About Us
The EIU Mindfulness Initiative is a shared effort to bring presence, compassion, and calm into the everyday life of our university and the broader community. We believe mindfulness is not just a practice, but a way of being, with ourselves, with one another, and with the world around us. Through shared experiences, workshops, and moments of quiet reflection, we invite everyone at Eastern Illinois University, faculty, staff, students, and neighbors, to pause, breathe, and reconnect.
Purpose
Mission
Vision
Mindfulness Initiative Facilitators
Dr. Misty L. Rhoads
Professor Office: 4305 - Klehm HallPhone: 217-581-5761
Email: mlrhoads@eiu.edu
Website: https://www.eiu.edu/phn/
INTRODUCTION
Meet Dr. Misty Rhoads
I came to public health because I believed bodies and communities deserved better care, better information, and people willing to ask the hard questions. Twenty years later, that belief is still what brings me to work every day.
I am a Full Professor in the Department of Public Health and Nutrition at EIU, the founder and director of the EIU Mindfulness Initiative, and a Certified Zero Balancing Practitioner with a private somatic practice. My teaching and research weave together mindfulness and stress reduction, women's health, human sexuality, LGBTQ+ and minority health, integrative medicine, and health equity. I care deeply about research that connects to real lives and real communities.
One of the greatest privileges of this work has been walking alongside students. I have had the honor of mentoring more than 60 undergraduates and 25+ graduate students through original research, the majority of whom have gone on to publish, present, or be recognized for their contributions. I have received more than 60 state-level mentoring awards, and EIU Achievement and Contribution Awards in Teaching, Research, and the Balanced category.
If you are a student who is curious about any of these areas and looking for a mentor who will invest in you and your ideas, please reach out. I would love to connect.
Education & Training
Ph.D., Health Education — Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
M.S., Family Consumer Sciences — Eastern Illinois University
B.S., Community Health — Eastern Illinois University
Certified Zero Balancing Practitioner (CZB)
Certified Zero Balancing Faculty
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Certification (MBSR)
Frequently Taught Courses
• Mindfulness and Stress Reduction
• MindBody Medicine: Introduction & Advanced
• Human Sexuality | Women's Health | Health Disparities of Gender & Sexual Diverse Populations
• Epidemiology | Research Methods I & II | Graduate Research Methods
• Drugs and Society | Body, Health, and Society
Research & Creative Interests
Students interested in working with me can explore projects in these areas:
• Women's health, human sexuality, and sexual health across the lifespan
• LGBTQ+ health, gender-diverse populations, and health equity for minority communities
• Mindfulness, stress reduction, and contemplative practice in college populations
• Somatic and integrative therapies (Zero Balancing, breathwork, body-mind connection)
• Anxiety, nervous system regulation, and mental health promotion
• Podcast-based and technology-enhanced health education
• Community health, social determinants of health, and photovoice methodology
Professional Affiliations
Zero Balancing Health Association (ZBHA)
Zero Balancing Touch Foundation; Research (ZBTF)
International Alliance of Healthcare Educators (IAHE)
National Wellness Institute Member (NWI)
Society of Public Health Educators (SOPHE)
Illinois Association for Health, Physical Education and Dance (IAHPERD)
Illinois Public Health Association (IPHA)