Since 2012, the University of Minnesota's Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing has hosted wellbeing thought-leaders to inspire and educate the community, organizations, and life-long learners through the Wellbeing Lecture Series.
Past speakers like Brené Brown, Atul Gawande, Dessa, Celeste Headlee, Rhonda Magee, and Jon Kabat-Zinn have explored a range of topics including purpose, vulnerability, food and wellbeing, gratitude, technology, and mindfulness, among others.
Discover more about your own wellbeing with us through the Wellbeing Series, an opportunity to engage, learn, and experience what wellbeing means to you.
For questions about the Wellbeing Series or to make disability-related accommodations, please contact the Bakken Center’s community relations and events office at [email protected] or 612-625-8164.
2025 Wellbeing Series
Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellbeing: A Conversation with Renée Fleming
Tuesday, February 11, 2025 • 12 to 1:30 p.m. Central
Join us for an inspiring conversation with Renée Fleming, world-renowned soprano, World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador for Arts and Health, and leading advocate for the study of this growing field. She will be joined by a panel of accomplished and passionate experts in their own fields for a lively discussion exploring the power of the arts to connect, heal, and transform.
A prominent advocate for research at the intersection of arts and health, Renée is passionate about the vital role music and the arts play in our society. Most of us have, at times, felt moved or comforted by music, but scientists are now discovering that music can teach us a lot about the brain itself. Music engages many neural regions at once, and evidence suggests that it can shape and even alter our brains.
In addition to using music to better understand the complex functioning of the brain, researchers have found creative arts therapies to be effective tools in addressing the effects of an ever-widening array of conditions. Especially compelling is the fact that music, dance, and art therapies are cost-effective, non-pharmaceutical, and non-invasive. With an aging population, the potential implications of this work are immense. The impact of arts on the developing brains of children is another burgeoning field of study, with effects reaching beyond test results and scholastic aptitude to creativity and success throughout life.
Renée will be joined in discussion with the founder and director of the University of Minnesota’s Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing, Dr. Mary Jo Kreitzer, who will also moderate a discussion with the following panelists:
- Kathryn Cullen, MD, Head of the Child & Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) Division and Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota
A prominent advocate for research at the intersection of arts and health, Renée is passionate about the vital role music and the arts play in our society. Most of us have, at times, felt moved or comforted by music, but scientists are now discovering that music can teach us a lot about the brain itself. Music engages many neural regions at once, and evidence suggests that it can shape and even alter our brains.
In addition to using music to better understand the complex functioning of the brain, researchers have found creative arts therapies to be effective tools in addressing the effects of an ever-widening array of conditions. Especially compelling is the fact that music, dance, and art therapies are cost-effective, non-pharmaceutical, and non-invasive. With an aging population, the potential implications of this work are immense. The impact of arts on the developing brains of children is another burgeoning field of study, with effects reaching beyond test results and scholastic aptitude to creativity and success throughout life.
Renée will be joined in discussion with the founder and director of the University of Minnesota’s Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing, Dr. Mary Jo Kreitzer, who will also moderate a discussion with the following panelists:
- Kathryn Cullen, MD, Head of the Child & Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) Division and Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota
- David Ingbar, MD, Professor of Medicine and Assistant Dean for Faculty Development & Mentoring, Medical School, University of Minnesota
- Patrick Warfield, PhD, MA, BME, Director and Professor, School of Music, University of Minnesota
Join us as Renée and our panel discuss the power of the arts to heal, and the latest in research and discovery in this fascinating and rapidly-growing field.
- Patrick Warfield, PhD, MA, BME, Director and Professor, School of Music, University of Minnesota
Join us as Renée and our panel discuss the power of the arts to heal, and the latest in research and discovery in this fascinating and rapidly-growing field.
About Renée Fleming:
Renée Fleming is one of the most highly acclaimed singers of our time, performing on the stages of the world’s great opera houses and concert halls. A 2023 Kennedy Center Honoree, winner of five Grammy® awards and the US National Medal of Arts, she has sung for momentous occasions from the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony to the Super Bowl. In 2023, the World Health Organization appointed her as Goodwill Ambassador for Arts and Health. Renée received the 2023 Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Solo for Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene. Her anthology, Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness, was published in April. A prominent advocate for research at the intersection of arts and health, as Artistic Advisor to the Kennedy Center Renée launched the first ongoing collaboration between America’s national cultural center and its largest health research institute, the NIH. She created her own program called Music and the Mind, which she has presented in more than 60 cities around the world. Renée’s other awards include the 2023 Crystal Award from the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal, and honorary doctorates from ten leading universities.
Healing Together: The Power of Community Care in Fostering Mental Health with Minaa B.
