a nun of Self-Realization Fellowship, will explore the spiritual roots of yoga through the wisdom of Paramahansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi, who helped bring India's ancient science of yoga meditation to the West and whose universal teachings continue to inspire seekers around the world. Discover how timeless guidance for revealing the peace, joy, and spiritual potential within each one of us can bring greater fulfillment to your life. Free and open to the public.

Community, Meditation, Students, Yoga

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Students doing yoga in the Contemplative Commons

Active Series Yoga (Mondays)

The Active Series was developed by Sharath Jois and derived from a traditional Ashtanga Yoga practice. It retains all the benefits of the traditional method keeping the linking of movement with breath but includes new more accessible postures for a wider range of students in a modern age and setting. Students from all levels will be able to participate in a non-intimidating inclusive setting.

Community, Students, Yoga

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Photo divided into three images: sound bowls, tai chi pose, yoga pose

Friday Rest Fest

Join us Friday afternoons for these contemplative activities specially curated to help you reconnect with your body and feel refreshed for the weekend. Drop in to any class. All are open to the public.

Community, Movement, Students, Yoga

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A group of students practicing yoga. They sit with their legs straight and reach towards their toes.

Yoga for Resilience

How are the body and the breath connected to how we feel? This class explores how we can use our autonomic nervous system to reach a different state of presence. Each session opens with a form of embodied movement, often a vinyasa flow or something dynamic. Once the body is warm, we shift into breathwork sequences or meditation, drawing on practices refined over centuries in yogic traditions and adapted here for a modern, practical context. No prior yoga or meditation experience is required.

Community, Students, Yoga

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A yoga class in the Contemplative Commons, students in the Hero Pose

Ashtanga Yoga Drop-in Led Class

Instructor: Seunghun Lee. In this fun Sunday class, students will practice Ashtanga yoga and build a practice that works for them at their level and pace. Previous yoga experience is not required. Classes are filled with posture breakdowns, alignment cues, and variations to modify poses that may be new or currently inaccessible. This class will likely include half of the primary series and will be modified according to the needs of those practicing. Expect a lovely 40-minute yoga workout, cooldown and rest, and community fun in a low pressure environment!

Community, Students, Yoga

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Children sit on benches around a teacher pouring tea

Elements of Peace

The Elements of Peace Summer Program offers youth (ages 11-15) a fun, screen-free experience for rest, reflection, and connection before the next school year begins. Rooted in contemplative and creative practices, we invite participants to slow down, reflect, and engage in authentic community-building and elemental immersion practices with earth, water, fire, wind, and space. Grounded in values of kindness, joy, and balance the program creates a space where young people can reconnect with themselves, one another, and the world around them.

Community, Featured

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a group of students sits on a wooden floor in the Contemplative Commons and meditates, overlooking the foliage below from the floor to ceiling window

Midday Mindfulness

Join us for a midday contemplative break led by the Contemplative Sciences Center staff and guest instructors. While practices shared may come from various traditions, they aim to invite participants to explore the mindful qualities of present-moment awareness, curiosity, and non-judgment. These are free, drop-in sessions for all of the UVA and Charlottesville community.

Community, Meditation, Students

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Soundbath

Join us for a relaxing sound bath session on Sundays at the Contemplative Commons. Led by a trained practitioner, a sound bath is a meditative sonic experience that eases stress and cultivates rest. Participants sit or lie comfortably while absorbing gentle vibrations from instruments such as chimes, drums, and singing bowls.

Community, Students

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