Centering as Contemplative Inquiry and Practice: Teaching, Learning, and Living in the Anthropocene
Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education 2026 DOI: 10.25035/jche.04.01.01 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Argues that "centering," a contemplative concept and practice from curriculum theorist James Macdonald, can serve as a regenerative way to engage with the Anthropocene by fostering attunement to place, self, and relationality. The author contends that centering offers an alternative to disembodied and displaced educational experiences by reconnecting mind, body, and environment in meaningful, situated ways. |
Abstract
The Anthropocene may be an inescapable trap—one unwittingly shaped by human ways of relating to self, others, and the more-than-human world. While dominant discourses surrounding this epoch often evoke fear, apocalypse, or blame, how might it also invite us, as humans, into an opportunity for more holistic and contemplative education. This paper explores “centering,” a contemplative concept and practice introduced by curriculum theorist James Macdonald (1995), as a regenerative way of engaging with the Anthropocene through lived experience. Drawing from research on a graduate-level place-based course and an arts-based, pragmatic inquiry, I explore how centering can foster attunement to place, self, and relationality. The paper argues that centering offers an alternative to disembodied and displaced educational experiences—so prevalent within the Anthropocene—by reconnecting mind, body, and environment in meaningful, situated ways.