Balance and Insight facilitates mindfulness and wellbeing programs for people working in higher education. Founded by Larisa Castillo and Kris Peterson, who are both University of California Irvine professors and meditation teachers, Balance and Insight takes trauma-informed, liberatory approaches to wellbeing practices that integrate participants’ intellectual, emotional, embodied, and spiritual lives. Through meditation, yoga, council circles, and embodied rest and reflection, the workshops and long retreats cultivate connection, enhance vitality, and rejuvenate people’s sense of purpose.
Recent studies reveal a sharp decline in wellbeing among university students, staff, and faculty. Educators report increased burnout and often feel they have lost sight of their purpose, while students report being overwhelmed, anxious, and lacking in guidance. Many have lost a sense of belonging as they navigate an atmosphere of disconnection. These all are symptoms of the increased compartmentalization of academic life. Balance and Insight addresses these issues by bridging people’s inner and outer lives. By settling the mind, body, and heart, participants integrate all aspects of themselves. They enter deeper states of ease and gain insight into ethical, compassionate, and conscious action, allowing them to make more intentional choices about how to live.
In a world fraught with crisis, aggression, and alienation, we seek to remind people of what they inherently possess: the capacity to heal, connect, and live with balance and insight.