With the conclusion of the 2025-26 academic year, the Contemplative Commons building celebrates its first year since its grand opening. The Contemplative Sciences Center began running pilot programming in the Contemplative Commons building in Fall 2024, including public-facing and student-exclusive events from yoga and meditation to reflective writing sessions and guided mindfulness walks. During the past year, the CSC has continued to increase their programming and community contributions, and will be open seven days a week starting in the fall.
Of the increased programming, the CSC offered seven new classes, conducted studies and worked with University organizations and community partners to bring greater visibility to the space.
Ellen Daniels, associate director of communications for the CSC, wrote in a statement to The Cavalier Daily that a highlight of the programming from this past year included Tony & Laurel Bennett: More Than a Grade — a conversation exploring how individuals can create a deeper sense of purpose. Daniels also named Asa Jackson, Dawn of Consciousness — a discussion of how textiles can form personal narratives — as a programming highlight from the past year. First-year College student Ania Saladi attended another one of these conversations, Music By the Dell, held April 18, and said that she enjoyed the atmosphere of the space as well as the event itself.
“I [felt] much more calm and productive simply during my time at the event,” Saladi said. “The environment was very welcoming and yet tranquil, especially since it had been a rainy day, which only added to the ambiance and experience.”
The Contemplative Commons also houses a "dynamically experimental collaboratory” — the Contemplative Innovation and Research Co-Lab, a team made up of eight researchers and supported by faculty advisors on the CIRCL Council to investigate human transformation.
This team continued to achieve milestones in their research studies and academic offerings and symposia this year, according to Daniels. The team’s research is published in the Journal of Contemplative Studies, focusing on “humanistic studies and transdisciplinary scholarship with a humanistic core,” as well as their online research magazine, Currents.
In October 2024, the Contemplative Commons debuted the Salon research series. Hosted by the Contemplative Innovation and Research Co-Lab, the series offered spaces for open dialogue to “exchange ideas, generate knowledge and seek solutions to global challenges,” according to the CSC’s website. These discussions — including topics of spontaneity, attention ecology, grief and others — brought together scholars and community members to grow their shared knowledge.
The Contemplative Commons has also served as a space for learning since its opening, hosting academic classes in Fall 2024, Spring 2025 and throughout this past academic year.
First-year College student Grace Hughes participated in the course EGMT 1510, “How to Pay Attention IRL” with Associate Spanish Prof. Charlotte Rogers in the Contemplative Commons building. Hughes said she enjoyed her time taking a class in this space, and that the class utilized the space’s other resources, including yoga, in addition to just sitting in the classroom.
“The CSC gave us a chance to pay attention to the area around us and worked to provide an escape from typical classrooms that are screen-oriented,” Hughes said. “Overall, I loved my time learning in the CSC and found it to be a very engaging atmosphere to work in and a great place to escape from technology.”
In the upcoming summer and fall terms, the CSC will continue to offer more diverse programming. For summer 2026, the CSC plans to offer peer-to-peer programming, including Mindfulness and Meditation — free, drop-in meditation sessions for all community members on Mondays to Wednesdays from 11:30 to 11:50 a.m. The CSC also plans to offer Ashtanga Yoga: Mysore-style Mondays to Thursdays from 6 to 9 a.m., and Led Primary Series Fridays from 6:30 to 8 a.m. They will also offer CARELab, a community-based Leadership and AI course for college students, high school juniors and seniors, as well as the Compassionate Schools Project Educator Retreat.
Beginning this fall, the CSC will have new programs such as Movement and Music Mondays, screen-free reading spaces at designated times, as well as half-day, one and two-day retreats for departments, offices and organizations.
Daniels said that the CSC will continue to expand and grow in the future.
“We look forward to building upon each of [this year’s] accomplishments with an even more diverse array of programming and expanded hours during the weekday and weekends next year,” Daniels wrote.
For the summer, the Contemplative Commons building is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, and is closed on weekends. Throughout spring 2026, the building was open Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays, according to Matt Peterson, CSC social media and marketing assistant. Following spring break, the Contemplative Commons building began operating with Saturday hours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Starting in the Fall semester, the Contemplative Commons building will be open seven days per week, contingent on hiring additional staff, according to Peterson. Peterson said the hours in the fall will be 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
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