Chapman University schedules midday mindfulness meditation circle for campus community

Chapman University carved out a midday reset for its campus community, placing a Mindfulness Meditation Circle from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in Wilkinson Founders Chapel 103. The Fish Interfaith Center organized the drop-in session for faculty, staff and students, giving anyone on campus a practical hour to step out of the shuffle between classes, meetings and deadlines.

The listing described the circle as an experiential weekly practice built around guided meditation, breathing exercises and reflective activities. Its pitch was direct: help participants build emotional resilience, manage stress and leave with a toolkit for staying mentally clear and emotionally balanced when the day starts to fray. That is the kind of mindfulness offering that tends to land with practitioners, because it treats meditation less like a wellness slogan and more like a usable skill set.

The event sat inside a larger campus framework at the Fish Interfaith Center, which Chapman places in the heart of its Orange campus and says supports the spiritual wholeness of the Chapman community. The center’s spaces include a prayer and meditation room with cushions and a wudu, or washing, station, along with Dee’s Garden of the Senses, a quiet outdoor spot for reflection and meditation. Chapman says those spaces are generally open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

Chapman also frames mindfulness in a way that keeps the door open for a broad audience. Its materials say mindfulness has ancient roots in many religious practices and is compatible with most traditions, while the Fish student page points students toward secular mindfulness as a way to lower stress and deepen spiritual awareness. The university’s interfaith language also ties healthy spirituality to intellectual, physical and social health, which fits the tone of the center’s programming.

The June 10 circle was not an isolated one-off. Chapman Newsroom said a similar Mindfulness Meditation Circle met weekly on Wednesdays from 12 to 1 p.m. through Aug. 27 in 2025 and was led by Younes Mourchid, director of student development and learning resources. Earlier Chapman programming also included a mindfulness practice with Dean Gail Stearns for faculty, staff, students and the entire Chapman community, plus weekly online meditation classes and private group sessions during the pandemic. Stearns, who wrote Liberating Mindfulness: from Billion-dollar Industry to Engaged Spirituality in 2022, has helped anchor that continuity. For anyone looking for a structured pause in the middle of the day, Chapman kept the option simple: walk into the chapel, sit down, and use the hour.