Koru Mindfulness

Koru is a mindfulness curiculum designed specifically to target the developmental needs and interests of young adults. Koru was developed at the student counseling center at Duke University where it has become a very popular program. Koru has been empirically tested in a randomized, controlled trial and found to have significant benefits on sleep,... perceived stress, mindfulness, and self-compassion. The full Koru Mindfulness curiculum has three components: Koru Basic, the introductory course; Koru 2.0, the advanced class; and Koru Retreat, a half-day mindfulness retreat. Koru Basic consists of four, 75-minute classes and is described in detail in the book, Mindfulness for the Next Generation: Helping Emerging Adults Manage Stress and Lead Healthier Lives (Oxford University Press, 2012). Why is the program called "Koru"? "Koru" is the New Zealand Mori word for the spiral shape of the unfurling fern frond. The word literally means "looped" or "spiraled", but the shape symbolizes harmony or balanced growth, representing layered growth around around a stable center. We love the beautiful shape of the koru found in nature and feel it reflects perfectly the kind of growth that young adults experience as they begin to develop a mindfulness practice for themselves. How is Koru Mindfulness different from other mindfulness training programs? Koru was designed specifically for young adults and differs from mindfulness programs developed for more general populations of adults in several ways.Read More