Overview

Burnout, imposter syndrome, changes in higher education, issues of free speech, structural inequality—the challenges facing academics today are daunting and overwhelming. How do we balance all of our responsibilities and goals without becoming exhausted? How do scholars decide if activism is right for them, and if so, what form should it take? There is, fortunately, great wisdom, solace, and practical advice for the modern academic in ancient wisdom traditions, indigenous cultures, and contemplative practices like meditation from around the world. In Resilience and Resitance through Contemplative Practice: Zen and the Anxious Academic, the author argues that contemplative practice is not a substitute for social change or a band-aid for the difficulties academics face, but rather a powerful tool in building resilience and resistance to forces that undermine our well-being. Learn, for example, how Jungian psychology and ancient dream practices can help with academic writing, how the concept of dharma can lead us to discern our vocation and if activism is the right path for us, and how meditation can help us rediscover our innate self-worth in a culture where value is judged by narrow definitions of productivity and achievement. With these tools and insights, we can create positive change in both our inner and outer worlds.

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9781666956566

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Reviews

"""This is an engaging account of various ways to cultivate joy, compassion and courage in academic life. Bauer shows us how we can thrive as teachers, scholars and colleagues, while acknowledging the structural and systemic challenges of academe. She encourages us to use our agency to see through our self-imprisoning stories. Drawing on perspectives from Buddhism, Stoicism, existentialism, and indigenous wisdom, she makes a compelling case for using a variety of tools to transcend the perfectionism, impostor syndrome, time pressure and comparisons that can keep us stuck in anxiety, shame and stress. This is a wise and inspiring book."" --Joli Jensen, University of Tulsa"

This is an engaging account of various ways to cultivate joy, compassion and courage in academic life. Bauer shows us how we can thrive as teachers, scholars and colleagues, while acknowledging the structural and systemic challenges of academe. She encourages us to use our agency to see through our self-imprisoning stories. Drawing on perspectives from Buddhism, Stoicism, existentialism, and indigenous wisdom, she makes a compelling case for using a variety of tools to transcend the perfectionism, impostor syndrome, time pressure and comparisons that can keep us stuck in anxiety, shame and stress. This is a wise and inspiring book. --Joli Jensen, author of Write No Matter What: Advice for Academics

Author Information

Nicole Bauer is assistant professor of European history at the University of Tulsa, and the Associate Director of the Oklahoma Center for the Humanities.

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