University of Minnesota Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing

10/30/2026

Even Batman - alone in the night - needs a support system. Your relationships and community impact your wellbeing. Just ask Batman.

10/28/2026

Unsure what to do with all the herbs you grew in your garden this summer? Anz, the Center's Office Manager and our meditation garden's manager, shares three ways you can use your herbs to enjoy them all year round! 🌿

10/27/2026

“In less than three weeks, I put more than 2,000 miles on my car, traveling from Warren and Dawson, to Ogilvie and Olivia, to Hastings and Cannon Falls. The people I met in these kitchens were kind, compassionate, and committed people — many had been working in school kitchens at least 20 years.”

Professional chef Jenny Breen shares about how she took on this large endeavor to help Minnesota schools see food as medicine on Taking Charge.

I am a mom, a professional chef, and a public health nutritionist. As a young chef, through collaboration with local farmers and food nonprofits, and by teaching community classes, I became aware of major gaps in skills and knowledge in food preparation. Such as understanding the relationship betwee...

10/23/2026

What happens when music and wellbeing intersect? 🎶 In this pre-concert talk, Mariann Johnson, mindfulness and wellbeing instructor at the University of Minnesota’s Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing, will explore the interplay and intersections of music, mindfulness, and wellbeing. Research in neuroarts and mindfulness will be highlighted, along with approaches and guidance for listening to music more mindfully. The program will feature a conversation with Minnesota Orchestra cellist and fellow Miles Goosby, who will also perform selections from Bach’s Suites for Unaccompanied Cello.

The discussion begins at 1 p.m. Central! Learn more about musical meditation and buy tickets to the event on the Minnesota Orchestra's website.

Members of the Minnesota Orchestra join pianist Simon Trpčeski for an afternoon of chamber music on the Orchestra Hall stage.

10/22/2026

Get to know Kit Breshears, communications director and instructor at the Bakken Center 🟢 Kit has been at the Center for 14 years! Outside of work, Kit enjoys a variety of hobbies which bring joy to those around him.

10/21/2026

Recent advances in cell engineering and synthetic biology offer enormous potential benefits, while raising ethical and policy issues. Join three experts on Thursday, October 29 at 2-3:30 p.m. Central on Zoom to explore the promise of synthetic biology while controlling potential risks. This free, public webinar on "Frontiers in Synthetic Biology: SpudCells, Mirror Life & Societal Implications" is hosted by the UMN Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment & the Life Sciences.

Register for this free webinar now! https://umn.zoom.us/webinar/register/5617878438224/WN_LQbfmaeaQ3KG-zA7PxuRRg

10/15/2026

Come along with our student employees Isaiah and Allison as they create a pen at the InkWell event at UMN Recreation and Wellness during our Reset and Renew Week. They used their creativity to assemble a unique pen!

Throughout the week, Reset & Renew Week had more than 2,500 registrations, and was supported by our 17 University partnering colleges and units.

Check out more events like this on our website at https://csh.umn.edu/for-community/heart-healing/community-events

10/14/2026

Thinking about pursuing a graduate degree? Consider our health coaching master’s degree, the first graduate program for health coaching in the nation! Gloria Teigland shares why she chose our health coaching master’s program in this video https://youtu.be/3EpFWmjtu2w

Want to learn more? Join us for information sessions this fall, the first on Oct 22, 2026 from 2 to 3 p.m. Central on Zoom. Register at z.umn.edu/CSHCoachingInfo

Gloria, one of our health coaching students, shares why she chose o...

10/13/2026

How does what we eat impact our mental health? Join our three-part Mental Health & Nutrition Workshops to find out just that!

In these workshops, you will learn how micronutrients and the microbiome impact common conditions like depression, anxiety and ADHD, and dietary strategies commonly used to support mental and cognitive health.

The first workshop is Tuesday, October 27 at 12 p.m. Central! Register now at z.umn.edu/MHNW

10/10/2026

Make time today to prioritize your mental health on World Mental Health Day! 🌼Did you know that practices such as mindfulness and acupressure can ease anxiety and depression symptoms? Learn more about these practices on our website, Taking Charge of Your Wellbeing takingcharge.csh.umn.edu

What wellbeing practice do you do to prioritize your mental health?



Video description: A short gif with an illustration of two hands holding with florals on an orange background and the text ‘Mental Health is Important’