Mondays are for Mindfulness

Three years into teaching Mindful Mondays sessions that offer a mix of movement and meditation, Mariann Johnson is still amazed that hundreds of people across Minnesota—and around the world—participate weekly. Even more astounding is that participants can’t see each other and likely never met, yet they have cultivated a tangible sense of community and kinship during the free, hour-long program.

"Its become a sanctuary for people where they can renew their sense of wellbeing and mindfulness,” says Johnson, Mindfulness and Wellbeing Instructor at the University of Minnesota’s Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing. “It’s really powerful."

The Center’s Mindful Mondays offering has grown in popularity since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, but its roots date back to 2003 with the launch of Stressbusters. The program met weekly in the Mayo Building Meditation Space, and offered an opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to drop in for respite and engage in mind-body practices.

When much of the University went online in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Bakken Center leaders knew they wanted to continue offering this lifeline of support to current participants, while opening the door for others throughout the University and beyond to join. They renamed the program Mindful Mondays to better reflect the content and focus, and enlisted Johnson to teach via Zoom each week, says Sue Nankivell, the Center’s Director of Business Development and Community Relations.

“People were afraid, anxious, and many were isolated and lonely. Some were suddenly with their families constantly—another stressor,” Nankivell says. “We heard from participants that these free, weekly drop-in sessions were important to their wellbeing as the pandemic unfolded. They grounded them with helpful wellbeing practices and tools, offered community, and gave them something to look forward to each week. That has continued to this day.”

Nearly 500 people registered for the first session on March 24, and by the second week it had grown to 1,100 people. Participation has stayed in the hundreds each week for three years, including people from all five UMN campuses and residents of 83 out of 87 Minnesota counties in 2022. In addition, 11 percent of participants are from another state, and 2 percent join from other countries, says Molly Buss, Community Relations Program and Event Manager at the Center.

University attendance has even grown in the past year as employee participants now receive wellbeing points through its Wellbeing Program, which helps people save money on their health insurance. Today, faculty and staff account for 60 – 70 percent of registrants, joining community members, alumni, and students, Buss says.

Meeting the mission

This effort to offer weekly, free programming like Mindful Mondays strikes at the heart of the Center’s mission to advance wellbeing in people, communities, and organizations, Nankivell says. “Mindful Mondays has become a beloved resource for many,” she adds. “It offers a consistent opportunity to set aside time for calming, grounding self-care during times that can be challenging for many.”

Each week, people join the live program on Zoom from noon – 1 p.m. Central time. The Center also records sessions and makes them available online for people to engage when it works for them. During each session, instructors spend time walking participants through gentle, mindful movements like chair, lying down, or standing yoga, and qigong, a mind-body practice that focuses on movement, breathing, and posture. These practices are then followed by 10-15 minutes of guided meditation.

Alvina Brueggemann, PhD, a cognitive psychologist who earned a certificate in Integrative Therapies & Healing Practices from the Bakken Center, started teaching Mindful Mondays sessions in 2022. She believes that pairing movement with meditation is an integral part of the program.

“What’s nice about the structure of Mindful Mondays is that it can be helpful to move before you meditate,” says Brueggemann, a Quality Improvement Consultant in Mental Health Services at M Health Fairview. “It’s really helpful to get some of those fidgets out, release some of the tension, and then it’s easy for the mind to quiet as well.”

Brueggemann usually teaches qigong and meditation, a combination she finds invigorating and relaxing. Qigong is known for loosening joints, lowering blood pressure, and relieving stress and anxiety, plus it is accessible and easy to learn. For any Mindful Mondays session, people can come as they are, without needing a special outfit or equipment. They will find a welcoming and supportive community that continues building connections with others from across the state and around the world, she says.

“I love Mindful Mondays. There’s such a beautiful sense of energy, awakening, and aliveness that comes from sharing this practice with other people,” Brueggemann says. “It’s so energizing as a teacher to know that others are joining. I feel like I’m helping ignite the fire in others to do this practice that will benefit their lives.”

Lasting outcomes

Beyond the hour that people spend participating in Mindful Mondays, embracing these mindfulness practices can have life-long effects, Johnson says. Taking time to be present is especially important in our 24/7 connected world; through mindfulness people can tap into some of their innate capabilities to be aware and engaged instead of distracted.

“We find that when we’re mindful, even in really difficult times, we’re even more resourceful. It’s a training of the heart and mind to bring mindful awareness to the sensations in our body, and we learn to respond rather than react,” Johnson says. “Mindful movement and meditation trains our brains to come home. It’s a stepping-stone for good self-care.”

The thousands of people who join Mindful Mondays programs have found a place to come home, knowing that they are spending time with a community of like minded others. It’s been a surprising and welcome outcome of moving the program online, Johnson says.

She still can’t believe how much of an impact Mindful Mondays has made and continues to make. “It’s as rich as it is because of community members who participate,” Johnson adds. “I never would have guessed that we would feel this sense of community and support when you can’t see anyone else, but it’s palpable.”

Register to attend Mindful Mondays!

Explore with us how a financial gift can ensure these profound and meaningful opportunities remain available and help broaden our reach to more people. Philanthropy supports our mindfulness facilitator team and removes financial barriers for participation. To begin the conversation about the impact you would like to make, contact: Virginia Kaczmarek, Development Officer at 612-624-1121, [email protected] or visit z.umn.edu/GiveCSH.