“Mindfulness” is such a huge buzzword in today’s culture that it sometimes becomes a catch-all term for instayoga pics and #livingmybestlife rather than one of substance. What does mindfulness really mean? Can it be practiced with authenticity and integrity? And how did it become so popular?

Covering topics such as transcendentalism, hippie counterculture, new age spiritual cults, and the complexities of present-day commercialization of meditation practices, this talk explores various aspects of the historical roots of mindfulness in the United States and how it has evolved over time.

As a certified yoga teacher with over 25 years of meditation experience and hands-on experience of working and volunteering with one of the largest Buddhist organizations in the west, speaker Maya Rook brings to this discussion a unique and insightful perspective on this topic.

A portion of ticket sales will be donated to the Prison Mindfulness Institute and their mission to provide prisoners, prison staff, and prison volunteers with tools for rehabilitation, self-transformation, and personal and professional development, such as mindfulness-based interventions (MBI’s). This donation supports their dual focus on transforming individual lives and the corrections system as a whole in order to mitigate its destructive impact on families, communities, and the overall social capital of society.

Join us for this virtual History Happy Hour on Thursday, January 14th, at 7 pm EST! Participants will receive a Zoom link with instructions prior to the event.

Register here.