Past Events

History

For years, an interest in the practice and science of mindfulness has been growing in the Roanoke Valley and New River Valley. The influence of mindfulness meditation through the development of meditation groups and yoga practice continues to reach a wider audience. Backed by an increasing number of scientific studies reporting the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation on stress reduction, decreased anxiety, increased well-being, and improved concentration, the academic community has also become engaged. In 2012, Virginia Tech hosted its first forum on Contemplative Practices; thus began a conversation about offering an educational event here in the Roanoke Valley.

In 2012, Laurie Seidel, MSN, RN, Alan Forrest, Ph.D., Wally Scott, Ph.D. and Ted Edlich, the President and CEO of Total Action for Progress, came together to create Mindfulness Conference Roanoke.  A planning committee was formed to bring the very best mindfulness teachers to the Roanoke Valley and Radford University communities, with the intention to keep the registration fee affordable and accessible.  Those involved in high stress occupations such as education, business, law enforcement, human services, healthcare, and mental health, and those interested in learning mindfulness practices for self-care were the target audience. 

Mindfulness Conference 2014

In 2014 the first Mindfulness Conference Roanoke was held at Virginia Western Community College, drawing 275 attendees. The headliners were Elijah Goldstein, PhD., author of The Now Effect and coauthor of A Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Workbook, and Patricia A. “Tish” Jennings, M.Ed., Ph.D. Associate Professor of Education in the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia, author of Mindfulness for Teachers whose program of research focuses on mindfulness in educational settings.

Mindfulness Conference 2015

In 2015, the second Mindfulness Conference Roanoke featured Ronald Siegel, PsyD., Assistant Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School and author of The Mindfulness Solution and Back Sense.  Dr. Siegel offered expertise in choosing mindfulness practices to address specific needs.  Attendance increased to 325 participants.

Mindfulness Conference 2016

In 2016, the third Mindfulness Conference Roanoke introduced Sharon Salzberg, one of the founders of mindfulness practice in the United States and New York Times bestselling author to the Southwest Virginia community, expanding attendance to 400.  Her books include Real Happiness and Real Happiness at Work. Sharon also offered an additional day of practice focused on lovingkindness and compassion meditation.  

We extend our gratitude for those who have made this conference a reality

Sponsors of the conferences have included Total Action for Progress (TAP), Radford University, Virginia Western Community College, Hollins University, Ferrum College, Roanoke City Public Schools, Mental Health America Roanoke Valley, Carilion Clinic, Family Service of the Roanoke Valley, Appalachian Power, and CHIP of the Roanoke Valley.

The success of the annual Mindfulness Conference Roanoke is due to those who have served on one or more of the conference planning committees:  Hallie Carr, Diane Kelly, Sharon Thacker, Carol Stockton, Robin Haldiman and Annette Lewis as well as the founding members. We are indebted to the following staff from Total Action for Progress, who, under the direction of Annette Lewis, TAP current President and CEO, built the conference infrastructure including registration, logistics, and marketing.  They are Kristen Moses, Sarah Gatrell, Barbara Martin, Debbie Kavanaugh, Libba Cooper, Keri Garnett, and Amelie Rives. Finally, we are grateful for the support of additional breakout session leaders who volunteered their time and expertise in the 2015 and 2016 conferences, including Jan Weintraub, Bridget Simmerman, Laura Farmer, Gail Evans, Eric-Gene Shrewsbury, Matthew Komelski, Stephanie Miear, Ellen Birx, and Patty Cargill.

With the success and growth of the Mindfulness Conference Roanoke and with the awareness of a growing interest in the applications of mindfulness in the Roanoke Valley, the Mindfulness Institute of the Roanoke Valley (MIRV) was founded on February 21, 2017.  With the formation of a Board of Directors and the successful incorporation of the institute, the Board embarked on a mission to promote the science and practice of mindfulness throughout our community.  Additionally, the MIRV began to plan the fourth Mindfulness Conference Roanoke by securing internationally recognized mindfulness teacher George Mumford for two days of mindfulness programs in September, 2017.