Newman University Associate Professor of Social Work Michael Duxler, Ph.D. and Professor of Communication and Dean of Graduate and Continuing Studies Audrey Hane, Ph.D. will present “Mindful Living: Stopping the Distraction Epidemic” as the June presentation in the 2014-15 HealthPulse Lecture Series. The lecture is open to the public and will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 16, in the Dugan-Gorges Conference Center, in the Dugan Library and Campus Center on the campus of Newman University, 3100 McCormick.
The HealthPulse Lecture Series is sponsored by Newman University and the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita. The series features presentations by health care practitioners and educators on a variety of health and wellness topics.
Mindfulness, mindful living and mindful practice have become popular topics in recent years, thanks in large part to the 2010 book A Mindful Nation: How a Simple Practice Can Help Us Reduce Stress, Improve Performance, and Recapture the American Spirit, written by U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio). The book examines how mindful practices, such as eliminating distractions and being fully present and aware in the moment, can help people cope and be more productive in the face of stress, over-busy schedules and other challenges of modern life.
Groups such as the Mindful Nation Foundation (http://mindfulnationnetwork.com) and the local Wichita in Mind (http://wichita.mindfulnationnetwork.com) have formed to increase awareness and promote the practice of mindful practice and living. Both the national and the Wichita organizations are working with several groups – including veterans with PTSD, school teachers, children, healthcare practitioners and community leaders – to show how mindfulness principles and practices can be especially helpful.
Duxler and Hane said their lecture will focus on what mindful living/mindful practice is, how others are using it, how lecture attendees can use it, and how to move forward to experience the emotional, cognitive and health benefits it brings.
“The talk will include an overview of what mindfulness is and what it’s not and how it differentiates from meditation,” Duxler said. “We’ve worked in our group [Wichita in Mind] the last year or so to really define the message for both people who might be very familiar with mindful practice and those who are hearing about it for the first time.”
“I think people will come away from the lecture with an understanding of mindfulness,” Hane added. “They may be hearing about it in the news, it’s on the cover of Time Magazine and there are articles in Parade Magazine. We want to clarify what mindfulness is, and then give them the opportunity to experience some mindful practices so they understand how they might be able to integrate them into their own lives.”
Registration is required: $5 includes lunch. The registration deadline is June 15. A shuttle van will operate between Newman parking lots and the Conference Center for those who require assistance. To register and view a complete list of dates, visit http://health-pulse.eventbrite.com.
For a short video featuring Audrey Hane speaking about the lecture, visit: https://youtu.be/-B3fnMCWEyk.
For a short video featuring Michael Duxler speaking about the lecture, visit: https://youtu.be/_F-atMKlnjQ.
About the Speakers
Audrey Curtis Hane, Ph.D. is the Dean of Graduate and Continuing Studies at Newman University, where she is a professor of Communication. She has won several awards, including the E.C. Buehler Outstanding Teaching Fellowship Award from the University of Kansas in 1995, where she earned her Ph.D., and the Newman University Outstanding Mentor Award in 1999. Her expertise and commitment to teaching earned her the 2003 Newman University Teaching Excellence Award, an annual recognition to a full-time faculty member who has demonstrated an innovative or dynamic approach to courses, course revisions, and teaching techniques. In 2004, she was awarded the excellence in academic advising award in response to her work with student advisees.
In 2006, the Wichita Business Journal named Hane to its “40 Under 40” class. In addition to her teaching and research, Hane has conducted communication training for many clients, including the City of Wichita, Sedgwick County, the State of Kansas, the United Way, Wichita State University and others. She has also served as a communication consultant for Learjet Bombardier Aerospace, the Hunter Health Clinic, Grace Presbyterian Church, the Junior League of Wichita and the Kansas Health Institute. She is a member of the National Communication Association.
Michael Duxler, Ph.D. is currently an Associate Professor in Social Work at Newman University and is co-founder of Wichita in Mind. He earned his doctorate in 1994 from the University of Texas (Arlington), and was trained and employed at Timberlawn Psychiatric Hospital in Dallas, Texas, for 15 years. He then served as the associate dean at New Mexico Highlands University before joining the Newman faculty in 2002.
Duxler’s areas of specialization are marriage and family therapy, mindful practice/neuralanatomy, and relationships. Duxler recently presented on creating a mindful community with A Mindful Nation author Congressman Tim Ryan at the Wisdom 2.0 conference.
