CU Boulder offers free mindfulness sessions for graduate students, aiming to boost focus

CU Boulder is offering graduate students a free, six-session virtual mindfulness series built around one clear promise: give busy students something usable between deadlines, teaching assignments and administrative pressure. The program, Mindfulness Practices for Graduate Students, is led by Kim Stephens, whom the university identifies as a Wardenburg acupuncturist and mindfulness educator with more than 25 years in healthcare and integrative medicine.

The sessions are scheduled twice weekly over three weeks, and CU Boulder says the series works best as a full set while still allowing students to drop into individual classes. The curriculum is designed to be accessible, practical for everyday life and supportive of student well-being. According to the event listing, the weekly guided lessons focus on evidence-based mindfulness practices meant to improve focus, concentration, stress reduction, emotional balance and overall well-being.

The timing fits the rhythm of graduate life at the university. The mindfulness entry appeared in the April 8 International Student and Scholar Services newsletter, with listed dates including April 7, 10, 14 and 17. That places the series inside a broader campus support message aimed at students who often juggle research, coursework, teaching and the constant churn of academic administration. For international students, the placement in the ISSS newsletter makes the offering part of a larger support system rather than a one-off wellness extra.

The university has been building that system for years. CU Boulder’s Mindful Campus Program began development in 2019 and launched in spring 2021, and the CALM Center says it exists to integrate secular contemplative practices into campus life. CU Boulder also says its student wellness resources serve both undergraduate and graduate students, reinforcing the idea that mindfulness is being treated as a campus service, not a niche perk.

This is not CU Boulder’s first graduate-student mindfulness offering. An earlier workshop, Mindfulness & Gratitude for Grad Students, said research has shown mindfulness can reduce stress and anxiety. That continuity matters: the university has repeatedly paired short, structured contemplative practices with student support, especially during high-visibility periods like Graduate Student Appreciation Week, which ran April 6-10 this year. The result is a model that favors low-barrier access, short virtual sessions and practical payoffs students can use immediately.