About
I am the Liberal Arts Endowed Professor of Communication Arts & Sciences at Penn State University, co-founder of Yoga Lab, and a mindfulness and yoga teacher.
My academic research radically reimagines democracy. Long misunderstood as a contest between political parties, with citizens enlisted as soldiers in the battle, I argue that democracy is best understood as a communal practice rooted in care, deliberation, and shared responsibility.
For me, democracy begins with common ground, embraces disagreement, and is embodied in everyday practices of mindfulness, compassion, and community-building.
I view mindfulness as a form of civic education. For democracy to regain its transformative power, people must learn to live more mindfully.
At Yoga Lab we integrate mindfulness, social connection, and service into every aspect of our studio’s mission.
Democracy cannot thrive without mindfulness. The skills cultivated through meditation - paying attention, pausing judgment, looking deeply, speaking lovingly, and listening carefully - are the same skills required of engaged citizens.
Learn these skills and deepen your yoga and meditation practice with me at Yoga Lab.