Mindfulness in the Museum: Art for Mental Wellbeing

Published: Dec. 21, 2022, 9:39 a.m.

b'"I know we call them art museums, but I think they\\u2019re really wellbeing centers, because people are coming in\\u2014maybe they don\\u2019t know that\\u2019s what\\u2019s about to happen\\u2014but you are helping them expand who they are, and give them these three feelings of awe, gratitude, and compassion, that are the keys to living a healthy and meaningful life."\\n\\n\\n\\nWhat exactly is the human mind? This question has occupied Dr. Dan Siegel since he entered the field of psychiatry in the 1980s. Drawing from his experiences on a suicide prevention hotline, his time pursuing dance, and his wide-ranging studies on subjects from complex systems to indigenous traditions, Siegel has worked to define and better understand the human mind. His approach is both neurobiological and takes into account relationships among people and between people and nature. Among other tools that support mental health, Siegel emphasizes the role of art in promoting mental and emotional wellbeing.\\n\\n\\n\\nIn this episode, Siegel speaks with Getty Museum educator Lilit Sadoyan about his definition of the mind, the importance of art, and how we might think about our relationships to each other and our environment. Siegel is a best-selling author, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine, and the founding co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA.\\n\\n\\n\\nFor images, transcripts, and more, visit https://blogs.getty.edu/iris/mindfulness-in-the-museum-art-for-mental-wellbeing/ or http://www.getty.edu/podcasts\\n\\n\\n\\nTo learn more about Dan Siegel, visit https://drdansiegel.com/ \\n\\n\\n\\nTo learn more about the Mindful Awareness Research Center, visit https://www.uclahealth.org/programs/marc'