top of page

​

2026 CPHE Conference

The 2026 Contemplative Practices for Higher Education (CPHE) Conference convenes March 12-14 in Blacksburg, Virginia. Higher education professionals, students and others interested in contemplative practice and pedagogy gather to share new work and explore new methods across all disciplines and domains.

 

The conference is convened by C-HEARTS, the Contemplative Higher Education Alliance for Research, Teaching, and Service, and, in 2026, is hosted by Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; VT) under the leadership of Conference Co-Chairs Matthew Komelski and Samantha Harden, and the 2026 Conference Organizing Committee (Lance Brunner, Colleen Driscoll, Young Ju, Stephanie Sebolt, Roel Snieder, Juliet Trail).

​

Learn more about Lodging & Travel details for the 2026 conference, including a conference room rate at the Inn at Virginia Tech. 

Early-Bird
Registration
Open Now!

REGISTRATION FEES
 

  • THURSDAY AND FRIDAY 

    • Early-Bird Professional: $250 (through Feb. 15)

    • Standard Professional: $300 (as of Feb. 16)

    • Student (Grad, Undergrad): $75

  • SATURDAY HALF-DAY RETREAT 

    • Professional: $60

    • Student: $25
       

SPONSORSHIPS enable us to keep the cost of the conference as low as possible, particularly in providing vastly reduced Student Registration rates. We also raise funds for the Douglas Lindner Scholarship Fund for those requiring support in order to be able to attend.

​
Keynote Speaker, Gaylon Ferguson

"Courageous Teaching as Compassionate Leadership"

 

We live in fearful times. This includes students, teachers, administrators, coaches, mentors, colleagues--all of us. It is in such times that we need to strengthen our experience of our inner resources of bravery and kindness, mindfulness and compassion in order to face the daily challenges all around us.

Contemplative education offers us many methods for joining cognitive, emotional and somatic dimensions of being human. Our innate humanity is our greatest resource.

​

Gaylon Ferguson, PhD, has led mindfulness meditation retreats since 1976. He has taught at Stanford, the University of Washington, and Naropa University--where he was a Core Faculty Member for 15 years. 

Sat. Retreat Leader, Nawungmé (Tahitia) Woods

Half-day Retreat, "Dynamic Stillness: A Somatic InterWeave of Spirit, Body, & Mind" -- This retreat will playfully explore a pathway toward wholeness, translating contemplative insights into vibrant, sustainable practice. As scholars, professionals, or students, we will invite participants to embrace all aspects of ourselves and ways move between them fluidly, giving due attention and priority to those areas of our lives that truly keep us centered, that pour into us, feeding our purpose.

​

Nawungmé (Tahitia) Woods is a licensed Clinical Nurse Specialist, certified diabetes care & education specialist, and Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy practitioner. They are pursuing Lifestyle Medicine and YTT-200 certification, and currently offer Whole Person Health consults & collaborative coaching.

SCHEDULE OVERVIEW

CONFERENCE LOCATION 

All Conference Sessions will convene in the Creativity and Innovation District (CID) Living-Learning Facility (On campus map: Building #56; quadrant J-4)
 

THURSDAY MARCH 12

  • 9:00 AM: Welcome & Arriving Practice (Light breakfast provided)

  • 9:30-Noon: Morning Breakout Sessions

  • 12-1:30 pm: Lunch on your own

  • 1:30-5:00 pm: Afternoon Breakout Sessions

  • 5:00-6:00 pm: Community Reception, light snacks available

  • 6:00-7:00 pm: Choral Performance, "The Beat Goes On"

  • 7:00 pm: Adjourn (Dinner on your own)
     

FRIDAY MARCH 13

  • 8:00-9:00 AM: Contemplative Practice Sessions (Light breakfast provided)

  • 9:15-11:30: Morning Breakout Sessions

  • 11:30-12:00: Poster Session

  • 12-1:00 pm: Lunch on your own

  • 1:00-4:30 pm: Afternoon Breakout Sessions

  • 4:45-6:15 pm: Keynote Talk, Gaylon Ferguson, "Courageous Teaching as Compassionate Leadership"

  • 6:15 pm: Adjourn (Dinner on your own)
     

SATURDAY MARCH 14

  • 8:00 am: Convene (Light breakfast and Lunch will be provided)

  • 8:00 am-2:00 pm​ Retreat led by Nawungmé (Tahitia) Woods, "Dynamic Stillness: A Somatic InterWeave of Spirit, Body, & Mind"

 

bottom of page