2025 Impact Highlight
Larimer County, Front Range Region
Mindfulness classes for older adults promote resilience and well-being
Later life often brings profound changes that impact mental health. Retirement and the loss of loved ones can lead to loneliness and a diminished sense of purpose. Physical health challenges and mobility limitations restrict social engagement, while financial pressures and caregiving responsibilities add stress. These factors combine to increase vulnerability to depression, anxiety, and chronic stress, making targeted interventions like mindfulness training and compassion cultivation essential for promoting resilience and well-being.
Six mindfulness classes were offered through Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) in 2025: Cultivating Compassion, Tools and Practices for Regulating the Nervous System in Challenging Times, and The Journey Within: Exploring the Inner Terrain with Mindfulness.
Over the course of three semesters, 154 participants joined one or more of the classes in the series that consisted of 12 hours of in-person training. Classes drew from research in mindfulness, neuroscience, anthropology, and psychology, and offered experiential practices to support participants’ integration of concepts and principles centering around stress management, perspective taking, coping with difficulty and loss, and resilience. Class participants engaged in self-reflection, skill-building, and social connection.
Participants shared that they were highly motivated to learn mindfulness and compassion strategies because of the stressors in their lives and in the world around them. Mindfulness practices offer older adults powerful tools that are known to help reduce depression, anxiety, stress, and loneliness. Mindfulness also lowers physiological stress by activating the body’s relaxation response.
Compassion-based practices foster empathy and connection, making social interactions more meaningful and helping to combat isolation. Over time, these practices build resilience, acceptance, and cognitive strength – empowering older adults to navigate life’s complexities and transitions with greater calm and purpose.
Course feedback demonstrated the positive impacts of these classes:
- 92% of participants responded that the course met or exceeded their expectations
- 94% of participants responded that the course content was effectively communicated
- 94% of participants responded that they would take another course from this instructor
Qualitative feedback suggests that the course offered clear information on complex topics and concrete tools for daily life and led to positive impacts on the audience:
- “Sue is masterful, enthusiastic and well prepared to help us understand how to be in the moment with kindness….my heart is full and better equipped to deal with life’s offerings.” (The Journey Within: Exploring the Inner Terrain with Mindfulness)
- “Sue’s presentations were really enlightening and they gave me a lot to work with in my continuing exploration of Mindfulness.” (The Journey Within: Exploring the Inner Terrain with Mindfulness)
- “Sue has a warm, comfortable presence that invites us into a deeper understanding of the importance of compassion. She delivers powerful strategies to help us “find our way home” so that we can be compassionate with others.” (Cultivating Compassion)
- “Sue takes big concepts and makes them very understandable.” (Cultivating Compassion)
- “Delightful, kind, participatory presenter tackling a tough, relevant, timely topic.” (Tools and Practices for Regulating the Nervous System in Challenging Times)
- “I appreciated the in-depth explanations concerning the connections between mind, heart, and the nervous system.” (Tools and Practices for Regulating the Nervous System in Challenging Times)
When older adults practice mindfulness and compassion, the benefits extend far beyond individual well-being; they strengthen the fabric of society. Mindful older adults experience better emotional and physical health, reducing reliance on healthcare systems and lowering costs for communities. Their enhanced empathy and patience foster stronger family bonds and intergenerational relationships.
By promoting kindness and reducing conflict, these practices contribute to social harmony, making communities healthier, more connected, and more compassionate for everyone.