This blog was launched after a group of friends started an informal “Mindfulness and Mormons” discussion group in 2009.  There, it was decided that having a place to write out and share written thoughts would help us explore the vast territory of overlap between Mormonism and Mindfulness.  In a brainstorming discussion with Laron Wilson, Carrie Kelly (Skarda), Michael Ferguson, Toffer Hansen and Jacob Hess, the name ‘mindfullymormon’ was born.

We are currently accepting single submissions or applications for regular contributor to the site.  Send either a written submission or your interest in being a ‘regular’ to Jacob Hess (jzhess@gmail.com).  Ultimately, we anticipate drawing on the material in the blog to compile a book in fall of 2012 by the same name.  Current author profiles are included below:

Carrie Skarda is a psychologist working in private practice in Salt Lake City (See www.mySLCtherapist.com.)  She particularly enjoys helping LDS women find balance, strength, and spiritual growth in the midst of life changing, and daily, trials.  She actively incorporates the principles of mindfulness in her therapeutic practice, and additionally offers an introductory workshop on mindfulness through Sixteen Stones, Center for Growth, that explores applying the ideas of mindfulness in an LDS context.  (See www.sixteenstones.net)  In her free time she loves long walks, yoga, teaching in Relief Society, and eating cookie dough.

Jacob Hess, Ph.D., Co-founder, All of Life.  After graduating from Brigham Young University as the psychology department valedictorian, Jacob studied in the clinical-community psychology doctoral program at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.  While there, he was invited by the UIUC Program on Intergroup Relations to help develop and co-facilitate a liberal-conservative dialogue course for undergraduates, the first of its kind in the nation. Jacob later co-authored a book on liberal-conservative dialogue with Dr. Phil Neisser (State University of New York, Potsdam) that was featured on NPR’s This American Life. The book is entitled, “You’re Not as Crazy as I Thought (But You’re Still Wrong): Conversations between a Devoted Conservative and a Die-Hard Liberal.” Since finishing his dissertation research on depression narratives, he has published 13 peer-reviewed journal articles. After finishing his PhD, Jacob accepted a position as research director at Utah Youth Village, a nonprofit for abused children and families in crisis.  Over the last two years, Jacob also co-founded the non-profit, All of Life, a community educational organization that recently released a 6 hour mindfulness-based online class for serious mental and emotional challenges, “Mindweather 101” (www.alloflife.org). Most recently, Jacob completed a narrative interviewing project on romance and dating in America, with findings published in book, “Once upon a time…he wasn’t feeling it anymore.  What’s killing romance in America – and what to do about it” (www.notfeelingit.org). Jacob is married to Monique Moore, with two little boys who make sure their daddy smiles at least 9 times a day.