Tuesday, April 1, 2025 • 12 to 1:30 p.m. Central
In this webinar, Minaa B. will explore the profound impact that belonging and community support can have on mental health and wellbeing. Drawing on her expertise as a social worker, mental health educator, and advocate, she will highlight how fostering meaningful social connections and cultivating a supportive environment are key components of maintaining mental health.
Through evidence-based insights and practical strategies, Minaa will guide participants in building a personalized mental health blueprint that spans individual, interpersonal, and social levels. This blueprint will provide tools to enhance emotional wellbeing, combat loneliness, and create a sense of belonging that can transform both individuals and communities. By the end of this talk, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how community care can be a powerful force for healing, resilience, and personal growth.
Learning objectives:
1. How belonging and community support can significantly impact mental health and wellbeing.
2. The role of social connections and a supportive environment in fostering mental health.
3. How to build an individual, interpersonal, and social blueprint as a way to improve one's mental health and combat loneliness.
Through evidence-based insights and practical strategies, Minaa will guide participants in building a personalized mental health blueprint that spans individual, interpersonal, and social levels. This blueprint will provide tools to enhance emotional wellbeing, combat loneliness, and create a sense of belonging that can transform both individuals and communities. By the end of this talk, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how community care can be a powerful force for healing, resilience, and personal growth.
Learning objectives:
1. How belonging and community support can significantly impact mental health and wellbeing.
2. The role of social connections and a supportive environment in fostering mental health.
3. How to build an individual, interpersonal, and social blueprint as a way to improve one's mental health and combat loneliness.
About Minaa B.:
Minaa B. is a licensed social worker, mental health educator, and author of Owning Our Struggles. She is also the founder of a mental health consulting practice where she collaborates with organizations to help them develop psychological safety. Additionally, Minaa is the host of the podcast Mindful With Minaa and is also a member of the Mental Health Advisory Committee for Wondermind, a mental fitness company co-founded by Selena Gomez. An expert in her field, Minaa has been featured in various media outlets, including Red Table Talk, Peace of Mind with Taraji, Oprah Daily, Katie Couric Media, Essence, and more. Minaa currently resides in New York City.
This webinar is approved by the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) for 1.5 continuing education credits (CEA-000582-2).
Self-Compassion: How to Effectively Motivate Yourself with Encouragement Rather Than Criticism with Dr. Kristin Neff
Thursday, September 25, 2025 • 12 to 1:30 p.m. Central
Our first instinct when we fail, suffer, or feel inadequate may be to criticize or to judge ourselves—but there is a better way to get through life’s hardships, says Dr. Kristin Neff. A way that enables us to achieve our highest potential and lead more contented, fulfilling lives. And that’s through self-compassion.
Some people fear self-compassion is a form of self-pity, and obsessively chase high self-esteem instead—their self-worth fluctuating with every success and failure. But research shows us that people who are self-compassionate lead healthier, happier, more productive lives than those who are self-critical. These people also have the resilience needed to cope with traumatic or stressful life events such as divorce, parenting, or the pressures at work.
In this talk, she walks audiences through practices designed to increase motivation, foster grit and growth mindset, and rebound from failure, all through the cultivation of self-compassion.
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the three components of self-compassion.
2. Distinguish between self-criticism and self-compassion as motivators.
3. Apply self-compassion in motivational contexts.
Some people fear self-compassion is a form of self-pity, and obsessively chase high self-esteem instead—their self-worth fluctuating with every success and failure. But research shows us that people who are self-compassionate lead healthier, happier, more productive lives than those who are self-critical. These people also have the resilience needed to cope with traumatic or stressful life events such as divorce, parenting, or the pressures at work.
In this talk, she walks audiences through practices designed to increase motivation, foster grit and growth mindset, and rebound from failure, all through the cultivation of self-compassion.
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the three components of self-compassion.
2. Distinguish between self-criticism and self-compassion as motivators.
3. Apply self-compassion in motivational contexts.
About Dr. Kristin Neff:
Dr. Kristin Neff pioneered the research field of self-compassion over 20 years ago. Since then, she's become one of the most influential researchers in psychology worldwide and has written multiple bestselling books, including Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself, The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook, and her most recent Mindful Self-Compassion for Burnout. Dr. Neff is an associate professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Harvard Business Review, among others, and her TEDx talk has been viewed over 1.7 million times. She’s also the co-developer of an empirically supported training program called Mindful Self-Compassion, which is taught by thousands of people worldwide, and co-founder of the nonprofit Center for Mindful Self-Compassion.
This webinar is approved by the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) for 1.5 continuing education credits (CEA-000582-1).